Skip to content

Phase 2a Desipramine in Small Cell Lung Cancer and Other High-Grade Neuroendocrine Tumors

A Phase 2a Intrapatient Dose Escalation Study of Desipramine in Small Cell Lung Cancer and Other High-Grade Neuroendocrine Tumors

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01719861
Enrollment
6
Registered
2012-11-01
Start date
2012-10-31
Completion date
2015-05-31
Last updated
2017-04-17

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

Conditions

Neuroendocrine Tumors, Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Brief summary

Intrapatient dose escalation study of desipramine in subjects with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and other high-grade neuroendocrine tumors.

Detailed description

Participants will start desipramine by mouth nightly (QHS) for 6 weeks, with weekly dose escalation. Starting dose will be 25 to 75 mg. The desipramine dose will be escalated until the maximum dose of 450 mg is reached or a maximum safe dose per subject is established. Dose level may be adjusted (decreased) based on cardiac or general adverse effects. desipramine level will be tapered if the subject experience disease progression, unless physician judges immediate suspension is in the subjects best interest. Assessments will be conducted every 28 days, and will include ECGs, physicians and blood samples. One partial and/or complete response will be sufficient to consider a larger clinical trial.

Interventions

DRUGDesipramine HCL

Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). All patients will start off with a 25 mg dose by mouth nightly (QHS), increasing weekly for 6 weeks. The target dose level at 6 weeks is 450 mg (maximum dosage) or the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for each subject.

Sponsors

Joel Neal
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Metastatic small-cell lung cancer * Metastatic high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of any organ system (high-grade defined by Ki-67 ≥ 20% and/or ≥ 20 mitoses/10 (HPF). * Received at least one line of prior chemotherapy treatment for metastatic disease. * Daily chemotherapy must be completed ≥ 2 weeks prior to registration * Weekly chemotherapy must be completed ≥ 2 weeks prior to registration * Chemotherapy every 2 weeks must be completed ≥ 3 weeks prior to registration * Chemotherapy every 3 weeks must be completed ≥ 4 weeks prior to registration * ECOG Performance Status 0 to 2 * Measurable disease by RECIST 1.1 criteria * Age at least 18 years * Estimated life expectancy at least 3 months * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/ mm³ * Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL, OR ≤ 2 X ULN if tumor involves the liver * AST(SGOT) * ALT(SGPT) ≤ 3 X ULN * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 X ULN * Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min/1.73m²) for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal * QT interval corrected using Fridericia's method (QTcF) \< 450 msec (males) or \< 470 msec (females) * PR \< 240 msec * QRS \< 100 msec * Brain metastases must be asymptomatic and have been adequately treated with radiation finishing at least 1 week prior to initiation of study treatment. * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion criteria

* Clinically-significant ventricular arrhythmia including cardiac arrest * Myocardial infarction from coronary artery disease within 3 months of study enrollment * Implantable pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator * NYHA Class III or greater congestive heart failure * Other clinically-significant cardiac disorders * Family history of long QT syndrome. * Concomitant or expected treatment with strong inhibitors of cytochrome p450 CYP2D6, specifically including Bupropion; Fluoxetine; or Paroxetine (must be discontinued at least 2 weeks or 5-half lives prior to the initiation of desipramine, whichever is shortest, except fluoxetine which requires at least a 5-week washout period). * Use of medications known to increase risk of torsades de pointes, including Amiodarone; Arsenic trioxide; Astemizole; Azithromycin; Bepridil; Chloroquine; Chlorpromazine; Cisapride; Citalopram; Clarithromycin; Disopyramide; Dofetilide; Domperidone; Droperidol; Erythromycin; Flecainide; Halofantrine; Haloperidol; Ibutilide; Levomethadyl; Mesoridazine; Methadone; Moxifloxacin; Pentamidine; Pimozide; Probucol; Procainamide; Quinidine; Sotalol; Sparfloxacin; Terfenadine; Thioridazine; Vandetanib * Other anti-depressant or anti-psychotic medications including selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs); other tricyclic, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs); serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs, typical or atypical anti-psychotic) * Metoclopramide (Reglan) because of increased risk of extrapyrimidal symptoms and neuroleptic malignant syndrome * Symptomatic orthostatic hypotension despite adequate volume resuscitation. * Medical history of narrow angle glaucoma * Bipolar disorder, ongoing or active within the last 5 years * Suicidal ideation, ongoing or active within the last 5 years * Suicide attempt, ongoing or active within the last 5 years * Pregnancy * Breastfeeding * Receiving any other investigational agents * Any other serious or unstable concomitant systemic disorder that in the opinion of the investigator is incompatible with the clinical study

