A double-blind, randomised, controlled Phase II trial of Heliox28 gas mixture in lung cancer patients with dyspnoea on exertion.
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ABSTRACT: Helium has a low density and the potential of reducing the work of breathing and improving alveolar ventilation when replacing nitrogen in air. A Phase II, double-blind, randomised, prospective, controlled trial was undertaken to assess whether Heliox28 (72% He/28% O(2)) compared with oxygen-enriched air (72% N(2)/28% O(2)) or medical air (78.9% N(2)/21.1% O(2)) could reduce dyspnoea and improve the exercise capability of patients with primary lung cancer and dyspnoea on exertion (Borg >3). A total of 12 patients (seven male, five female patients, age 53-78) breathed the test gases in randomised order via a facemask and inspiratory demand valve at rest and while performing 6-min walk tests. Pulse oximetry (SaO(2)) was recorded continuously. Respiratory rate and dyspnoea ratings (Borg and VAS) were taken before and immediately post-walk. Breathing Heliox28 at rest significantly increased SaO(2) compared to oxygen-enriched air (96+/-2 cf. 94+/-2, P<0.01). When compared to medical air, breathing Heliox28 but not oxygen-enriched air gave a significant improvement in the exercise capability (P<0.0001), SaO(2) (P<0.05) and dyspnoea scores (VAS, P<0.05) of lung cancer patients.
Project description:OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral levosimendan in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This phase II, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, three-period study with 6 months open-label follow-up enrolled adults with ALS and sitting slow vital capacity (SVC) 60%-90 % of predicted from 11 sites in four countries. METHODS:Patients received levosimendan 1?mg daily, 1?mg two times a day or placebo during three 14-day crossover periods and levosimendan 1-2?mg daily during open-label follow-up. Primary endpoint was sitting SVC; secondary endpoints included supine SVC, ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), tolerability and safety. RESULTS:Of 66 patients randomised, 59 contributed to the double-blind results and 50 entered open-label follow-up. Sitting SVC was not significantly different between the treatments. In post hoc analysis using period-wise baselines, supine SVC favoured levosimendan over placebo, estimated mean differences from baseline being -3.62% on placebo, +0.77% on levosimendan 1?mg daily (p=0.018) and +2.38% on 1?mg two times a day (p=0.001). Headache occurred in 16.7% of patients during levosimendan 1?mg daily (p=0.030), 28.6% during 1?mg two times a day (p=0.002) and 3.3% during placebo. The respective frequencies for increased heart rate were 5.1% (p=0.337), 18.5% (p=0.018) and 1.7%. No significant differences between the treatments were seen for other adverse events. CONCLUSIONS:Levosimendan did not achieve the primary endpoint of improving sitting SVC in ALS. Headache and increased heart rate were increased on levosimendan, although it was otherwise well tolerated. A phase III study to evaluate the longer term effects of oral levosimendan in ALS is ongoing.
Project description:Introduction:Despite extensive multidisciplinary team (MDT) assessment, some patients have interstitial lung disease (ILD) that is considered unclassifiable (uILD), for which there are currently no approved treatments. This study will assess the efficacy and safety of the antifibrotic pirfenidone in treating uILD. Methods and analysis:This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase II trial is enrolling adults with fibrosing ILD, including uILD that fulfils proposed research criteria for interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF), that cannot be classified with moderate or high confidence to any category of ILD following MDT discussion. Study participants must have >10% fibrosis on high-resolution CT scan within the previous 12 months, forced vital capacity (FVC) ?45% and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ?30% of predicted values. Study participants will be randomised to receive 801 mg pirfenidone or placebo three times daily for 24 weeks. The efficacy of pirfenidone vs placebo will be assessed by daily measurement of FVC using a handheld spirometer over the treatment period. Other functional parameters, patient-reported outcomes, samples for biomarker analysis and safety endpoints will be collected. Additionally, the study will assess the efficacy and safety of pirfenidone with and without concomitant mycophenolate mofetil treatment and in study participants with or without IPAF. Ethics and dissemination:This trial is being conducted in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonisation E6 guideline for Good Clinical Practice, Declaration of Helsinki and local laws for countries in which the research is conducted. Trial registration number:NCT03099187.
