Study of Safety and Dosing Effect on SMN Levels of Valproic Acid (VPA) in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Clinical Trial

Official title:

In Vivo Study of Safety, Tolerability and Dosing Effect on SMN mRNA and Protein Levels of Valproic Acid in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00374075
• Other study ID #: 11893
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: September 2003
• Est. completion date: February 2006

Study information

• Verified date: August 2016
• Source: University of Utah
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This is an open label phase I/II clinical trial to assess safety, tolerability and potential effect on SMN mRNA and protein in vivo of a compound in which preliminary evidence supports a potential effect on SMN levels in vitro.

Description:

This is an open label phase I/II trial of valproic acid in 40 SMA subjects > 2 years of age with severe, intermediate, and mild phenotypes. Primary outcome measures includes laboratory and physical examination assessments to monitor effects on liver, hematologic, metabolic and nutritional status. Secondary outcomes includes measures of gross motor function; electrophysiologic measures of denervation; DEXA estimates of body composition, bone mineral density and content; measures of pulmonary function; and quantitative SMN mRNA and protein levels in blood cells. Subjects will need 2-3 baseline visits over a 3 -6 month period prior to enrollment. Follow-up visits will be scheduled at 3, 6 and 12 months on treatment.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 42
• Est. completion date: February 2006
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 2 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have a diagnosis of SMA, confirmed by genetic testing
• Only patients 2 years of age and older at enrollment will be eligible

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients taking any medications with known hepatotoxicity, congenital metabolic disorders or on multiple anticonvulsant medications
• Patients taking medications which may interact with VPA
• Patients on ventilatory support for more than 16 hours per day
• Patients currently enrolled in other treatment trials

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Atrophy
• Muscular Atrophy
• Muscular Atrophy, Spinal
• Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Intervention

Drug:
• Valproic Acid

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Utah/Primary Children's Medical Center	Salt Lake City	Utah

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Utah	Abbott, Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Leadiant Biosciences, Inc.

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (42)

American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society. ATS/ERS Statement on respiratory muscle testing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002 Aug 15;166(4):518-624. doi: 10.1164/rccm.166.4.518. No abstract available. — View Citation

Andreassi C, Angelozzi C, Tiziano FD, Vitali T, De Vincenzi E, Boninsegna A, Villanova M, Bertini E, Pini A, Neri G, Brahe C. Phenylbutyrate increases SMN expression in vitro: relevance for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. Eur J Hum Genet. 2004 Jan;12(1):59-65. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201102. — View Citation

Andreassi C, Jarecki J, Zhou J, Coovert DD, Monani UR, Chen X, Whitney M, Pollok B, Zhang M, Androphy E, Burghes AH. Aclarubicin treatment restores SMN levels to cells derived from type I spinal muscular atrophy patients. Hum Mol Genet. 2001 Nov 15;10(24):2841-9. doi: 10.1093/hmg/10.24.2841. — View Citation

Bohmer T, Rydning A, Solberg HE. Carnitine levels in human serum in health and disease. Clin Chim Acta. 1974 Nov 20;57(1):55-61. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(74)90177-6. No abstract available. — View Citation

Brahe C, Bertini E. Spinal muscular atrophies: recent insights and impact on molecular diagnosis. J Mol Med (Berl). 1996 Oct;74(10):555-62. doi: 10.1007/s001090050059. — View Citation

Brichta L, Hofmann Y, Hahnen E, Siebzehnrubl FA, Raschke H, Blumcke I, Eyupoglu IY, Wirth B. Valproic acid increases the SMN2 protein level: a well-known drug as a potential therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet. 2003 Oct 1;12(19):2481-9. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddg256. Epub 2003 Jul 29. — View Citation

Bromberg MB, Swoboda KJ. Motor unit number estimation in infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy. Muscle Nerve. 2002 Mar;25(3):445-7. doi: 10.1002/mus.10050. — View Citation

Brooks H, Goldberg L, Holland R, Klein M, Sanzari N, DeFelice S. Carnitine-induced effects on cardiac and peripheral hemodynamics. J Clin Pharmacol. 1977 Oct;17(10 Pt 1):561-8. doi: 10.1177/009127007701701003. No abstract available. — View Citation

Campbell L, Potter A, Ignatius J, Dubowitz V, Davies K. Genomic variation and gene conversion in spinal muscular atrophy: implications for disease process and clinical phenotype. Am J Hum Genet. 1997 Jul;61(1):40-50. doi: 10.1086/513886. — View Citation

