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Spondylitis Trial of Apremilast for Better Rheumatic Therapy

Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast (CC-10004)in the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00944658
Acronym
START
Enrollment
38
Registered
2009-07-23
Start date
2009-08-31
Completion date
2011-01-31
Last updated
2019-12-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Keywords

Ankylosing spondylitis, Imaging

Brief summary

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of apremilast in AS as measured by improvement in patients' signs and symptoms of the disease and changes in imaging. Additionally the safety and tolerability of apremilast in AS will be assessed.

Detailed description

Presently, there are very few treatments available which affect the progression of the disease in the spine. The only proven treatment is the use of drugs inhibiting tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF). However, there are limitations with this treatment in that it needs to be administered via an injection and is also very expensive. Therefore it is necessary to develop new therapeutic agents for this condition. Apremilast (the study drug) is an oral tablet which has been shown to inhibit TNF production in a mouse model of inflammation. It has also been used in clinical trials for asthma and psoriasis in humans with good affect and tolerability. These studies were funded by Celgene Corporation and they will be funding this study. The patients will be recruited from hospitals by Consultant referral. The patients will have had AS for at least 2 years and their symptoms will have been uncontrolled on conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. Patients will be randomised to either receive apremilast or a placebo and treated over a period of 12 weeks. They will then be followed up for 28 days after the treatment period.

Interventions

DRUGApremilast

10mg twice a day, dose was titrated by 20mg every 2 days until the maximum dose 30mg twice a day for 12weeks

twice a day

Sponsors

Celgene Corporation
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Imperial College London
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Written informed consent to participate in this trial * Diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis as defined by the modified New York criteria (1984) as follows: 1. a history of inflammatory back pain; 2. limitation of motion of the lumbar spine in both the sagittal and frontal planes; 3. limited chest expansion, relative to standard values for age and sex; 4. definite radiographic / imaging evidence of sacroiliitis and/or spinal inflammation * Patients must have daily spinal pain and stiffness for at least 2 weeks prior to randomization. This is defined by having a score of \>1 on questions #2 and #5 of the BASDAI score for the 2 weeks prior to randomization. * Patients receiving NSAIDS and/or COX-2 inhibitors must be on stable doses for at least 2 weeks prior to randomization. * Age \>18 years * Male and female patients, who are not surgically sterile or postmenopausal, must use reliable methods of birth control for the duration of the study. Males must agree to use barrier contraception for 3 months following the end of the trial. * Women of childbearing potential, not surgically sterile or postmenopausal, must have a negative serum beta HCG.

Exclusion criteria

* Use of DMARDs (methotrexate, d-penicillamine, sulfasalazine, azathioprine, hydroxychloroquine, or gold) within 8 weeks of randomization. * Use of systemic corticosteroids within 4 weeks of randomization * Use of intravenous or intra-articular corticosteroids within 4 weeks of randomization * Use of TNF alpha blockers (eg, infliximab, adalimumab) or etanercept as follows: Compound PK Exclusion period Etanercept T ½ = 102 hrs = 4.25 days 4 weeks Adalimumab T ½ 2 wks; 5 half lives 10 weeks 10 weeks Infliximab T ½ 7.7-9.5 d 12 weeks 8 weeks after maintenance dose median infx conc 0.5-6 mcg/ml * Therapy with an investigational agent within 30 days of randomization or 5 half-lives (pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic), which ever is longer * Known HIV or hepatitis B or C infection * Exclusion of tuberculosis (TB) * History of active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (any subspecies) within 3 years prior to the screening visit. Infections that occurred \> 3 years prior to entry must have been effectively treated. * History of incompletely treated latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (as indicated by a positive Purified Protein Derivative \[PPD\] skin test) * Clinically significant abnormality on chest x-ray (CXR) if mantoux \>5mm or ELISPOT positive * History of other rheumatic autoimmune diseases (eg, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.) * Pregnant or nursing women * Any condition, in the investigator's opinion, which places the patient at an undue risk by participating in the study. * Contraindication to MRI and other MRI exclusions following local centre guidelines (Appendix H) * An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of \< 60 ml/min (because of the small risk of nephrogenic sclerosing fibrosis with gadolinium intravenous contrast), if patient is to have MRI with gadolinium contrast . * Claustrophobia * Hemoglobin \< 9 g/dL * White blood cell (WBC) count \< 3000 /μL (≥ 3.0 X 109/L) and ≥ 14,000/μL (≥ 20 X 109/L) * Neutrophils \< 1500 /μL (\< 1.5 X 109/L) * Platelets \< 100,000 /μL (\< 100 X 109/L) * Serum creatinine \> 1.5 mg/dL (\> 132.6 μmol/L) * Total bilirubin \> 2.0 mg/dL * Aspartate transaminase (AST \[serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, SGOT\]) and alanine transaminase (ALT \[serum glutamate pyruvic transaminase, SGPT\]) \> 1.5x upper limit of normal (ULN)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Changes of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASDAI Score From BaselineBaseline and 12 weeksBath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), 0 - 10 score, higher reduction in the scores suggest better suboptimal control of disease.
Changes of Apremilast on the Signs and Symptoms of AS, Night Pain From BaselineBaseline and 12 weeksThis endpoint the night time pain score change was recorded by questionnaire to evaluate the Apremilast effect on symptom, higher reduction better improvement. scale is 0-10
Effect of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASFI ScoreBaseline and 12 weeksBath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), 0 - 10 score, higher reduction in the scores suggest better suboptimal control of disease.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
The Safety and Tolerability of Apremilast in AS, Number of Participants With Adverse Events16 weeksTo evaluate the safety and tolerability of Apremilast in AS, the investigator recorded the incidence of adverse events.

