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Clofazimine in the Treatment of Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC)

Phase 2 Study of Clofazimine for the Treatment of Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Disease

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02968212
Enrollment
102
Registered
2016-11-18
Start date
2017-04-11
Completion date
2026-10-01
Last updated
2026-05-06

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

Conditions

Mycobacterium Avium Complex

Keywords

Mycobacterium avium Complex, Clofazimine

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of clofazimine when used to treat Mycobacteria avium complex (MAC) lung disease. Funding Source - FDA OOPD

Detailed description

Clofazimine is an orphan antibiotic drug that is no longer available through pharmacies in the United States. It is approved for the treatment of Mycobacterium leprae (leprosy) infections. Clofazimine has been used for many years off-label against other Mycobacterium, including Mycobacteria avium complex (MAC) lung disease, an increasingly prevalent infection in older Americans. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently oversees clofazimine use to treat MAC lung disease through a special investigational drug access program. However, to date, there is little understanding of the benefits and risks of clofazimine when used to treat MAC lung disease. Accordingly, the investigators have developed a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of clofazimine. To be eligible, participants must have MAC lung disease, positive sputum cultures for MAC, and not currently taking antibiotics for MAC. Eligible participants (102 total enrolled) will be randomly given either clofazimine or placebo for 6 months, and followed closely by their treating physician. The percentage of participants who become culture negative in each group will be compared, as it is suspected that participants treated with clofazimine will be more likely to become culture negative. The safety of clofazimine will be measured as well as other potential benefits of the therapy including changes in lung function and quality of life.

Interventions

DRUGClofazimine

All participants in the experimental/treatment arm on this protocol will take a loading dose of 200 mg daily in soft capsule form of clofazimine for 16 weeks, dropping to 100 mg daily for the next 8 weeks.

OTHERsugar pill

All participants in the placebo arm on this protocol will take placebo in soft capsule form daily dropping to a smaller dose after 16 weeks to mirror the treatment arm dosing.

Sponsors

Oregon Health and Science University
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
CollaboratorNIH
National Jewish Health
CollaboratorOTHER
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
CollaboratorOTHER
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
CollaboratorNIH
University of Chicago
CollaboratorOTHER
Temple University
CollaboratorOTHER
University of South Florida
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* At least 2 positive MAC sputum cultures in the last 12 months with at least one obtained within 12 weeks prior to randomization * Meet ATS/IDSA 2007 pulmonary disease criteria * Adult males and females age 18 or over * Ability to provide informed consent for the use of study drug

Exclusion criteria

* Any patient who is unwilling or unable to provide consent or to comply with this protocol * Cavitary NTM disease * Patients who are currently taking or within the prior 12 weeks received any of the following: bedaquiline, or any component of ATS/IDSA multi-drug recommended therapy (macrolide, ethambutol, rifampin) for MAC * Current usage of inhaled amikacin, tobramycin, or gentamicin * In the judgment of the investigator, the patient is not a candidate for observation (e.g. severe symptoms, extensive disease burden) but rather should be treated with standard multi-drug therapy * Prior use of clofazimine that has resulted in an allergy to clofazimine or a severe adverse reaction * Current usage of medications associated with QT prolongation (see Appendix C for full list of prohibited concomitant medications) * Corrected QT (QTc) interval on electrocardiogram (ECG) \> 470 ms for females or 450 ms for males, calculated using Fridericia's formula60,61 * Advanced lung disease (FEV\<30%) * HIV * Active pulmonary tuberculosis requiring treatment at screening * Active pulmonary malignancy or chemotherapy or radiation within 1 year of screening * Use of chronic systemic corticosteroids at doses of 15 mg/day for more than 12 weeks * Prior lung or other solid organ transplant * Pregnancy, or breastfeeding that will continue during treatment

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change from Baseline sputum culture at 24 weeksSputum examined for culture change from Baseline at 24 weekssputum will be processed for acid fast bacilli stain/acid fast bacterial culture. A semi-quantitative assessment will be made by colony count for patients.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change from Baseline 6 Minute Walk Test at 24 weeks6 Minute Walk Test results examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksWalking distance achieved in 6 minutes is assessed
Change from Baseline PROMIS Fatigue 7a short form questionnaire at 24 weeksPROMIS Fatigue 7a short form results examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksSelf-administered questionnaire assessing a range of self-reported symptoms over the past seven days, from mild subjective feelings of tiredness to an overwhelming, debilitating, and sustained sense of exhaustion that likely decreases one's ability to execute daily activities and function normally in family or social roles. Fatigue is divided into the experience of fatigue (frequency, duration, and intensity) and the impact of fatigue on physical, mental, and social activities.
Change from Baseline Quality of Life-Bronchiectasis (QOL-B) with NTM module at 24 weeksQOL-B results examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksSelf-administered questionnaire measuring 8 separate domains: Physical Functioning, Role Functioning, Vitality, Emotional Functioning, Social Functioning, Treatment Burden, Health Perceptions, and Respiratory Symptoms.
Change from Baseline CT scan at 24 weeksCT scan examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksCT scans will be computationally evaluated using custom software to provide volumetric assessment of NTM-associated abnormalities.
Change from Baseline semi-quantitative sputum acid fast smear culture at 24 weekssemi-quantitative sputum acid fast smear culture examined for change from Baseline at 24 weekssputum will be processed for acid fast bacilli stain/acid fast bacterial culture. A semi-quantitative assessment will be made by colony count for patients.
Change from Baseline Spirometry at 24 weeksSpirometry with FEV1/FVC ratio examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksMean change in pulmonary function parameters as measured by %predicted FEV1 and FVC
Change from Baseline Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate at 24 weeksErythrocyte Sedimentation Rate examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksDetecting change in Inflammatory markers
Change from Baseline C-Reactive Protein levels at 24 weeksC-Reactive Protein levels examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksDetecting change in Inflammatory markers
Number of Adverse EventsNumber of Patient-reported and Investigator-reported Adverse Events at 24 weeksComparison of experienced adverse events between the two study groups
Change from Baseline QT interval at 24 weeksQT interval examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksA 12-lead ECG will be conducted, and the QT interval calculated using Fridericia's formula: QTC = QT / RR 1/3
Change from Baseline blood serum chemistry at week 24blood serum chemistry examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksDetecting changes in liver ALT and AST levels
Change from Baseline complete blood count at week 24complete blood count examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksDetecting changes in complete blood count
Change from Baseline Minimal Inhibitory Concentration of MAC isolates in vitro at week 24Minimal Inhibitory Concentration of MAC isolates in vitro examined for change from Baseline at 24 weeksDetecting change in MAC isolates sensitivity to clofazimine

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORKevin Winthrop, MD

Oregon Health and Science University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 7, 2026