4-Aminopyridine in Episodic Ataxia Type 2

Episodic Ataxia Type 2 Clinical Trial

— 4AP in EA2  

Official title:

Phase 2 Study of 4-Aminopyridine for the Treatment of Episodic Ataxia Type 2

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Withdrawn

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01543750
• Other study ID #: CINCH-EA2
• Secondary ID: R01FD003923
• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: Phase 2

Study information

• Verified date: November 2020
• Source: University of California, Los Angeles
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) is a rare familial neurological condition characterized by debilitating episodes of vertigo and imbalance. Since the serendipitous discovery of dramatic response of EA2 to acetazolamide, acetazolamide has been the first-line treatment for EA2. Yet, for those patients who do not respond to or cannot tolerate acetazolamide, there is no alternative treatment. The purpose of this randomized trial is to test whether 4-aminopyridine may reduce the ataxia episodes in EA2 as an alternative to acetazolamide. Funding Source - FDA OOPD

Description:

This study aims to determine whether 4-aminopyridine (4AP) can reduce attacks of ataxia in patients with episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2), a rare but often debilitating condition. Episodic ataxia (EA) is a group of inherited disorders characterized by recurrent, discrete episodes of vertigo and ataxia variably associated with progressive ataxia. EA2, the most common and the best characterized of all the EA syndromes, is caused by heterozygous mutations in CACNA1A, which encodes the main subunit of a neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel, Cav2.1.

Although observational data suggest symptomatic resolution with acetazolamide in many EA2 patients, the investigators found in our patient databases that at least a third of the EA2 patients continue to suffer debilitating ataxia attacks, either because of incomplete control while on acetazolamide or because of intolerability or hypersensitivity to acetazolamide. For these patients there is no alternative intervention. 4-Aminopyridine (4AP) has been found to be helpful in a handful of patients with EA2. Recently, dalfampridine, an extended release formulation of 4AP (AMPYRA) by Acorda Therapeutics, received FDA approval to improve gait in multiple sclerosis.

The investigators plan to recruit 20 subjects with genetically defined EA2 who suffer frequent ataxia episodes (at least 3 episodes a month) to conduct a randomized trial of 4AP to examine its efficacy and tolerability in EA2. Study subjects will be recruited at UCLA and the University of Rochester to participate in a randomized, double-blind, double-crossover trial of 4AP.Each treatment period is 2-months with a 1-week wash-out period in between each treatment period. Participating subjects will undergo standardized history and physical examination at the time of enrollment. Participants will log their ataxia attacks daily by interactive voice response (IVR) system and will be interviewed monthly for events and side effects/toxicity. Study visits will occur at the beginning and the end of the study.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Withdrawn
• Enrollment: 0
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients will be included if they:

• Have EA2 genetically confirmed to harbor mutations in CACNA1A

• Are = 18 years of age

• Are not taking acetazolamide (because of intolerance, poor response, or allergy)

• Are able to maintain a daily log of ataxia episode(s) and report daily by using an Interactive Voice Recording System (IVR) throughout the study

• Experience = 3 ataxia episodes per month during the two-month screening period to qualify for randomization

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients will be excluded if they:

• Have seizures or a history of seizures

• Have first-degree relatives with EA2 and seizures

• Have renal disease with impaired function (Creatinine clearance CrCl=50ml/min)

• Are pregnant or breast feeding (women of childbearing age will be tested for pregnancy and must be using birth control)

• Are unable to comply with the study requirement

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Ataxia
• Cerebellar Ataxia
• Episodic Ataxia Type 2

Intervention

Drug:
• 4-Aminopyridine

• Placebo
Placebo

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	Los Angeles	California
United States	University of Rochester School of Medicine	Rochester	New York
United States	University of South Florida	Tampa	Florida

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of California, Los Angeles	University of Rochester, University of South Florida

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (31)

Atkinson MJ, Sinha A, Hass SL, Colman SS, Kumar RN, Brod M, Rowland CR. Validation of a general measure of treatment satisfaction, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM), using a national panel study of chronic disease. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2004 Feb 26;2:12. — View Citation

Bever CT Jr, Young D, Anderson PA, Krumholz A, Conway K, Leslie J, Eddington N, Plaisance KI, Panitch HS, Dhib-Jalbut S, et al. The effects of 4-aminopyridine in multiple sclerosis patients: results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, concentration-controlled, crossover trial. Neurology. 1994 Jun;44(6):1054-9. — View Citation

DuMouchel W, Groër PG. A Bayesian methodology for scaling radiation studies from animals to man. Health Phys. 1989;57 Suppl 1:411-8. — View Citation

