Tocilizumab for Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant Cell Arteritis Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Phase II, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo Controlled Study of Tocilizumab in Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01450137
• Other study ID #: 168/10
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: September 2011
• Est. completion date: September 2015

Study information

• Verified date: September 2018
• Source: University Hospital Inselspital, Berne
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated disease that mostly affects people older than 50 years of age. Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment dramatically alters the symptoms and course of GCA, reducing the likelihood of vascular complications that could lead e.g. to blindness. However, relapses usually occur when GC dosages are tapered, resulting in frequent re-treatment with high cumulative dosages of GC over time with substantial toxicity and morbidity (e.g. diabetes mellitus, infections, enhanced cardiovascular risk, osteoporotic fractures, cataracts).

Therefore, novel therapies are needed that effectively reduce the dose and duration of GC treatment and provide more durable remissions of GCA.

Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the human interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Elevated tissue and serum levels of IL-6 have been implicated in giant cell arteritis. Inhibition of IL-6 and/or its receptor therefore represents a new and novel approach for the treatment of RA.

The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients that have achieved complete remission of disease after treatment with TCZ compared to treatment with placebo at week 12. All patients will receive glucocorticoids in a standardized form.

Description:

Background

Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) is an immune-mediated disease that mostly affects people older than 50 years of age. Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment dramatically alters the symptoms and course of GCA, reducing the likelihood of vascular complications that could lead e.g. to blindness. However, relapses usually occur when GC dosages are tapered, resulting in frequent re-treatment with high cumulative dosages of GC over time with substantial toxicity and morbidity (e.g. diabetes mellitus, infections, enhanced cardiovascular risk, osteoporotic fractures, cataracts).

Therefore, novel therapies are needed that effectively reduce the dose and duration of GC treatment and provide more durable remissions of GCA.

Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the human interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Elevated tissue and serum levels of IL-6 have been implicated in giant cell arteritis. Inhibition of IL-6 and/or its receptor therefore represents a new and novel approach for the treatment of RA.

Objective

The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients that have achieved complete remission of disease (normal ESR and CRP + absence of signs and symptoms) at Week 12 at a GC dose of 0.1 mg/kg/d of prednisone.

Methods

2-arm (Tocilizumab + Glucocorticoids (GCs) vs. Placebo + GCs), randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind, monocentric trial in patients with newly onset or relapsing giant cell arteritis (GCA), satisfying ACR criteria AND an elevated sedimentation rate above 40 mm/h and a CRP > 20 mg/L AND a biopsy proven GCA OR a large vessel vasculitis assessed by MR Angiography (MRA).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: September 2015
• Est. primary completion date: December 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 50 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with newly onset or relapsed GCA

• > 50 years of age

• satisfying ACR criteria

• elevated sedimentation rate above 40 mm

• CRP > 20 mg/L

• Patients with histologically proven GCA or with large vessel vasculitis assessed by MRI

Exclusion Criteria

• Rheumatic diseases (except for CPPD/chondrocalcinosis) other than GCA/Takayasu disease or polymyalgia rheumatica (i.e., RA, autoimmune connectivitides, other systemic vasculitides, a.o.)

• Evidence of significant and/or uncontrolled concomitant disease

• Diagnosis of GCA > 4 weeks before screening visit and beginning of GC treatment > 4 weeks before screening (only valid for new onset GCA), or when a patient received treatment with tocilizumab or with other biological agents (such as TNFa-blockers) within 3 months before screening

• Any condition or general state of health which, in the Investigator's opinion, would preclude participation in the study

• Actual or recent myocardial infarction (within the last 3 months before screening visit)

• Significant cardiac disease (NYHA Class III and IV), known severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (FEV1 < 50% predicted or Functional dyspnoea > Grade 3 on the MRC Dyspnoea Scale) or other significant pulmonary disease

• Uncontrolled disease (such as asthma, psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease) where flares are commonly treated with oral or injectable corticosteroids

• Known active infection of any kind, or any major episode of infection requiring hospitalization or treatment with i.v. anti-infectives within 4 weeks of baseline or completion of oral anti-infectives within 2 weeks prior to baseline

• History of deep space/tissue infection (e.g. fasciitis, abscess, osteomyelitis) within 52 weeks prior to baseline

• Any surgical procedure, including bone/joint surgery within 8 weeks prior to baseline or planned within the duration of the study

• History of serious recurrent or chronic infection (for screening for a chest infection a chest radiograph will be performed at screening if not performed within 12 weeks prior to screening)

• Lack of peripheral venous access

• Body weight > 150 kg or BMI > 35

• Previous treatment with tocilizumab or any other biological agent

• Treatment with any investigational agent within 28 days of screening or 5 half-lives of the investigational drug (whichever is the longer)

• History of severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction to any biologic agent or known hypersensitivity to any component of tocilizumab (RoActemra)

• Receipt of any vaccine within 28 days prior to baseline (a patient's vaccination record and need for immunization prior to receiving tocilizumab/placebo must be carefully investigated)

• Positive tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis B core antibody (HbcAb) or hepatitis C serology

• Positive Quantiferon-TB® test for latent Tb without subsequent INH prophylaxis

• Patients with active Tb which had to be treated for Tb within 2 years before the screening visit

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Arteritis
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Intervention

Drug:
• Tocilizumab + Glucocorticoids (GCs)
Tocilizumab 8mg/kg every 4 weeks until week 52.
• Placebo + Glucocorticoids (GCs)
Placebo every 4 weeks until week 52.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Switzerland	Department of Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology Allergology, University Hospital, Inselspital	Bern

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Hospital Inselspital, Berne	Roche Pharma AG, University of Bern

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Switzerland, 

References & Publications (1)

Villiger PM, Adler S, Kuchen S, Wermelinger F, Dan D, Fiege V, Bütikofer L, Seitz M, Reichenbach S. Tocilizumab for induction and maintenance of remission in giant cell arteritis: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2016 — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Number of Patients That Have Achieved Complete Remission of Disease		12 weeks
Secondary	Number of Relapse Free Patients		12 months
Secondary	Cumulative Dose of GCs in mg/kg	cumulative weight-adapted prednisolone dose	12 months
Secondary	Restricted Mean Survival Time to First Relapse After Induction of Remission		12 months