Testing of HIV Protease Inhibitors to Suppress Inflammation and Improve Cardio Pulmonary Hemodynamics in Subjects With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Clinical Trial

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Study Rationale:There is recent evidence that HIV protease inhibitors (HIV-PI) can improve pulmonary hemodynamics in experimental models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). There is also experimental evidence that both TLR4 and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) participate in the pathogenesis of experimental pulmonary hypertension. A recent high throughput screen for inhibitors of HMGB1 induced macrophage activation yielded HIV-protease inhibitors (PIs) as potent inhibitors of HMGB1 induced cytokine production. Based on the experimental evidence we propose a trial to determine whether HIV-PIs will alter the pathobiology of PAH.

Study Objectives:The main objective of this study is to determine whether saquinavir and ritonavir (SQV+RIT) which have a well-characterized safety profile in humans will reduce bio markers of inflammation and pulmonary artery pressures in patients with PAH.

Study Hypothesis:We hypothesize that the HIV-PI, SQV+RIT, will reduce circulating parameters of inflammation including HMGB1, IL1-beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha and CRP. Our end points will be changes in these parameters from baseline over the duration of the study.We hypothesize that treatment with SQV+RIT will reduce pulmonary artery(PA) pressure of patients with PAH as measured by echocardiography.

Study Design:This is a single center open label phase 0 study to evaluate the effect of SQV +RIT in patients with IPAH. Subjects with IPAH(N=20) will be enrolled into a study, which will be divided into 3 cohorts and entail the administration of HIV protease inhibitors in three doses. The first cohort (n=3) will receive a starting dose of SQV 0.3 mg/kg twice daily in combination with RIT 0.03 mg/kg twice daily. If the first dose is well-tolerated, the second cohort (n= 3 ) with IPAH will be given doses of SQV 3 mg/kg and RIT 0.3 mg/kg twice daily. If the second dose is well-tolerated, the last cohort (n= 14 ) with IPAH will be given doses of SQV 15 mg/kg and RIT 1.5 mg/kg twice daily.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hypertension
• Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• NCT number: NCT02023450
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
• Contact: Li Ying, MD
• Phone: 0086-13787184360
• Email: lydia0312@csu.edu.cn
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 0
• Start date: December 2013
• Completion date: July 2015