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Tocilizumab for Renal Graft Inflammation

A Phase II Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Tocilizumab for Treatment of Inflammation in the Renal Allograft

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02108600
Enrollment
33
Registered
2014-04-09
Start date
2014-06-30
Completion date
2018-12-16
Last updated
2021-03-09

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

Conditions

Late Complication From Kidney Transplant

Keywords

Kidney transplantation, Inflammation

Brief summary

Randomized open label clinical trial in which 48 renal transplant recipients with inflammation in the 6 month allograft biopsy will either continue usual immunosuppression or receive monthly Actemra (Tocilizumab) infusions for 6 months in addition to usual immunosuppression.

Detailed description

This is a prospective randomized controlled study of kidney transplant recipients with SCI on 6-month surveillance kidney biopsies. SCI for the purpose of this study is defined as 10-50% total parenchymal mononuclear inflammation (Banff ti1-ti2) with \<i2,t2 concurrent lesions. After enrollment, study participants subjects will be randomized to group 1 (standard of care group) or group 2 (tocilizumab (TCZ) group). Block randomization will be performed by the UCSF investigational pharmacy using computer-generated random numbers. The pathologist will be blinded to the randomization. Group 1 (standard of care group) will continue their usual immunosuppression and not receive any specific intervention. Group 2 (TCZ group) will receive tocilizumab 8 mg/kg intravenously at four-week intervals for a total of 6 doses.In addition, they will continue their usual immunosuppressive regimen. As noted above, both groups will continue their usual maintenance immunosuppression regimen. Therefore, recipients who are already receiving prednisone will continue it at 5 mg/day. Recipients on prednisone-free regimens will remain prednisone-free. Mycophenolate mofetil will be continued at the same dose as at the time of the biopsy. Tacrolimus dosing will be adjusted to aim for trough levels of 5-8 mcg/L. The study period will be 12 months (6 months of therapy plus 6 months of extended follow up- see Study Schema). Any episodes of infections, renal allograft dysfunctions, rejections or other clinical events during the study period will be treated per the usual standard of care. All participants will be seen by the study PI or co-investigator at monthly study visits. A focused history and physical exam will be performed, including queries for drug toxicities and signs/ symptom of infections. All participants will obtain laboratory tests at intervals of 4 weeks, consisting of a complete blood count, serum electrolytes, BUN and serum creatinine, fasting glucose, liver function tests and 12-hour trough tacrolimus levels. Lipid panels will be obtained at baseline, then every 12 weeks an at study termination.The outpatient electronic medical record will be queried twiceweekly by the study coordinator for any new laboratory results on study participants. Laboratory data on all study participants will be reviewed weekly by the study PI. The 12-month surveillance biopsy will be performed at the end of therapy (6 months after study enrollment).

Interventions

DRUGTocilizumab

Will receive tocilizumab 8 mg/kg intravenously at four-week intervals for a total of 6 doses. In addition, will continue usual immunosuppressive regimen.

Sponsors

Flavio Vincenti
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* All kidney transplant recipients with SCI on 6-month surveillance biopsy. * Maintenance immunosuppression regimens containing tacrolimus and MMF with or without prednisone. * Ability to provide written informed consent for the study. * Men and women of reproductive potential must agree to use an acceptable method of birth control during treatment and for six months after completion of treatment.

