Nebulized Heparin in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome COVID-19

Covid19 Clinical Trial

— NEBUHEPA  

Official title:

Efficacy and Safety Study to Evaluate the Use of Nebulized Heparin in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04530578
• Other study ID #: CSanCamilo
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: June 1, 2020
• Est. completion date: June 1, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: August 2020
• Source: Clinica San Camilo, Argentina
• Contact: ALICIA B VILASECA, DR
• Phone: +5401148588144
• Email: avilaseca[@]clinicasancamilo.org.ar
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of inhalational heparin in patients with pulmonary compromise / pneumonia / SARS associated with COVID-19, laboratory with marked inflammation parameters, and prothrombotic state secondary to it (Fibrinogen, Ferritin and / or elevated D-Dimer) , from admission to hospitalization.

The combination of inhalation heparin combined with prophylactic doses of LMWH could reduce the progression to severe forms of the disease, and consequently the need for intensive care units and mechanical ventilation.

Description:

The emergency of COVID-19 requires the urgent development of strategies to avoid the impact of the disease on our population, the saturation of the health system and the mortality of the disease.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei province, China and has subsequently spread to the world population. Factors associated with the development of SARS and its mortality include advanced age, lymphopenia, organ dysfunction, and bleeding disorders.

Different manifestations have been described (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism, digital ischemia and cerebral infarcts), and different mechanisms, such as the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies in COVID-19. There is evidence of the presence of a hypercoagulable state in the majority of deaths from SARS associated with COVID -19.

Increased plasma D-dimer concentrations is a common finding and also appears to be an independent predictor of mortality. These patients and those who meet criteria for sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) would benefit from anticoagulant therapy primarily with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH).

Antithrombotic therapies have been used in clinical practice for almost a century. In clinical practice, unfractionated heparin (UFH) and heparin derivatives remain the predominant antithrombotic therapies administered parenterally.

Heparin binds to antithrombin III (AT-III), a plasma glycoprotein, and to a small extent also to the heparin II cofactor. The result of this binding produces a conformational change and a strong increase in the inhibitory effect of thrombin, which becomes approximately 1000 times more potent than before. Other targets of heparin on coagulation are the inhibition or reduced activation of factors V, VIII and IX and the inhibition of thrombocyte function, due to a nonspecific binding of platelet factor IV.

However, heparin is a drug not only with anticoagulant properties, it has many other properties (interaction with growth factors, regulation of cell proliferation and angiogenesis, modulation of proteases and antiproteases), making it an interesting subject of research in the field of inflammation, allergy and immunology, interstitial lung fibrosis and oncology. Inhalation of heparin produces local anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects . In addition, possible effects have been described to prevent viral infection, including coronaviridae . It was describes the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 S1 RBD to bind heparin. Such binding capacity is an important prerequisite for research related to the development of SARS-CoV-2 unfractionated heparin therapeutic inhalation Experimental studies of inhaled UFH in healthy subjects showed that doses of less than 32,000 IU of UFH through the lower respiratory tract were safe. In a prospective cohort study in young adults, Harenberg determined that the inhaled dose of LMWH had to be 10 times greater than that administered subcutaneously to achieve similar levels of anti-factor Xa assay.

Considering the role of coagulopathy and inflammation in the induction of ventilator-induced lung injury, nebulized heparin improved lung function in ventilated patients, equivalent to the use of corticosteroids. It has also been compared with other interventions to stimulate the fibrinolysis or block coagulation to suppress the inflammatory response and reduce lung injury in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome .

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 200
• Est. completion date: June 1, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: October 30, 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 100 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Persons over 18 years of age of any sex admitted with a diagnosis of a suspected case of COVID-19, in accordance with the definition of the Ministry of Health of the Nation (MSal) as of May 20, 2020, who present at the time of admission or in its evolution pulmonary infiltrates compatible with imaging studies (chest X-ray or chest CT) and at least one of the following biochemical parameters of systemic inflammation:

• D DIMER over 1.0 ug/dl

• Ferritin over 500 ng/ml

• Fibrinogen over 500 mg/dl

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under 18 years old

• Pregnant women

• Known allergy to Heparin

• Participant in another clinical trial that is not approved for joint enrollment.