Chang JG, Hsieh-Li HM, Jong YJ, Wang NM, Tsai CH, Li H. Treatment of spinal muscular atrophy by sodium butyrate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Aug 14;98(17):9808-13. doi: 10.1073/pnas.171105098. — View Citation

Christiansen RZ, Bremer J. Active transport of butyrobetaine and carnitine into isolated liver cells. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Nov 2;448(4):562-77. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(76)90110-3. — View Citation

Coulter DL. Carnitine deficiency: a possible mechanism for valproate hepatotoxicity. Lancet. 1984 Mar 24;1(8378):689. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92209-8. No abstract available. — View Citation

Coulter DL. Carnitine, valproate, and toxicity. J Child Neurol. 1991 Jan;6(1):7-14. doi: 10.1177/088307389100600102. — View Citation

Crawford TO. From enigmatic to problematic: the new molecular genetics of childhood spinal muscular atrophy. Neurology. 1996 Feb;46(2):335-40. doi: 10.1212/wnl.46.2.335. No abstract available. — View Citation

Czeizel A, Hamula J. A hungarian study on Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. J Med Genet. 1989 Dec;26(12):761-3. doi: 10.1136/jmg.26.12.761. — View Citation

Emery AE. Population frequencies of inherited neuromuscular diseases--a world survey. Neuromuscul Disord. 1991;1(1):19-29. doi: 10.1016/0960-8966(91)90039-u. — View Citation

Evangeliou A, Vlassopoulos D. Carnitine metabolism and deficit--when supplementation is necessary? Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2003 Jun;4(3):211-9. doi: 10.2174/1389201033489829. — View Citation

Feldkotter M, Schwarzer V, Wirth R, Wienker TF, Wirth B. Quantitative analyses of SMN1 and SMN2 based on real-time lightCycler PCR: fast and highly reliable carrier testing and prediction of severity of spinal muscular atrophy. Am J Hum Genet. 2002 Feb;70(2):358-68. doi: 10.1086/338627. Epub 2001 Dec 21. — View Citation

Fischer U, Liu Q, Dreyfuss G. The SMN-SIP1 complex has an essential role in spliceosomal snRNP biogenesis. Cell. 1997 Sep 19;90(6):1023-9. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80368-2. — View Citation

Gilliam TC, Brzustowicz LM, Castilla LH, Lehner T, Penchaszadeh GK, Daniels RJ, Byth BC, Knowles J, Hislop JE, Shapira Y, et al. Genetic homogeneity between acute and chronic forms of spinal muscular atrophy. Nature. 1990 Jun 28;345(6278):823-5. doi: 10.1038/345823a0. — View Citation

Igarashi N, Sato T, Kyouya S. Secondary carnitine deficiency in handicapped patients receiving valproic acid and/or elemental diet. Acta Paediatr Jpn. 1990 Apr;32(2):139-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1990.tb00799.x. — View Citation

Lefebvre S, Burlet P, Liu Q, Bertrandy S, Clermont O, Munnich A, Dreyfuss G, Melki J. Correlation between severity and SMN protein level in spinal muscular atrophy. Nat Genet. 1997 Jul;16(3):265-9. doi: 10.1038/ng0797-265. — View Citation

Lindstedt S, Lindstedt G. Distribution and Excretion of Carnitine in the Rat. Acta. Chem. Scand. 1961; 15:701-702

Mailman MD, Heinz JW, Papp AC, Snyder PJ, Sedra MS, Wirth B, Burghes AH, Prior TW. Molecular analysis of spinal muscular atrophy and modification of the phenotype by SMN2. Genet Med. 2002 Jan-Feb;4(1):20-6. doi: 10.1097/00125817-200201000-00004. — View Citation

Melegh B, Pap M, Morava E, Molnar D, Dani M, Kurucz J. Carnitine-dependent changes of metabolic fuel consumption during long-term treatment with valproic acid. J Pediatr. 1994 Aug;125(2):317-21. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(94)70218-7. — View Citation

Melki J, Lefebvre S, Burglen L, Burlet P, Clermont O, Millasseau P, Reboullet S, Benichou B, Zeviani M, Le Paslier D, et al. De novo and inherited deletions of the 5q13 region in spinal muscular atrophies. Science. 1994 Jun 3;264(5164):1474-7. doi: 10.1126/science.7910982. — View Citation