Glasauer S, Strupp M, Kalla R, Büttner U, Brandt T. Effect of 4-aminopyridine on upbeat and downbeat nystagmus elucidates the mechanism of downbeat nystagmus. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Apr;1039:528-31. — View Citation

Griggs RC, Moxley RT 3rd, Lafrance RA, McQuillen J. Hereditary paroxysmal ataxia: response to acetazolamide. Neurology. 1978 Dec;28(12):1259-64. — View Citation

Harno H, Heikkinen S, Kaunisto MA, Kallela M, Häkkinen AM, Wessman M, Färkkilä M, Lundbom N. Decreased cerebellar total creatine in episodic ataxia type 2: a 1H MRS study. Neurology. 2005 Feb 8;64(3):542-4. — View Citation

Hoebeek FE, Stahl JS, van Alphen AM, Schonewille M, Luo C, Rutteman M, van den Maagdenberg AM, Molenaar PC, Goossens HH, Frens MA, De Zeeuw CI. Increased noise level of purkinje cell activities minimizes impact of their modulation during sensorimotor control. Neuron. 2005 Mar 24;45(6):953-65. — View Citation

Imbrici P, Jaffe SL, Eunson LH, Davies NP, Herd C, Robertson R, Kullmann DM, Hanna MG. Dysfunction of the brain calcium channel CaV2.1 in absence epilepsy and episodic ataxia. Brain. 2004 Dec;127(Pt 12):2682-92. Epub 2004 Oct 13. — View Citation

Jen J, Kim GW, Baloh RW. Clinical spectrum of episodic ataxia type 2. Neurology. 2004 Jan 13;62(1):17-22. — View Citation

Jen JC, Graves TD, Hess EJ, Hanna MG, Griggs RC, Baloh RW; CINCH investigators. Primary episodic ataxias: diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment. Brain. 2007 Oct;130(Pt 10):2484-93. Epub 2007 Jun 15. Review. — View Citation

Jouvenceau A, Eunson LH, Spauschus A, Ramesh V, Zuberi SM, Kullmann DM, Hanna MG. Human epilepsy associated with dysfunction of the brain P/Q-type calcium channel. Lancet. 2001 Sep 8;358(9284):801-7. — View Citation

Löhle M, Schrempf W, Wolz M, Reichmann H, Storch A. Potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine is effective in interictal cerebellar symptoms in episodic ataxia type 2--a video case report. Mov Disord. 2008 Jul 15;23(9):1314-6. doi: 10.1002/mds.22071. — View Citation

March B, Cardi T. Assessment of the cardiac safety of fampridine-SR sustained-release tablets in a thorough QT/QTc evaluation at therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses in healthy individuals. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2009 Dec;18(12):1807-15. doi: 10.1517/13543780903443096. — View Citation

McEvoy KM, Windebank AJ, Daube JR, Low PA. 3,4-Diaminopyridine in the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1989 Dec 7;321(23):1567-71. — View Citation

Ophoff RA, Terwindt GM, Vergouwe MN, van Eijk R, Oefner PJ, Hoffman SM, Lamerdin JE, Mohrenweiser HW, Bulman DE, Ferrari M, Haan J, Lindhout D, van Ommen GJ, Hofker MH, Ferrari MD, Frants RR. Familial hemiplegic migraine and episodic ataxia type-2 are caused by mutations in the Ca2+ channel gene CACNL1A4. Cell. 1996 Nov 1;87(3):543-52. — View Citation

Palermo TM, Valenzuela D, Stork PP. A randomized trial of electronic versus paper pain diaries in children: impact on compliance, accuracy, and acceptability. Pain. 2004 Feb;107(3):213-9. — View Citation

Sappey-Marinier D, Vighetto A, Peyron R, Broussolle E, Bonmartin A. Phosphorus and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in episodic ataxia type 2. Ann Neurol. 1999 Aug;46(2):256-9. — View Citation

Smith W, Swan S, Marbury T, Henney H 3rd. Single-Dose pharmacokinetics of sustained-release fampridine (Fampridine-SR) in healthy volunteers and adults with renal impairment. J Clin Pharmacol. 2010 Feb;50(2):151-9. doi: 10.1177/0091270009344857. Epub 2009 Dec 4. — View Citation

Spyker DA, Lynch C, Shabanowitz J, Sinn JA. Poisoning with 4-aminopyridine: report of three cases. Clin Toxicol. 1980 Jun;16(4):487-97. — View Citation

