EPA for Metastasis Trial 2

Colon Cancer Clinical Trial

— EMT2  

Official title:

A Randomised Placebo-controlled Phase III Trial of the Effect of the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) on Colorectal Cancer Recurrence and Survival After Surgery for Resectable Liver Metastases

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03428477
• Other study ID #: MO16/053
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: May 2, 2018
• Est. completion date: April 30, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: December 2023
• Source: University of Leeds
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

A significant proportion of patients who undergo liver surgery to remove bowel cancer that has spread to the liver (metastases) develop disease recurrence and die from the disease. A previous small study (the EMT study) suggested a possible survival benefit in patients who took the naturally-occurring omega-3 fatty acid EPA (a fish oil supplement) before liver surgery. The EMT2 study is a larger study which will recruit 448 men and women with liver metastases from bowel cancer. Trial participants will receive either Icosapent Ethyl (pure EPA derived from fish oil) or placebo (dummy capsules). EMT2 will investigate whether patients who take this supplement before liver surgery and for up to four years after surgery, remain free of recurrence for longer than those who take placebo (dummy capsules)

Description:

Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), it remains the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the UK. The majority of deaths from CRC are related to distant metastasis, predominantly to the liver. Overall 5-year survival following liver resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) is, at best, 40-60%. Despite surgery with curative intent, up to 60% of patients develop recurrence within 2 years of surgery. The preliminary EMT study was a Phase II RCT of EPA 2 g daily in patients (n=88) undergoing liver resection surgery for CRCLM. Although there was no difference in the primary endpoint (tumour proliferation index), metastases from the EPA arm had a lower vascularity score (suggesting possible anti-angiogenic activity) than placebo-treated tumours. Although EPA (or placebo) treatment was limited to the pre-operative period, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were specified as exploratory end-points on the basis that oral dosing with EPA before liver surgery would provide tissue EPA exposure in the immediate peri-operative period with prolonged bioavailability in the post-operative period due to the slow tissue 'washout' kinetics of EPA. Survival analysis demonstrated that the median DFS in the EPA group was 22.6 months compared with 14.7 months in the placebo group. Any DFS benefit was explained by a reduction in CRC recurrence from 12 months after surgery onwards.

The EMT2 study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre, phase III trial of the omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) as the ethyl ester (icosapent ethyl [IPE; Vascepa®]) in patients undergoing liver resection surgery for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) with curative intent designed to determine whether EPA treatment improves Progression-Free Survival (PFS). A key secondary objective is overall survival (OS).

Investigators will recruit adult individuals listed for CRCLM resection with curative intent.

Randomisation will be 1:1 to receive either IPE capsules or placebo capsules. 4 capsules per day containing IPE (equivalent to 4 g EPA-ethyl ester [EE] daily) or 4 placebo capsules per day. Participants will start treatment a prior to CRCLM surgery and will continue to receive treatment for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 4 years post-liver resection. Participants are followed up for 60 days beyond the end of treatment.

Participants are clinically assessed 6 months post-operatively (from liver resection) and at 6-monthly intervals thereafter for disease progression/recurrence.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 418
• Est. completion date: April 30, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: November 30, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged = 18 years

• Able to provide written informed consent

• Histological diagnosis of colorectal cancer with evidence of liver metastases

• Planned liver resection surgery for colorectal cancer liver metastases with curative intent, including repeat 're-do' colorectal cancer liver metastases surgery (a second independent resection for a separate colorectal cancer liver recurrence)

• Intention to receive IMP prior to colorectal cancer liver metastases surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous CRCLM surgery for the management of the current metastatic disease

• Incurable extra-hepatic metastases

• Current (in the last 2 months) or planned regular (>3 doses per week) use of O3FA-containing drugs or supplements, including Vazkepa®, Omacor®, fish oil and cod-liver oil supplements

• Fish/seafood allergy

• Diagnosis of hereditary fructose intolerance

• Soya or peanut allergy

• Inability to comply with trial treatment and follow-up schedule

• Known bleeding tendency/condition (e.g. von Willebrand disease)

• A previous malignancy within the last 5 years other than:

• colorectal cancer

• non-melanoma skin cancer where treatment consisted of resection only or radiotherapy

• ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) where treatment consisted of resection only

• cervical carcinoma in situ where treatment consisted of resection only

• superficial bladder carcinoma where treatment consisted of resection only

• A previous malignancy where the patient has been disease free for = 5 years

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women or women of childbearing potential not willing to use effective contraceptive measures. Women of childbearing potential are defined as fertile, following menarche and until becoming post-menopausal, unless permanently sterile

• Men defined as fertile (post-pubescent and not permanently sterile by vasectomy or bilateral orchidectomy) and not willing to use effective contraceptive measures if appropriate.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Colon Cancer
• Colonic Neoplasms
• Liver Metastasis
• Liver Neoplasms
• Neoplasm Metastasis

Intervention

Drug:
• Icosapent Ethyl
Composition: soft amber to light yellow, oblong gelatin capsules. One capsule contains 1g pure EPA-EE Dose: 4 capsules per day

Other:
• Placebo
Composition: soft, amber to light yellow, oblong gelatin capsules containing light mineral oil: Dose: 4 capsules per day

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United Kingdom	Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Aintree
United Kingdom	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Basingstoke	Royal Hampshire
United Kingdom	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Birmingham
United Kingdom	Cambridge UniversityHospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Cambridge
United Kingdom	University Hospital of Wales	Cardiff
United Kingdom	Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Leeds
United Kingdom	King's College London	London
United Kingdom	Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	London
United Kingdom	Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Newcastle
United Kingdom	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	Nottingham
United Kingdom	Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Oxford	Oxfordshire
United Kingdom	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Sheffield
United Kingdom	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust	Southampton

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Mark A Hull, PhD FRCP	Amarin Pharma Inc., Yorkshire Cancer Research

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United Kingdom, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Red Blood Cell Membrane EPA content (exploratory endpoint)	EPA content measured at baseline, surgery and 6 months after surgery. Samples taken at selected sites only	Samples taken at baseline, surgery and 6 months after surgery
Other	Change in lean body mass (exploratory endpoint)	Change in lean body mass measured by CT scanning during follow-up as assessed by the L3 skeletal muscle index score. Scans reviewed from selected sites only	6 months and up to 4 years follow up
Primary	Progression Free Survival (PFS)	PFS is defined as the time from randomisation to death (from any cause), first documented evidence of disease progression, new recurrence or clinical deterioration unequivocally due to disease progression	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Secondary	Overall Survival (OS)	The time from randomisation to death, from any cause (key secondary endpoint)	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Secondary	Safety and Tolerability of Icosapent Ethyl	The number of participants with treatment-emergent adverse events as defined by CTCAE v4.0	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Secondary	Patient reported quality of life 1	Measured using the EQ-5D questionnaire	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Secondary	Patient reported quality of life 2	Measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Secondary	Patient reported quality of life 3	Measured using the QLQ-LMC21 questionnaire	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Secondary	New Primary Cancers	Excluding DCIS, cervical carcinoma in situ, superficial bladder carcinoma where treatment consisted of resection only and non-melanoma skin cancer where treatment consisted of resection or radiotherapy only)	Minimum of 2 years follow-up