Merlini L, Stagni SB, Marri E, Granata C. Epidemiology of neuromuscular disorders in the under-20 population in Bologna Province, Italy. Neuromuscul Disord. 1992;2(3):197-200. doi: 10.1016/0960-8966(92)90006-r. — View Citation

Monani UR, Lorson CL, Parsons DW, Prior TW, Androphy EJ, Burghes AH, McPherson JD. A single nucleotide difference that alters splicing patterns distinguishes the SMA gene SMN1 from the copy gene SMN2. Hum Mol Genet. 1999 Jul;8(7):1177-83. doi: 10.1093/hmg/8.7.1177. — View Citation

Monani UR, Sendtner M, Coovert DD, Parsons DW, Andreassi C, Le TT, Jablonka S, Schrank B, Rossoll W, Prior TW, Morris GE, Burghes AH. The human centromeric survival motor neuron gene (SMN2) rescues embryonic lethality in Smn(-/-) mice and results in a mouse with spinal muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet. 2000 Feb 12;9(3):333-9. doi: 10.1093/hmg/9.3.333. Erratum In: Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Nov 1;16(21):2648. Rossol, W [corrected to Rossoll, W]. — View Citation

Pearn J. Classification of spinal muscular atrophies. Lancet. 1980 Apr 26;1(8174):919-22. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90847-8. — View Citation

Pearn J. Incidence, prevalence, and gene frequency studies of chronic childhood spinal muscular atrophy. J Med Genet. 1978 Dec;15(6):409-13. doi: 10.1136/jmg.15.6.409. — View Citation

Rebouche CJ, Engel AG. Carnitine metabolism and deficiency syndromes. Mayo Clin Proc. 1983 Aug;58(8):533-40. — View Citation

Rebouche CJ, Paulson DJ. Carnitine metabolism and function in humans. Annu Rev Nutr. 1986;6:41-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev.nu.06.070186.000353. — View Citation

Roberts DF, Chavez J, Court SD. The genetic component in child mortality. Arch Dis Child. 1970 Feb;45(239):33-8. doi: 10.1136/adc.45.239.33. — View Citation

Schaub J, Van Hoof F, Vis H.Inborn Errors of Metabolism. New York:Raven Press, 1991

Scriver C, Beautet A, Sly W ,Valle D. The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. New York: McGraw Hill,1989

Standardization of Spirometry, 1994 Update. American Thoracic Society. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1995 Sep;152(3):1107-36. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.152.3.7663792. No abstract available. — View Citation

Swoboda KJ, Prior TW, Scott CB, McNaught TP, Wride MC, Reyna SP, Bromberg MB. Natural history of denervation in SMA: relation to age, SMN2 copy number, and function. Ann Neurol. 2005 May;57(5):704-12. doi: 10.1002/ana.20473. — View Citation

Tein I, DiMauro S, Xie ZW, De Vivo DC. Valproic acid impairs carnitine uptake in cultured human skin fibroblasts. An in vitro model for the pathogenesis of valproic acid-associated carnitine deficiency. Pediatr Res. 1993 Sep;34(3):281-7. doi: 10.1203/00006450-199309000-00008. — View Citation

Tein I, Xie ZW. Reversal of valproic acid-associated impairment of carnitine uptake in cultured human skin fibroblasts. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1994 Oct 28;204(2):753-8. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.1994.2523. — View Citation

Thurston JH, Hauhart RE. Amelioration of adverse effects of valproic acid on ketogenesis and liver coenzyme A metabolism by cotreatment with pantothenate and carnitine in developing mice: possible clinical significance. Pediatr Res. 1992 Apr;31(4 Pt 1):419-23. doi: 10.1203/00006450-199204000-00023. — View Citation

Van Wouwe JP. Carnitine deficiency during valproic acid treatment. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1995;65(3):211-4. — View Citation

* Note: There are 42 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	To assess safety and tolerability of VPA in SMA patients greater than 2 years of age
Secondary	To look for a potential in vivo effect of VPA on SMN mRNA in patient blood cells at routinely used clinical doses
Secondary	Measures of gross motor function
Secondary	Electrophysiologic measures of denervation
Secondary	DEXA estimates of body composition, bone mineral density and content
Secondary	Measures of pulmonary function