• APTT> 120 seconds, not due to anticoagulant therapy.

• Platelet count <20 x 109 per L

• Lung bleeding.

• Uncontrolled bleeding

• Advanced neurological impairment

• Advanced oncological disease

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Coronavirus Infections
• Covid19
• Pneumonia
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Intervention

Drug:
• Heparin sodium
Nebulized Heparin every 8 hours plus Subcutaneous Enoxaparin every 24hours
• Enoxaparin
Subcutaneous Enoxaparine every 24 hours

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Argentina	Clinica San Camilo	Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aire	Buenos Aires

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Clinica San Camilo, Argentina

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Argentina, 

References & Publications (19)

Abdelaal Ahmed Mahmoud A, Mahmoud HE, Mahran MA, Khaled M. Streptokinase Versus Unfractionated Heparin Nebulization in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS): A Randomized Controlled Trial With Observational Controls. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2020 Feb;34(2):436-443. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2019.05.035. Epub 2019 May 27. — View Citation

Bendstrup KE, Gram J, Jensen JI. Effect of inhaled heparin on lung function and coagulation in healthy volunteers. Eur Respir J. 2002 Apr;19(4):606-10. — View Citation

Courtney Mycroft-West, Dunhao Su, Stefano Elli , Scott Guimond,Gavin Miller, Jeremy Turnbull , Edwin Yates , Marco Guerrini , David Fernig , Marcelo Lima and Mark Skidmore. The 2019 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) surface protein (Spike) S1 Receptor Binding Domain undergoes conformational change upon heparin binding. bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.29.971093.This version posted March 2, 2020.

Dixon B, Schultz MJ, Smith R, Fink JB, Santamaria JD, Campbell DJ. Nebulized heparin is associated with fewer days of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled trial. Crit Care. 2010;14(5):R180. doi: 10.1186/cc9286. Epub 2010 Oct 11. — View Citation

Ghiasi F, Sadeghian M, Emami M, Kiaie BA, Mousavi S. A Pilot Study of Nebulized Heparin for Prevention of Ventilator Induced Lung Injury: Comparative Effects with an Inhaled Corticosteroid. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2017 Oct;21(10):634-639. doi: 10.4103/ijccm.IJCCM_183_17. — View Citation

Harenberg J, Malsch R, Angelescu M, Lange C, Michaelis HC, Wolf H, Heene DL. Anticoagulant effects and tissue factor pathway inhibitor after intrapulmonary low-molecular-weight heparin. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis. 1996 Jun;7(4):477-83. — View Citation

Monagle K, Ryan A, Hepponstall M, Mertyn E, Monagle P, Ignjatovic V, Newall F. Inhalational use of antithrombotics in humans: Review of the literature. Thromb Res. 2015 Dec;136(6):1059-66. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2015.10.011. Epub 2015 Oct 9. Review. — View Citation

Page C. Heparin and related drugs: beyond anticoagulant activity. ISRN Pharmacol. 2013 Jul 30;2013:910743. doi: 10.1155/2013/910743. eCollection 2013. — View Citation

Scazziota A. Pons S. Heparin effects beyond antithrombotic activity. Hematología Volumen 21 Nº Extraordinario: 166175 XXIII Congreso Argentino de Hematología Noviembre 2017

Scheuch G, Brand P, Meyer T, Herpich C, Müllinger B, Brom J, Weidinger G, Kohlhäufl M, Häussinger K, Spannagl M, Schramm W, Siekmeier R. Anticoagulative effects of the inhaled low molecular weight heparin certoparin in healthy subjects. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007 Nov;58 Suppl 5(Pt 2):603-14. — View Citation

