Skip to content

Transplanting Hepatitis C Kidneys Into Negative Kidney Recipients

Open-Labeled Trial Of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment Of Hepatitis C-Negative Patients Who Receive Kidney Transplants From Hepatitis C-Positive Donors

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02743897
Acronym
THINKER
Enrollment
62
Registered
2016-04-19
Start date
2016-05-01
Completion date
2022-12-31
Last updated
2023-06-15

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

Conditions

End Stage Renal Disease

Keywords

end-stage renal disease

Brief summary

This study is being conducted to determine safety and effectiveness of transplanting kidneys from Hepatitis C-positive donors into Hepatitis C-negative patients on the kidney transplant waitlist, who will then be treated with the appropriate direct-acting antiviral (DAA) after the single kidney transplantation.

Detailed description

Open-labelled pilot clinical trial of Zepatier (Grazoprevir + Elbasvir), Mavyret (Glecaprevir + Pibrentasvir), Epclusa (Sofosbuvir + Velpatasvir), or another appropriate DAA in at least 75 HCV-negative subjects with end-stage renal disease receiving a kidney transplant from a HCV-positive donor. Eligible subjects will receive a kidney transplant from a deceased-donor, and then will receive DAA treatment after kidney transplantation when infection with HCV is confirmed in these kidney transplant recipients. Treatment will be complete after 12 weeks for most subjects.

Interventions

Zepatier (grazoprevir 100mg and elbasvir 50 mg once daily) is taken by mouth for 12 weeks unless a genetic variation is detected. In this case treatment with Zepatier will be extended to 16 weeks. Study subjects with treatment failure will be provided open-label Zepatier + sofosbuvir (sovaldi) 400mg + Ribavirin (generic), renally dosed based on creatinine clearance per the manufacturer guidelines.

Mavyret (glecaprevir 100 mg and pibrentasvir 40 mg) is taken by mouth for 8 weeks. Study subjects with treatment failure will be provided an alternative DAA + sofosbuvir (sovaldi) 400mg + Ribavirin (generic), renally dosed based on creatinine clearance per the manufacturer guidelines.

Sponsors

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
University of Pennsylvania
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

Subject: Inclusion criteria * Must be waitlisted for a kidney transplant (dialysis is not a requirement if a patient is waitlisted) * Listed for an isolated kidney transplant with ≤2555 days of accrued transplant waiting time and/or ≤2555 days of dialysis time for blood group A, B, or O, by enrollment * Listed for an isolated kidney transplant with ≤1825 days of accrued transplant waiting time and/or ≤1825 days of dialysis time for blood group AB, by enrollment * No available living kidney donor * Between 30-70 years of age, by enrollment * Have a panel reactive antibody level ≤97% * eGFR \<15ml/min/1.73m2 as calculated using the 4 variable MDRD equation * Obtained agreement for participation from the patient's treating transplant nephrologist * Able to travel to the University of Pennsylvania for routine post-transplant visits and study visits for a minimum of 6 months after transplantation * No active illicit substance abuse * Weigh at least 50kg * Women must agree to use birth control in accordance with Mycophenolate Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) following transplant due to the increased risk of birth defects and/or miscarriage * Both men and women must agree to use at least one barrier method to prevent any secretion exchange * Inclusion criteria for treatment (not for entry as study patient) will include any detectable HCV RNA * Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Hepatocellular carcinoma * Patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), FSGS recurring after previous transplant, or disease process with increased risk of causing early graft failure as per the treating nephrologist * HIV positive * HCV RNA positive (can be isolated HCV antibody positive provided the subject has no history of previously treated HCV) * Hepatitis B surface antigen positive * Any other chronic liver disease (excluding non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with abnormal liver enzymes * Persistently elevated liver transaminases * Significant hepatic fibrosis on screening elastography (≥f2 fibrosis) * Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women * Known allergy or intolerance to tacrolimus that would require post-transplant administration of cyclosporine, rather than tacrolimus given the drug-drug interaction between cyclosporine and Zepatier * Waitlisted for a multi-organ transplant (e.g., pancreas-kidney, heart-kidney, etc.) * Significant cardiomyopathy defined as either: * Left ventricular ejection fraction \<40% on most recent echocardiogram * Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40% but \<50% on most recent echocardiogram with an \<5 METS of exercise tolerance * Reversible ischemia on stress testing without revascularization Donor Organ Selection: Inclusion Criteria * Detectable HCV RNA * Age ≤60 years * Study modified Kidney donor profile index (KDPI) score ≤0.856 - calculated as if the kidney were HCV-negative (https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/resources/allocation-calculators/kdpi-calculator/)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Subjects CuredBaseline to 24 weeksSubjects with post-treatment sustained virologic response (SVR) = Number of subjects with negative HCV RNA 12 weeks after completing therapy / number of subjects treated post-kidney transplantation
Number of Subjects With SAE Attributable to HCV TherapyBaseline to 52 weeksNumber of subjects with major adverse events attributable to HCV therapy in post-kidney transplant

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Direct-acting Antiviral Treatment for HCV
Zepatier: Zepatier (grazoprevir 100mg and elbasvir 50 mg once daily) is taken by mouth for 12 weeks unless a genetic variation is detected. In this case treatment with Zepatier will be extended to 16 weeks. Study subjects with treatment failure will be provided open-label Zepatier + sofosbuvir (sovaldi) 400mg + Ribavirin (generic), renally dosed based on creatinine clearance per the manufacturer guidelines. Mavyret: Mavyret (glecaprevir 100 mg and pibrentasvir 40 mg) is taken by mouth for 8 weeks. Study subjects with treatment failure will be provided an alternative DAA + sofosbuvir (sovaldi) 400mg + Ribavirin (generic), renally dosed based on creatinine clearance per the manufacturer guidelines.
62
Total62

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicDirect-acting Antiviral Treatment for HCV
Age, Customized57 years
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
29 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
27 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
62 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
19 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
43 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
1 / 62
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 62
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 62

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Subjects Cured

Subjects with post-treatment sustained virologic response (SVR) = Number of subjects with negative HCV RNA 12 weeks after completing therapy / number of subjects treated post-kidney transplantation

Time frame: Baseline to 24 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Direct-acting Antiviral Treatment for HCVNumber of Subjects Cured62 Participants
Primary

Number of Subjects With SAE Attributable to HCV Therapy

Number of subjects with major adverse events attributable to HCV therapy in post-kidney transplant

Time frame: Baseline to 52 weeks

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Direct-acting Antiviral Treatment for HCVNumber of Subjects With SAE Attributable to HCV Therapy1 Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 5, 2026