Darbe Plus IV Iron to Decrease Transfusions While Maintaining Iron Sufficiency in Preterm Infants

Iron Deficiency Anemia Clinical Trial

— DIVI  

Official title:

Trial of Darbepoetin Plus Slow-release Intravenous Iron to Decrease Transfusions and Improve Iron Status and Neurodevelopment in Preterm Infants

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05340465
• Other study ID #: STUDY00015143
• Secondary ID: R01HD107003
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: November 27, 2022
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2027

Study information

• Verified date: June 2023
• Source: University of Washington
• Contact: Sandra E Juul, MD, PhD
• Phone: 425 246-2536
• Email: sjuul[@]uw.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

In this phase II trial, the investigators overarching goal is to demonstrate the feasibility and potential benefit of darbepoetin (Darbe) plus slow-release intravenous (IV) iron to decrease transfusions, maintain iron sufficiency and improve the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants.

Investigators hypothesize that in infants < 32 completed weeks of gestation, combined treatment with Darbe plus Ferumoxytol (FMX) or Darbe plus low molecular weight iron dextran (LMW-ID) will: 1) be safe, 2) decrease or eliminate transfusions, 3) maintain iron sufficiency, 4) result in higher hematocrit and 5) improve neurodevelopment. Investigators further hypothesize that when compared to oral iron supplementation (standard care), IV iron will be better tolerated, with less effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome

Description:

Investigators hypothesize that in infants < 32 completed weeks of gestation, combined treatment with Darbe plus FMX or Darbe plus LMW-ID will: 1) be safe, 2) decrease or eliminate transfusions, 3) maintain iron sufficiency, 4) result in higher hematocrit and 5) improve neurodevelopment. Investigators further hypothesize that when compared to oral iron supplementation (standard care), IV iron will be better tolerated, with less effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome

Objectives:

1. To compare the safety, dose, and dosing interval for FMX and LMW-ID required for preterm infants receiving Darbe.

Iron dosing will begin at 7 days after birth. Initial doses of 10 mg/kg/dose or 20 mg/kg/dose will be compared for each iron formulation (N=20 each).

2. To compare the safety, tolerance, and efficacy of IV iron (FMX or LMW-ID) plus Darbe (N=80) to standard care (oral ferrous sulfate (N=40). Adverse reactions to IV Iron will be documented, as will adverse responses to oral iron (feeding intolerance). Potential differences in the stool microbiome will be evaluated 3 weeks after the initial IV and oral iron doses.

3. Determine long-term outcomes:

• 3.1 Neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants enrolled in Objectives 1 and 2 (N=120) will be sequentially assessed up to 2 years of age.

• 3.2 The stool microbiome will be compared between study groups at 12 and 24 months to determine whether mode of iron delivery has long-term effects.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 120
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2027
• Est. primary completion date: June 30, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: N/A to 3 Days

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• NICU patients (male and female) born at 24-0/7 to 31-6/7 weeks of gestation

All patients who meet inclusion criteria will be approached without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, parents' country of origin, or religious preferences.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known fetal/infant anomalies of clinical significance (brain, cardiac, chromosomal anomalies)

• Parental consent unable to be obtained by 72 hours after birth

• Central hematocrit > 65%

• Evidence of high iron stores prior to enrollment (e.g. Ferritin >400 ng/mL with corresponding ZnPP/H of <30, Transferrin saturation >75%, iron > 200 mcg/dL, TIBC < 100 mcg/dL)

• Culture proven sepsis, meningitis, urinary tract infection, or other significant infection at the time of enrollment

• Mother under 18 years of age

• Unable to consent in English or Spanish

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
• Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Iron Malabsorption
• Iron-deficiency
• Malabsorption Syndromes
• Premature Birth
• Prematurity

Intervention

Drug:
• Darbepoetin Alfa
Infants in groups 2-5 will be started on Darbe 10 mcg/kg/week between 72 and 84 hours after birth.
• Low Molecular Weight Iron Dextran
Infants in groups 2 and 3 will be given LMW-ID IV, 10 or 20 mg/kg/dose. They will be re-dosed if ferritin falls below 76. Iron parameters will be checked biweekly.
• Ferumoxytol injection
Infants in groups 4 and 5 will be given FMX IV, 10 or 20 mg/kg/dose. They will be re-dosed if ferritin falls below 76. Iron parameters will be checked biweekly.
• Oral iron supplements
Infants in group 1 will receive standard care in the UW NICU with iron started on day 7 if tolerating 100 mL/kg/day enteral feeding. Iron supplements are adjusted every 2 weeks based on ferritin, zinc protoporphyrin to heme ratio and complete blood count (CBC).