Countries

United Kingdom

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Placebo
placebo twice a day for 12 weeks, 4 weeks follow up Placebo (sugar pill): twice a day
19
Apremilast
30 mg twice a day for 12 weeks, 4 weeks follow up Apremilast: 10mg twice a day, dose was titrated by 20mg every 2 days until the maximum dose 30mg twice a day for 12weeks
17
Total36

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Treatment 12 WeeksAdverse Event02

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPlaceboApremilastTotal
Age, Continuous39.21 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.3
44.88 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.1
42.95 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.01
Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI)4.36 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.75
4.79 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.16
4.57 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.95
Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI)3.19 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.2
4.55 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.42
3.87 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.31
CRP C-reactive protein6.24 mg/dl
STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.56
11.37 mg/dl
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.12
8.8 mg/dl
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.34
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United Kingdom
19 participants17 participants36 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
2 Participants2 Participants4 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
17 Participants15 Participants32 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 190 / 19
other
Total, other adverse events
17 / 1918 / 19
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 190 / 19

Outcome results

Primary

Changes of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASDAI Score From Baseline

Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), 0 - 10 score, higher reduction in the scores suggest better suboptimal control of disease.

Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
PlaceboChanges of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASDAI Score From Baseline-0.77 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.47
ApremilastChanges of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASDAI Score From Baseline-1.59 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.48
p-value: 0.139ANCOVA
Primary

Changes of Apremilast on the Signs and Symptoms of AS, Night Pain From Baseline

This endpoint the night time pain score change was recorded by questionnaire to evaluate the Apremilast effect on symptom, higher reduction better improvement. scale is 0-10

Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
PlaceboChanges of Apremilast on the Signs and Symptoms of AS, Night Pain From Baseline-0.23 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.75
ApremilastChanges of Apremilast on the Signs and Symptoms of AS, Night Pain From Baseline-0.81 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 3.01
p-value: 0.58ANCOVA
Primary

Effect of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASFI Score

Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), 0 - 10 score, higher reduction in the scores suggest better suboptimal control of disease.

Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
PlaceboEffect of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASFI Score-0.28 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.61
ApremilastEffect of Apremilast in Patients With AS, Changes in BASFI Score-1.74 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.91
p-value: 0.108ANCOVA
Secondary

The Safety and Tolerability of Apremilast in AS, Number of Participants With Adverse Events

To evaluate the safety and tolerability of Apremilast in AS, the investigator recorded the incidence of adverse events.

Time frame: 16 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
PlaceboThe Safety and Tolerability of Apremilast in AS, Number of Participants With Adverse Events17 Participants
ApremilastThe Safety and Tolerability of Apremilast in AS, Number of Participants With Adverse Events18 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026