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Response Rate (ORR)6 weeksOverall response rate (ORR) was assessed as the number of patients who achieve either a partial (PR) or complete response (CR) measured by CT scans and Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1) criteria, divided by the total number of patients treated on the study. CR: Disappearance of all target lesions, all non-target lesions, and no new lesion. PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, no progression in non-target lesion, and no new lesion.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Desipramine Maximum DoseUp to 6 weeksAssessed as the median per patient maximum dose (MD) using intra-patient dose escalation, and reported as the highest dose of desipramine administered continuously for 1 week or greater.
Median Serum Desipramine Levels During TreatmentUp to 6 weeksMedian serum desipramine levels during treatment is reported as the median of the maximum steady state serum concentration observed in all patients. Therapeutic concentration of desipramine is 100 to 300 ng/mL, and toxic concentration is \> 300 ng/mL.
Progression-free Survival (PFS), MedianUp to 5 years from enrollment to radiographic progression or drug discontinuationMedian PFS was defined as the time from randomization to disease progression (or death if the patient died before progression) calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
Median Overall Survival (OS)From start of enrollment until death, no limitMedian overall survival was defined as time from enrollment to death from any cause calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

10 participants total were to be enrolled at Stanford Medical Center between December 2012 - December 2013

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Desipramine HCl
Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). All patients will start off with a 25 mg dose by mouth nightly (QHS), increasing weekly for 6 weeks. By the end of the 6 weeks, patients will be taking 450 mg (maximum dosage) or a tolerable dose of desipramine without serious side effects.
6
Total6

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Cycle 1Death4
Cycle 2Death1

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicDesipramine HCl
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
2 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
4 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
2 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
4 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Histology
Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Lung
2 participants
Histology
Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Pancreas
1 participants
Histology
Small Cell Carcinoma of Lung
3 participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
2 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
4 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
6 / 6
serious
Total, serious adverse events
6 / 6

Outcome results

Primary

Overall Response Rate (ORR)

Overall response rate (ORR) was assessed as the number of patients who achieve either a partial (PR) or complete response (CR) measured by CT scans and Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1) criteria, divided by the total number of patients treated on the study. CR: Disappearance of all target lesions, all non-target lesions, and no new lesion. PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, no progression in non-target lesion, and no new lesion.

Time frame: 6 weeks

Population: All patients who were enrolled and started therapy.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Desipramine HCl 25 mgOverall Response Rate (ORR)0 percentage of participants
Secondary

Desipramine Maximum Dose

Assessed as the median per patient maximum dose (MD) using intra-patient dose escalation, and reported as the highest dose of desipramine administered continuously for 1 week or greater.

Time frame: Up to 6 weeks

Population: All patients who were enrolled and started therapy.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Desipramine HCl 25 mgDesipramine Maximum Dose75 mg daily
Secondary

Median Overall Survival (OS)

Median overall survival was defined as time from enrollment to death from any cause calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Time frame: From start of enrollment until death, no limit

Population: All patients who were enrolled and started therapy.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Desipramine HCl 25 mgMedian Overall Survival (OS)2.7 Months
Secondary

Median Serum Desipramine Levels During Treatment

Median serum desipramine levels during treatment is reported as the median of the maximum steady state serum concentration observed in all patients. Therapeutic concentration of desipramine is 100 to 300 ng/mL, and toxic concentration is \> 300 ng/mL.

Time frame: Up to 6 weeks

Population: All patients who were enrolled and started therapy.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Desipramine HCl 25 mgMedian Serum Desipramine Levels During Treatment132 ng/mL
Secondary

Progression-free Survival (PFS), Median

Median PFS was defined as the time from randomization to disease progression (or death if the patient died before progression) calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Time frame: Up to 5 years from enrollment to radiographic progression or drug discontinuation

Population: All patients who were enrolled and started therapy.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
Desipramine HCl 25 mgProgression-free Survival (PFS), Median1.2 Months

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