RAFT - Clinical Trial of RAFT for Aniridia Related Keratopathy

Aniridia Clinical Trial

— RAFT  

Official title:

RAFT - First in Human Phase I/II Clinical Trial of RAFT for Aniridia Related Keratopathy

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05044598
• Other study ID #: CTU/2017/307
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Start date: July 28, 2021
• Est. completion date: May 31, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: May 2023
• Source: University College, London
• Contact: Amalia Ndoutoumou
• Phone: 020 3108 9840
• Email: raft[@]ucl.ac.uk
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The RAFT trial is a first in human trial of a novel cellular therapy called RAFT-OS (Real Architecture for 3D Tissues Ocular Surface) developed and manufactured by Cells for Sight Stem Cell Therapy Research Unit at UCL institute of Ophthalmology.

The aim of this seamless phase I/II single-dose, single-arm trial is to investigate if RAFT-OS is a safe and effective alternative treatment for patients with aniridia related keratopathy (ARK) in 21 patients.

ARK is a complication of aniridia, which is a genetic eye condition present from birth.

RAFT-OS is an artificial tissue, populated with limbal epithelial cells and stromal cells. The source of the adult limbal and stromal cells is from donated human corneas from the NHS blood and Transplant, Tissue and Eye services in Liverpool.

Following a Screening visit, participants will commence 10-weeks of immune suppression therapy to prepare for the transplantation of RAFT-OS.

The RAFT-OS will be transplanted into the participants worst affected eye. Following surgery, each participant will be assessed at days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 1-month for major or intermediate safety events. Participants will continue to be followed up to 12 months after transplantation and will be required to stay on the immune suppression therapy for the duration of the trial.

The trial is conducted at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (MEH), London in the United Kingdom (UK). MEH is a leading provider of eye health services in the UK and is a world-class centre of excellence for ophthalmic research and education.

All trial medical assessments and procedures will be performed in an appropriate clinical setting by suitability qualified staff.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 21
• Est. completion date: May 31, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: February 28, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Confirmed diagnosis of congenital aniridia

2. Confirmed diagnosis of advanced aniridia related keratopathy with corneal surface conjunctivalisation, vascularisation and increasing opacity with worsening vision loss, glare & ocular surface pain

3. Patients aged 18 years and over

4. Participants must use acceptable contraception from enrolment up to 6 weeks for female participants and 90 days for male participants, after stopping immunosuppression therapy

5. Negative viral screen for, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B & C and Human T-cell Leukaemia Virus (HTLV)

6. Negative urine pregnancy test.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Poor tear production, as assessed by a Schirmer's test type 1

2. Lid malposition (entropion, ectropion, fornix shortening, symblepharon)

3. Current corneal infection

4. Uncontrolled glaucoma (defined as uncontrolled eye pressure, changes to medication, recent surgery in the last 3 months or being considered for surgical treatment)

5. Must not be NPL (no light perception) in one or both eyes

6. Patients who refuse to consent to the site informing their GP of their participation

7. Patients who lack capacity to give full informed consent to participate

8. Pregnant or lactating women

9. Patients with known contraindications to any of the following non-investigational medicinal products; mycophenolate, prednisolone, omeprazole, doxycycline, dexamethasone & moxifloxacin or excipients according to the relevant SmPCs

10. Patients who are participating in any concurrent trial involving an investigational medical product, device or surgical intervention within the last 12 months

11. Known albumin or egg allergy

12. Known penicillin allergy

13. Known hydrocortisone allergy

14. Inability to lie flat for surgical procedure.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Aniridia

Intervention

Other:
• RAFT-OS
RAFT-OS (Real Architecture for 3D Tissues Ocular Surface) is an artificial tissue, populated with limbal epithelial cells and stromal cells.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United Kingdom	Moorfields Eye Hospital	London

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University College, London	Medical Research Council, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United Kingdom, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Primary safety outcome defined as the number of adverse events related to the intervention	defined as either major adverse event (non-ocular SUSAR; corneal melting; death) or any intermediate adverse event (persisting epithelial defect; persisting ocular inflammation; loss of corneal clarity; ocular SAEs related to the RAFT-OS and not surgery alone, conjunctival or lid swelling considered related to the ATIMP (RAFT-OS) and not surgery alone).	12 months
Primary	primary efficacy outcome defined as Improvement in the corneal surface at 3months post intervention.	Efficacy will be based on corneal surface normalisation (i.e., persistence of normal corneal epithelium and absence of vascularisation, epithelial defect and conjunctivalisation) at 3 months post-RAFT-OS transplantation using a validated ocular surface scoring system	3 months
Secondary	Change in visual acuity	1. Visual improvement assessed by distance EDTRS visual acuity (refractive best corrected) at 3 & 12 months post RAFT-OS transplantation.	3 & 12 months post RAFT transplantation
Secondary	changes in quality of life scores	as assessed by NEI-VFQ-25 patient questionnaire	at 3 & 12 months post RAFT transplantation
Secondary	Changes in quality of Life scores	RAND 36-Item Health Survey.	3 &12 months post RAFT transplantation.