The De-novo Use of Eculizumab in Presensitized Patients Receiving Cardiac Transplantation — DUET  

Left Ventricular Dysfunction Clinical Trial

Official title: The De-novo Use of Eculizumab Alongside Conventional Therapy in Presensitized Patients Receiving Cardiac Transplantation: An Open-Label, Investigator-Initiated Pilot Trial: [The DUET Cardiac Trial]

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

All individuals who receive a heart transplant are at risk for developing antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). An antibody is a protein produced by the body's immune system when it detects a foreign substance, called an antigen. The mechanism of an antibody is to attack an antigen. In antibody mediated rejection, antibodies will attack the transplanted heart, causing injury to the heart. The purpose of this investigation is to determine if a study drug, called eculizumab (Soliris), is safe to use in heart transplant recipients, and determine if it reduces risk of antibody-mediated rejection.

Clinical Trial Description

The growing proportion of sensitized cardiac recipients presents an additional challenge to the transplant practitioner attempting to minimize the occurrence of antibody mediated rejection (AMR). Patients pre-exposed or "sensitized" to antigen exposing events (i.e.: blood transfusions, multiple pregnancies, prior organ transplantations, ventricular support devices) are more likely to both possess preformed and develop de-novo antibodies. Sensitized patients with panel reactive antibodies > 25% are at risk for increased risk of rejection, development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy and increased mortality after heart transplantation.

A central component of antibody-mediated cell injury is complement activation. The inhibition of terminal complement activation may be the missing link to decreasing possibly both complement-mediated AMR and cellular rejection (CR) by inhibiting both the inflammatory effects of both circulating antibodies and cytokine induced cell death.

Eculizumab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to complement protein C5 with high affinity, thereby inhibiting its cleavage to C5a and C5b and preventing the generation of the terminal complement complex C5b-9. By this mechanism, eculizumab (Soliris®) inhibits terminal complement mediated intravascular hemolysis in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients.

This study is a non-randomized, open-label, investigator-initiated safety and efficacy trial investigating the de-novo use of eculizumab alongside conventional therapy to prevent antibody mediated rejection. The duration of the study will include an open enrollment period and at least 12 months of follow-up (post-transplant). We will consent up to 45 eligible patients, highly "sensitized", with a panel reactive antibody score greater than 70%, who are not previously or currently enrolled in another ongoing trial. Of these 45 participants, up to 20 of these patients will be treated with eculizumab (Solaris), the study drug. The use of eculizumab will be un-blinded to all study and research practitioner participants. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Antibody-mediated Rejection
• Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy
• Heart Graft Dysfunction
• Hyperacute Rejection of Cardiac Transplant
• Left Ventricular Dysfunction
• Ventricular Dysfunction
• Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

• NCT number: NCT02013037
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: November 2012
• Completion date: April 30, 2020