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Washington	Seattle	Washington

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Washington	Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Plasma Ferritin at 35-36 weeks PMA	Plasma ferritin is measured every 2 weeks in the NICU. Ferritin at 35-36 weeks will be compared between the 5 treatment groups	birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age
Primary	Number of IV iron doses required to maintain a ferritin level of > 75 ng/mL	Number of IV iron doses required to maintain a ferritin level of > 75 ng/mL will be compared in the 4 IV treatment arms	Birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (or prior to discharge if this occurs prior to 36 weeks)
Primary	Number of Blood transfusions	The number of blood transfusions received by infants in each group will be compared.	Birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (or prior to discharge if this occurs prior to 36 weeks)
Primary	Volume of blood transfusions	The volume of blood transfused to infants in each group will be compared	Birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (or prior to discharge if this occurs prior to 36 weeks)
Secondary	Number and percent of patients per group that remain transfusion free	Number and percent of patients per group that remain transfusion free will be compared by group	Birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (or prior to discharge if this occurs prior to 36 weeks)
Secondary	Hematocrit	Hematocrit (lowest, highest, mean) by group to 35-36 weeks PMA	Birth to 36 weeks PMA
Secondary	Safety of IV iron	Any evidence of anaphylaxis will be documented during and after the first IV infusion of iron	Birth to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (or prior to discharge if this occurs prior to 36 weeks)
Secondary	Early gut microbiome comparison between study groups	Stool samples will be collected for 16S amplicon sequencing and targeted culturomics. Organism types will be compared between groups prior to and 3 weeks after the first IV iron dose.	at 7 days (prior to iron supplementation) and 4 weeks after birth
Secondary	Rate of referral for Brainstem auditory evoked response	Any latency in Brainstem auditory evoked response will be assessed and compared between study arms	at hospital discharge, near 36 weeks postmenstrual age
Secondary	Rate of pass/fail the General Movements Assessments (GMA)	General Movements Assessments (GMA) will be assessed at 3 months corrected age, and results compared between study arms.	3 months corrected age
Secondary	Scores for the Warner Initial Developmental Evaluation of Adaptive and Functional Skills (WIDEA-FS) will be compared between groups	Parent questionnaire (WIDEA-FS) to assess neurodevelopment will be done at 6 months corrected age. Mean and median scores will be compared by treatment arm. The WIDEA includes 50 items with a maximum score of 200. Higher scores indicate more advanced neurodevelopmental functioning.	6 months corrected age
Secondary	Scores for the Warner Initial Developmental Evaluation of Adaptive and Functional Skills (WIDEA-FS) will be compared between groups	Parent questionnaire (WIDEA-FS) to assess neurodevelopment will be done at 6 months corrected age. Mean and median scores will be compared by treatment arm. The WIDEA includes 50 items with a maximum score of 200. Higher scores indicate more advanced neurodevelopmental functioning.	18 months corrected age
Secondary	Late gut microbiome comparison between study groups	Stool samples will be collected for 16S amplicon sequencing and targeted culturomics. Organism types will be compared between groups. If differences in early microbiome (at 4 weeks of age) are noted, we will evaluate whether they persist at 1 and 2 years of age.	at 1 and 2 years corrected age.
Secondary	Neurodevelopmental outcome as assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development edition-IV (BSID-IV)	Bayley Scales of Infant Development edition-IV (BSID-IV) will be assessed in all enrolled patients at one and two years corrected age. Results for the treatment arms will be compared.	1 year and 2 years corrected age