Stefoski D, Davis FA, Faut M, Schauf CL. 4-Aminopyridine improves clinical signs in multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 1987 Jan;21(1):71-7. — View Citation

Stone AA, Shiffman S, Schwartz JE, Broderick JE, Hufford MR. Patient compliance with paper and electronic diaries. Control Clin Trials. 2003 Apr;24(2):182-99. — View Citation

Stone AA, Shiffman S, Schwartz JE, Broderick JE, Hufford MR. Patient non-compliance with paper diaries. BMJ. 2002 May 18;324(7347):1193-4. — View Citation

Strupp M, Kalla R, Dichgans M, Freilinger T, Glasauer S, Brandt T. Treatment of episodic ataxia type 2 with the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine. Neurology. 2004 May 11;62(9):1623-5. — View Citation

Strupp M, Schüler O, Krafczyk S, Jahn K, Schautzer F, Büttner U, Brandt T. Treatment of downbeat nystagmus with 3,4-diaminopyridine: a placebo-controlled study. Neurology. 2003 Jul 22;61(2):165-70. — View Citation

van den Maagdenberg AM, Pietrobon D, Pizzorusso T, Kaja S, Broos LA, Cesetti T, van de Ven RC, Tottene A, van der Kaa J, Plomp JJ, Frants RR, Ferrari MD. A Cacna1a knockin migraine mouse model with increased susceptibility to cortical spreading depression. Neuron. 2004 Mar 4;41(5):701-10. — View Citation

van Diemen HA, Polman CH, van Dongen TM, van Loenen AC, Nauta JJ, Taphoorn MJ, van Walbeek HK, Koetsier JC. The effect of 4-aminopyridine on clinical signs in multiple sclerosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study. Ann Neurol. 1992 Aug;32(2):123-30. — View Citation

Vollmer T, Blight AR, Henney HR 3rd. Steady-state pharmacokinetics and tolerability of orally administered fampridine sustained-release 10-mg tablets in patients with multiple sclerosis: a 2-week, open-label, follow-up study. Clin Ther. 2009 Oct;31(10):2215-23. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2009.10.007. — View Citation

Vollmer T, Henney HR 3rd. Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of single escalating doses of fampridine sustained-release tablets in patients with multiple sclerosis: a Phase I-II, open-label trial. Clin Ther. 2009 Oct;31(10):2206-14. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2009.10.008. — View Citation

Walter JT, Alviña K, Womack MD, Chevez C, Khodakhah K. Decreases in the precision of Purkinje cell pacemaking cause cerebellar dysfunction and ataxia. Nat Neurosci. 2006 Mar;9(3):389-97. Epub 2006 Feb 12. — View Citation

Ware JE Jr, Sherbourne CD. The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care. 1992 Jun;30(6):473-83. — View Citation

Weisz CJ, Raike RS, Soria-Jasso LE, Hess EJ. Potassium channel blockers inhibit the triggers of attacks in the calcium channel mouse mutant tottering. J Neurosci. 2005 Apr 20;25(16):4141-5. — View Citation

* Note: There are 31 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	the frequency of ataxia episodes	Trial participants have frequent episodes of ataxia at baseline. The participants will document daily whether ataxia events occurred during the 2-month screening period and the 9-month study period by calling a toll-free number and participating in an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.	11 months
Secondary	impact on daily activities	Participants will use IVR to log the impact (on a scale of 0-3) of ataxia events, if any, on their daily activities: (0) No impact; (1) Mild; (2) Moderate; (3) Severe	11 months
Secondary	duration of ataxia episodes	Study Participants will use IVR daily to log the duration of ataxia events, if any, in hours.	11 months
Secondary	severity of ataxia episodes	Study Participants will use IVR daily to log the severity of ataxia events, if any, on a scale of 1-9: (1) mild (9) very severe	11 months
Secondary	treatment satisfaction	The study participant will respond by phone interview to the 11-item Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM Version 2) at the end of each of the four treatment periods.	9 months
Secondary	Toxicity	The study participant will be interviewed by phone regarding toxicity using the [Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 4.0] at two different time points (4 weeks, 8 weeks) of each 8-week Treatment Period. Spectrum and severity of toxicity and the prevalence among study participants will be documented.	9 months
Secondary	Side Effects	The study participant will log side effects as they occur (reporting the seizures or other severe side effects immediately to Investigators) and will be interviewed by phone regarding side effects at two different time points (4 weeks, 8 weeks) of each 8-week Treatment Period. Spectrum of side effects and the prevalence among those treated will be documented.	9 months