Exclusion criteria

General: • Major surgery (including joint surgery) within 8 weeks prior to screening or planned major surgery within 6 months following randomization. Excluded Previous or Concomitant Therapy: * Treatment with any investigational agent within 4 weeks (or 5 half-lives of the investigational drug, whichever is longer) of screening. * Previous treatment with any cell-depleting therapies, including investigational agents or approved therapies, some examples are CAMPATH, anti-CD4, anti-CD5, anti-CD3, anti-CD19 and anti-CD20, except Thymoglobulin. * Treatment with intravenous gamma globulin, plasmapheresis or Prosorba column within 6 months of baseline. * Immunization with a live/attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks prior to baseline. * Previous treatment with TCZ (an exception to this criterion may be granted for single dose exposure upon application to the sponsor on a case-by-case basis). * Any previous treatment with alkylating agents such as chlorambucil, or with total lymphoid irradiation. Exclusions for General Safety: * Presence of acute cellular (Banff Type 1-3) or antibody-mediated rejection on 6-month surveillance biopsy or on biopsies for-cause in the previous 6 months. * History of positive urine or serum screening for BK virus (defined as a quantitative BK virus PCR in urine \> 0.5 million copies/ml or any detectable BK viremia) within the first 6 months post-transplant. * History of severe allergic or anaphylactic reactions to human, humanized or murine monoclonal antibodies. * Evidence of serious uncontrolled concomitant cardiovascular, nervous system, pulmonary (including obstructive pulmonary disease), renal, hepatic, endocrine (include uncontrolled diabetes mellitus) or gastrointestinal disease (including diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease.) * Current liver disease as determined by principal investigator unless related to primary disease under investigation. * Known active current or history of recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, mycobacterial or other infections (including but not limited to tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial disease, Hepatitis B and C, and herpes zoster, but excluding fungal infections of nail beds). * Any major episode of infection requiring hospitalization or treatment with IV antibiotics within 4 weeks of screening or oral antibiotics within 2 weeks prior to screening. * Active TB requiring treatment within the previous 3 years. Patients should be screened for latent TB and, if positive, treated following local practice guidelines prior to initiating TCZ. Patients treated for tuberculosis with no recurrence in 3 years are permitted. (Appendix 8). * Primary or secondary immunodeficiency (history of or currently active) unless related to primary disease under investigation. * Evidence of active malignant disease, malignancies diagnosed within the previous 10 years (including hematological malignancies and solid tumors, except basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix uteri that has been excised and cured), or breast cancer diagnosed within the previous 20 years unless related to primary disease under investigation. * Pregnant women or nursing (breast feeding) mothers. * Patients with reproductive potential not willing to use an effective method of contraception. * History of alcohol, drug or chemical abuse within 1 year prior to screening. * Patients with lack of peripheral venous access. Laboratory

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Inflammation on Renal Allograft Biopsy From Baseline to 6 MonthsBaseline and 6 monthsProportion of participants in each group who had a 1 point decrease in inflammation based on Banff scoring on renal allograft biopsy at 6 months compared to baseline. The Banff ti- score can be 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Urinary CytokinesBaseline and 6 monthsChange in urinary cytokines from baseline at 6 months.
Development of Donor Specific Anti-HLA AntibodiesFrom baseline to 6 monthsProportion of participants who developed de novo DSA from baseline to 6 months
Incidence of Acute RejectionIn the interval between baseline and 6 MonthsProportion of patients with acute rejection in each group

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Standard of Care
Will continue usual immunosuppression and not receive any specific intervention.
14
Tocilizumab (TCZ) Group
Will receive tocilizumab 8 mg/kg intravenously at four-week intervals for a total of 6 doses. In addition, will continue usual immunosuppressive regimen. Tocilizumab: Will receive tocilizumab 8 mg/kg intravenously at four-week intervals for a total of 6 doses. In addition, will continue usual immunosuppressive reg
16
Total30

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up11
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject20

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicStandard of CareTotalTocilizumab (TCZ) Group
Age, Continuous51.5 years52 years53.5 years
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
2 Participants4 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
10 Participants24 Participants14 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
14 participants30 participants16 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
6 Participants13 Participants7 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
8 Participants17 Participants9 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 140 / 16
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 142 / 16
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 143 / 16

Outcome results

Primary

Change in Inflammation on Renal Allograft Biopsy From Baseline to 6 Months

Proportion of participants in each group who had a 1 point decrease in inflammation based on Banff scoring on renal allograft biopsy at 6 months compared to baseline. The Banff ti- score can be 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Standard of CareChange in Inflammation on Renal Allograft Biopsy From Baseline to 6 Months3 Participants
Tocilizumab (TCZ) GroupChange in Inflammation on Renal Allograft Biopsy From Baseline to 6 Months10 Participants
p-value: 0.033Fisher Exact
Secondary

Change in Urinary Cytokines

Change in urinary cytokines from baseline at 6 months.

Time frame: Baseline and 6 months

Population: The urine samples were not adequate for analysis and therefore this outcome was not analyzed.

Secondary

Development of Donor Specific Anti-HLA Antibodies

Proportion of participants who developed de novo DSA from baseline to 6 months

Time frame: From baseline to 6 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Standard of CareDevelopment of Donor Specific Anti-HLA Antibodies0 Participants
Tocilizumab (TCZ) GroupDevelopment of Donor Specific Anti-HLA Antibodies0 Participants
Secondary

Incidence of Acute Rejection

Proportion of patients with acute rejection in each group

Time frame: In the interval between baseline and 6 Months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Standard of CareIncidence of Acute Rejection0 Participants
Tocilizumab (TCZ) GroupIncidence of Acute Rejection0 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 24, 2026