Study of Long-Term Peg Intron Vs. Colchicine in Non-Responders.
Information source: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this data on August 23, 2015 Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Condition(s) targeted: Hepatitis C Virus; Advanced Fibrosis; Cirrhosis
Intervention: PEG interferon Alfa-2b; Colchicine (Drug)
Phase: Phase 4
Status: Active, not recruiting
Sponsored by: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Official(s) and/or principal investigator(s): Nezam H Afdhal, MD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Summary
In this study Peg-Intron will be tested to see if it will give better results than
Colchicine. At this time, there is currently no recommended maintenance treatment for
patients who have failed to respond to Interferon/Rebetron/Peg Intron and have advanced
fibrosis. The purpose of this study is to compare two treatments to slow down the
progression of liver disease and to prevent liver failure and liver cancer. The treatment
will not cure Hepatitis C, but is being evaluated to see if it can slow down disease
progression.
Clinical Details
Official title: Phase IV Study of Long Term Peg-Intron for Patients Who Have Failed to Respond to Rebetron/Interferon With Advanced Fibrosis and Cirrhosis Secondary to Hepatitis C- The Copilot Trial
Study design: Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Prevention
Primary outcome: Determination of the effect of PEG-Intron 0.5mg per kg weekly sc versus colchicine 0.6mg bid daily on:4 year survival or hepatic transplantation Variceal or portal hypertensive bleeding Development of jaundice, ascites or encephalopathy with an increase in CPT of > 2 points Development of hepatoma
Secondary outcome: Evaluation of safety and tolerability of long term maintenance PEG-Intron in patients with cirrhosisEvaluation of the effect of long term maintenance PEG-Intron on quality of life Evaluation of surrogate markers of fibrosis in determining effect of long term maintenance PEG-Intron on prevention of progression of fibrosis and correlation of fibrosis markers with pathology. Development of portal hypertension Progression of histological fibrosis
Detailed description:
We are proposing a randomized trial of Peg-Intron 0. 5mcg per kg weekly versus colchicine
0. 6mg bid in prior non-responders to Interferon, Rebetron, PegIntron, or PegIntron &
Ribavirin or any third agent such as Pegasys, CellCept, Amantadine with advanced
fibrosis/cirrhosis. The specific aims of this proposal are to evaluate the role of long
term Peg-Intron therapy on the natural history of patients with advanced chronic HCV
infection with a primary focus on prevention of hepatic decompensation, progression of
fibrosis and hepatoma development.
The study design will focus on 3 monthly clinical evaluation for decompensation of liver
function, rigorous clinical screening for development of hepatocellular cancer and liver
biopsies for determination of progression of liver fibrosis every second year.
Eligibility
Minimum age: 18 Years.
Maximum age: 75 Years.
Gender(s): Both.
Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:
- *Adult male or female, age 18 to 75 years
- HCV RNA positive by PCR
- Previous treatment with at least three months of interferon or interferon /
Ribavirin. Patients should have had no interferon for at least 2 months prior to
enrollment.
1. Non-responders are identified by failure to clear virus by PCR after a
minimum 3-month course of treatment and who have been off treatment for at
least 2 months with a positive PCR for HCV prior to entry into the current
study, 2) Partial responders have a reduction of 1 long in HCV RNA, but the
virus is still detectable, 3) Breakthrough patients have been negative on
treatment, but virus appeared while still on treatment, 4) Relapsers are
defined as negative PCR at some point during treatment, but virus
reoccurred or was detectable by HCV PCR when treatment stopped.
Patients should have had a liver biopsy showing at least Stage 3 disease prior to being
considered for this study. A baseline liver biopsy is necessary for inclusion in the
study. Baseline liver biopsies can be performed within six months of entering the study.
In patients with cirrhosis and endoscopic evidence of portal hypertension, a biopsy within
the last 2 years is acceptable as the baseline biopsy. For patients with established
cirrhosis on liver biopsy and no portal hypertension, a biopsy within 12 months can be
used as the baseline biopsy if it is available for evaluation by the Pathology core. All
these patients will still require liver biopsy at 2 years and 4 years. The decision to
biopsy at 2 and 4 years is also a clinical decision and in the presence of clinical
progression or coagulopathy, or where there may be a risk from liver biopsy, the
Investigator should call the PI, Dr. Afdhal for a waiver of biopsy. Patients with Ishak
Stage 3 and 4 require a biopsy within 6 months of randomization.
- Hemoglobin >= 11 g/dl in males and 10 g/dl in females
- Neutrophil count > 1,500/mm3
- Platelets > 50, 000/mm3
Platelet count: For standard dose of PEG-Intron 0. 5mcg/kg platelet count must be greater
than 70,000. Patients with platelet count 50 - 70,000 can start at 0. 25mcg/kg for weeks 0
- 4. If platelets fall to less than 30,000, stop treatment. If platelets remain > 50,000
at week 4, PEG-Intron can be increased to 0. 5mcg/kg. Patients randomized to Colchicine
with platelets 50,000 - 70,000 can be started at standard dose 0. 6mg bid po with standard
dose reduction.
- Prothrombin time <= 3secs prolonged compared to control or an equivalent INR < 1. 5
- Total bilirubin < 3gm/dL
- Fasting blood sugar <= 115 mg/dl or within 20% of the upper limit of normal for
non-diabetic patients
- Albumin (> 2. 8mg/dl)
- Serum creatinine < 1. 4 mg/dL
- TSH within the normal range (Patients with thyroid disease who are well controlled
are eligible if the remainder of the inclusion/exclusion criteria are met)
- HIV negative.
- HBsAg negative
- Childs Pugh score of less than or equal to 7
- Serum positive for anti-hepatitis C antibodies or HCV RNA.