Project description:BackgroundNew treatments are needed to shorten the time required to cure tuberculosis and to treat drug-resistant strains. The fluoroquinolone moxifloxacin is a promising new agent that might have additive activity to existing antituberculosis agents. We assessed the activity and safety of moxifloxacin in the initial stage of tuberculosis treatment.MethodsWe undertook a phase II, double-blind, randomised controlled trial of a regimen that included moxifloxacin in adults with sputum smear-positive tuberculosis at one hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 170 participants received isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide at standard doses and were assigned by permuted block randomisation to receive either moxifloxacin (400 mg) with an ethambutol placebo (n=85) or ethambutol (15-20 mg/kg) plus moxifloxacin placebo (n=85) 5 days per week for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients whose sputum culture had converted to negative by week 8. Analysis was by modified intention to treat (ITT); patients whose baseline cultures were negative, contaminated, or contained drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis were excluded from the analysis. Additionally, all missing 8-week results were deemed treatment failures. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00082173.Findings74 patients assigned to the moxifloxacin group and 72 in the ethambutol group were included in the modified ITT population. 125 patients had 8-week data (moxifloxacin n=64, ethambutol n=61); the main reason for absence of data was culture contamination. At 8 weeks, culture conversion to negative had occurred in 59 (80%) of 74 patients in the moxifloxacin group compared with 45 (63%) of 72 in the ethambutol group (difference 17.2%, 95% CI 2.8-31.7; p=0.03). There were 16 adverse events (eight in each group) in 12 patients. Only one event was judged related to study drug (grade 3 cutaneous reaction in the ethambutol group).InterpretationMoxifloxacin improved culture conversion in the initial phase of tuberculosis treatment. Trials to assess whether moxifloxacin can be used to shorten the duration of tuberculosis treatment are justified.
Project description:IntroductionPolyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a fatal systemic disorder associated with plasma cell dyscrasia and the overproduction of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Recently, the prognosis of POEMS was substantially improved by introduction of therapeutic intervention for myeloma. However, no randomised clinical trial has been performed because of the rarity and severity of the disease.Methods and analysisThe Japanese POEMS syndrome with Thalidomide (J-POST) Trial is a phase II/III multicentre, double-blinded, randomised, controlled trial that aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 24-week treatment with thalidomide in POEMS syndrome, with an additional 48-week open-label safety study. Adults with POEMS syndrome who have no indication for transplantation are assessed for eligibility at 12 tertiary neurology centres in Japan. Patients who satisfy the eligibility criteria are randomised (1:1) to receive thalidomide (100-300 mg daily) plus dexamethasone (12 mg/m(2) on days 1-4 of a 28-day cycle) or placebo plus dexamethasone. Both treatments were administered for 24 weeks (six cycles; randomised comparative study period). Patients who complete the randomised study period or show subacute deterioration during the randomised period participate in the subsequent 48-week open-label safety study (long-term safety period). The primary end point of the study is the reduction rate of serum VEGF levels at 24 weeks.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of each hospital. The trial was notified and registered at the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency, Japan (No. 22-1716). The J-POST Trial is currently ongoing and is due to finish in August 2015. The findings of this trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations and will also be disseminated to participants.Trial registration numberUMIN000004179 and JMA-IIA00046.
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Chronic pain is prevalent, and approximately half of patients with chronic pain experience sleep disturbance. Exogenous melatonin is licensed to treat primary insomnia and there is some evidence for analgesic effects of melatonin.The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of oral melatonin (as Circadin) 2 mg at night in adults with severe non-malignant pain of at least 3 months' duration. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:We will conduct a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study. The primary outcome is sleep disturbance. Secondary outcomes are pain intensity, actigraphy, fatigue, reaction time testing, serum melatonin and endogenous opioid peptide levels along with patient views about study participation.We aim to recruit 60 patients with severe chronic pain (average pain intensity ?7 on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)) from a tertiary referral pain clinic in Northeast Scotland. Participants will be randomised to receive melatonin (as modified release Circadin) 2?mg daily for 6?weeks or placebo, followed by a 4-week washout period, then 6?weeks treatment with the treatment they did not receive. Participants will complete the Verran Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Pain and Sleep Questionnaire 3-item index, BPI and psychomotor vigilance reaction time testing at 6 points over 20 weeks. Actigraphy watches will be used to provide objective measures of sleep duration and latency and other sleep measures and will prompt patients to report contemporaneous pain and fatigue scores daily.Cross-over analyses will include tests for effects of treatment, period, treatment-period interaction (carryover effect) and sequence. Within-patient effects and longitudinal data will be analysed using mixed linear models, accounting for potential confounders. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:Approved by Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland, reference 19/NI/0007. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:ISRCTN12861060.