Shastri MD, Peterson GM, Stewart N, Sohal SS, Patel RP. Non-anticoagulant derivatives of heparin for the management of asthma: distant dream or close reality? Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2014 Mar;23(3):357-73. doi: 10.1517/13543784.2014.866092. Epub 2014 Jan 3. Review. — View Citation

Tang N, Bai H, Chen X, Gong J, Li D, Sun Z. Anticoagulant treatment is associated with decreased mortality in severe coronavirus disease 2019 patients with coagulopathy. J Thromb Haemost. 2020 May;18(5):1094-1099. doi: 10.1111/jth.14817. Epub 2020 Apr 27. — View Citation

Tang N, Li D, Wang X, Sun Z. Abnormal coagulation parameters are associated with poor prognosis in patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia. J Thromb Haemost. 2020 Apr;18(4):844-847. doi: 10.1111/jth.14768. Epub 2020 Mar 13. — View Citation

Trybala E, Liljeqvist JA, Svennerholm B, Bergström T. Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 differ in their interaction with heparan sulfate. J Virol. 2000 Oct;74(19):9106-14. — View Citation

Wu C, Chen X, Cai Y, Xia J, Zhou X, Xu S, Huang H, Zhang L, Zhou X, Du C, Zhang Y, Song J, Wang S, Chao Y, Yang Z, Xu J, Zhou X, Chen D, Xiong W, Xu L, Zhou F, Jiang J, Bai C, Zheng J, Song Y. Risk Factors Associated With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Death in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Mar 13. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0994. [Epub ahead of print] — View Citation

Yildiz-Pekoz A, Ozsoy Y. Inhaled Heparin: Therapeutic Efficacy and Recent Formulations. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2017 Jun;30(3):143-156. doi: 10.1089/jamp.2015.1273. Epub 2017 Apr 18. Review. — View Citation

Zhang Y, Xiao M, Zhang S, Xia P, Cao W, Jiang W, Chen H, Ding X, Zhao H, Zhang H, Wang C, Zhao J, Sun X, Tian R, Wu W, Wu D, Ma J, Chen Y, Zhang D, Xie J, Yan X, Zhou X, Liu Z, Wang J, Du B, Qin Y, Gao P, Qin X, Xu Y, Zhang W, Li T, Zhang F, Zhao Y, Li Y, Zhang S. Coagulopathy and Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020 Apr 23;382(17):e38. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2007575. Epub 2020 Apr 8. — View Citation

Zhou F, Yu T, Du R, Fan G, Liu Y, Liu Z, Xiang J, Wang Y, Song B, Gu X, Guan L, Wei Y, Li H, Wu X, Xu J, Tu S, Zhang Y, Chen H, Cao B. Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet. 2020 Mar 28;395(10229):1054-1062. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30566-3. Epub 2020 Mar 11. Erratum in: Lancet. 2020 Mar 28;395(10229):1038. Lancet. 2020 Mar 28;395(10229):1038. — View Citation

Zhou Y, Zhang Z, Tian J, Xiong S. Risk factors associated with disease progression in a cohort of patients infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus. Ann Palliat Med. 2020 Mar;9(2):428-436. doi: 10.21037/apm.2020.03.26. Epub 2020 Mar 17. — View Citation

* Note: There are 19 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Percentage of patients requirement mechanical ventilation	Blood Gas criteria :PaO2 / FiO2 <200 (or the inability to maintain an SpO2 of at least 92% with a reservoir mask).; Acute ventilatory failure (pH less than 7.35 with PaCO2 greater than 45 mmHg)	15 days
Secondary	Percentage of patients with PaO2 to Fi02 ratio > 300	Mean every 48 hours PaO2 to FiO2 ratio	7 days
Secondary	Lengths of hospital-stay	To compare the lengths of hospital-stay	Days 60
Secondary	Mortality rate	All cause mortality	30 days