- Alpha-fetoprotein < 100ng/ml with ultrasound negative for focal mass or HCC. For
any patient with an Alpha-fetoprotein >100 ng/ml either a triple phase contrast
CT scan or MRI with gadolinium must show no focal mass or evidence of HCC
- Ultrasound with no evidence of focal mass suggestive of hepatoma (within 6
months of informed consent).
- Documentation that sexually active female patients of childbearing potential are
practicing adequate contraception during the treatment period. A urine
pregnancy test obtained at entry prior to the initiation of treatment must be
negative. Female patients must not be breast-feeding. Documentation that
sexually active male patients are practicing acceptable methods of contraception
during the treatment period.
- Written informed consent specific for this protocol has been obtained prior to
entry.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any cause of liver disease based on patient history and biopsy (where applicable)
other than chronic hepatitis C including but not limited to:
- Co-infection with hepatitis B or HIV
- Hemochromatosis (confirmed by genetic testing)
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Wilson's disease
- Renal or liver transplant patients
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Obesity induced liver disease
- Drug related liver disease
In addition:
- Evidence of decompensated liver disease such as a history or presence of ascites, and
spontaneous encephalopathy. Patients with past bleeding esophageal varices that have
not bled for more than 1 year can be included.
- Hypersensitivity to alpha interferon
- Drug related liver disease
- Hemoglobinopathies (e. g. Thalassaemia, sickle cell disease).
- Patients with clinically significant retinal abnormalities.
- Substance abuse, such as alcohol (ยท> 80 gm/day), I. V. drugs and inhaled drugs. If
the patient has a history of substance abuse, to be considered for inclusion into the
protocol, the patient must have abstained from using the abused substance for at
least 6 months. Patients on methadone will be allowed in the study with no
restrictions as is now standard of care in HCV therapy.
- Patients with a history of organ transplantation will be excluded.
Preexisting psychiatric conditions, especially depression, or a history of severe
psychiatric disorder, such as major psychoses, suicidal ideation and/or suicidal attempt
are excluded. Patients with a history of mild depression may enter the protocol if they
meet the following eligibility criterion and are monitored more intensively.
Mild depression: to include either situational depression of a limited period or
depressive symptoms, which do not significantly interfere with the patient's work or daily
functions.
Any patient with an active manic element to his/her previous symptom complex will be
excluded.
Any known pre-existing medical condition that could interfere with the patient's
participation in and completion of the study such as:
- Pre-existing psychiatric condition, especially severe depression, or a history of
severe psychiatric disorder
- CNS trauma or seizure disorder requiring therapy
- Significant cardiac dysfunction in the previous 6 months e. g. angina, CCF,
hypertension or arrhythmia Patients on treatment are eligible as long as they have
been symptom free for the previous 6 months.
- Poorly controlled diabetes mellitus
- Chronic pulmonary disease (e. g. COAD)
- Immunologically mediated diseases (e. g. inflammatory bowel disease, SLE, ITP,
autoimmune hemolytic anemia, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, severe psoriasis)
- Clinical gout
- Patients with clinically significant retinal abnormalities
- Patients with organ transplants
Any other condition, which in the view of the investigator, would make the patient
unsuitable for enrolment, or could interfere with the patient participating in and
completing the protocol are included as well.
Locations and Contacts
Birmingham Gastroenterology Associates, Birmingham, Alabama 35209, United States
UAMS Medical Center, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
34th Street Community Health Center, Bakersfield, California 93301-1645, United States
Kaiser Permanende-GI Department, Sacramento, California 95825, United States
UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California 95817, United States
Gastroenterology Associates, San Diego, California 92115, United States
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado 80220, United States
Danbury Hospital, Danbury, Connecticut 06810, United States
Bruce Stein, MD, Manchester, Connecticut 06040, United States
Connecticut Gastroenterology Consultants, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia 20007-2197, United States
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia 20307-5001, United States
Bach and Godofsky Infectious Disease, Bradenton, Florida 34205, United States
Southern Clinical Research Consultants, Hollywood, Florida 33021, United States
Gastroenterology Associates of South Florida, S. Miami, Florida 33143, United States
Digestive Health Services, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, United States
Digestive Disease Associates, Baltimore, Maryland 21229, United States
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Massachusetts 01805, United States
Hampshire Gastroenterology, Florence, Massachusetts 01062, United States
Fallon Clinic, Worcester, Massachusetts 01608, United States
Wayne State University/Haper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan 48601, United States
Gastroenterology Division Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, United States
Minnesota Gastroenterology, Plymouth, Minnesota 55446, United States
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, United States
Gastroenterology Associates, Kansas City, Missouri 64131, United States
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, United States
VA New Jersey Healthcare System, East Orange, New Jersey 07018, United States
Atlantic Gastroenterology, Egg Harbor, New Jersey 08234, United States
Florham Park Endoscopy Center, Florham Park, New Jersey 07932, United States
Northern New Mexico Gastroenterology, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, United States
Dr. Sam Moskowitz, MD, PC, Forest Hills, New York 11375, United States
Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
Liberty Medical, LLP, New York, New York 10003, United States
Metro Medical, New York, New York 10011, United States
Peter Varunok, MD, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601, United States
Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141, United States
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
Guthrie Research Foundation, Sayre, Pennsylvania 18840, United States
Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island 02908, United States
University Gastroenterologists, Providence, Rhode Island 02905, United States
Nashville Gastroenterology Specialists Incorporated, Nashville, Tennessee 37211, United States
Austin Gastroenterology, Austin, Texas 78745, United States
G.I. and Liver Associates, Granbury, Texas 76048, United States
Digestive Disease Center, San Antonio, Texas 78205, United States
Texas Transplant Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, United States
Medical Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
Additional Information
Starting date: January 2001
Last updated: June 23, 2006
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