Project description:IntroductionThe immune system is implicated in the aetiology and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Inflammation and immune activation occur both in the brain and in the periphery, and a proinflammatory cytokine profile is associated with more rapid clinical progression. Furthermore, the risk of developing PD is related to genetic variation in immune-related genes and reduced by the use of immunosuppressant medication. We are therefore conducting a 'proof of concept' trial of azathioprine, an immunosuppressant medication, to investigate whether suppressing the peripheral immune system has a disease-modifying effect in PD.Methods and analysisAZA-PD is a phase II randomised placebo-controlled double-blind trial in early PD. Sixty participants, with clinical markers indicating an elevated risk of disease progression and no inflammatory or immune comorbidity, will be treated (azathioprine:placebo, 1:1) for 12 months, with a further 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome is the change in the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale gait/axial score in the OFF state over the 12-month treatment period. Exploratory outcomes include additional measures of motor and cognitive function, non-motor symptoms and quality of life. In addition, peripheral and central immune markers will be investigated through analysis of blood, cerebrospinal fluid and PK-11195 positron emission tomography imaging.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the London-Westminster research ethics committee (reference 19/LO/1705) and has been accepted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for a clinical trials authorisation (reference CTA 12854/0248/001-0001). In addition, approval has been granted from the Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee. The results of this trial will be disseminated through publication in scientific journals and presentation at national and international conferences, and a lay summary will be available on our website.Trial registration numbersISRCTN14616801 and EudraCT- 2018-003089-14.
Project description:IntroductionStroke is a common cause of epilepsy that may be mediated via glutamate dysregulation. There is currently no evidence to support the use of antiseizure medications as primary prevention against poststroke epilepsy. Perampanel has a unique antiglutamatergic mechanism of action and may have antiepileptogenic properties. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of perampanel as an antiepileptogenic treatment in patients at high risk of poststroke epilepsy.Methods and analysisUp to 328 patients with cortical ischaemic stroke or lobar haemorrhage will be enrolled, and receive their first treatment within 7 days of stroke onset. Patients will be randomised (1:1) to receive perampanel (titrated to 6 mg daily over 4 weeks) or matching placebo, stratified by stroke subtype (ischaemic or haemorrhagic). Treatment will be continued for 12 weeks after titration. 7T MRI will be performed at baseline for quantification of cerebral glutamate by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging. Blood will be collected for measurement of plasma glutamate levels. Participants will be followed up for 52 weeks after randomisation.The primary study outcome will be the proportion of participants in each group free of late (more than 7 days after stroke onset) poststroke seizures by the end of the 12-month study period, analysed by Fisher's exact test. Secondary outcomes will include time to first seizure, time to treatment withdrawal and 3-month modified Rankin Scale score. Quality of life, cognitive function, mood and adverse events will be assessed by standardised questionnaires. Exploratory outcomes will include correlation between cerebral and plasma glutamate concentration and stroke and seizure outcomes.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Alfred Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC No 44366, Reference 287/18).Trial registration numberACTRN12618001984280; Pre-results.
Project description:Trilaciclib is an intravenous CDK4/6 inhibitor administered prior to chemotherapy to preserve haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and immune system function from chemotherapy-induced damage (myelopreservation). The effects of administering trilaciclib prior to carboplatin, etoposide and atezolizumab (E/P/A) were evaluated in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study in patients with newly diagnosed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) (NCT03041311). The primary endpoints were duration of severe neutropenia (SN; defined as absolute neutrophil count <0.5 × 109 cells per L) in Cycle 1 and occurrence of SN during the treatment period. Other endpoints were prespecified to assess the effects of trilaciclib on additional measures of myelopreservation, patient-reported outcomes, antitumour efficacy and safety. Fifty-two patients received trilaciclib prior to E/P/A and 53 patients received placebo. Compared to placebo, administration of trilaciclib resulted in statistically significant decreases in the mean duration of SN in Cycle 1 (0 vs 4 days; P < .0001) and occurrence of SN (1.9% vs 49.1%; P < .0001), with additional improvements in red blood cell and platelet measures and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Trilaciclib was well tolerated, with fewer grade ≥3 adverse events compared with placebo, primarily due to less high-grade haematological toxicity. Antitumour efficacy outcomes were comparable. Administration of trilaciclib vs placebo generated more newly expanded peripheral T-cell clones (P = .019), with significantly greater expansion among patients with an antitumour response to E/P/A (P = .002). Compared with placebo, trilaciclib administered prior to E/P/A improved patients' experience of receiving treatment for ES-SCLC, as shown by reduced myelosuppression, and improved HRQoL and safety profiles.