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Eltrombopag vs Standard Front Line Management for Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) in Children

A Phase III Study of Eltrombopag vs Standard Front Line Management for Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia in Children

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03939637
Enrollment
122
Registered
2019-05-07
Start date
2019-05-02
Completion date
2025-02-26
Last updated
2025-07-29

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

Conditions

Immune Thrombocytopenia

Keywords

ITP, Immune Thrombocytopenia, Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia, Newly Diagnosed ITP

Brief summary

This is an investigator initiated, multicenter, open label, randomized phase 3 study for subjects with newly diagnosed ITP from ages 1 to less than 18 years old.

Detailed description

This is a prospective, open label, randomized, two-arm, multi-center Phase 3 trial. Patients with newly diagnosed ITP are randomized 2:1 to receive the experimental treatment, eltrombopag, or investigator's choice of 3 standard therapies. The primary objective is to determine if the proportion of patients with platelet response is significantly greater in patients treated with eltrombopag compared to those treated with standard therapies.

Interventions

DRUGEltrombopag

Starting dose for eltrombopag will be based on manufacturer recommendations, and drug will be titrated to effect per guidelines. * Children 1 to 5 years: Initial: 25 mg once daily * Children ≥6 years and Adolescents: Initial: 50 mg once daily (25 mg once daily for patients of East-Asian ethnicity \[e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese\]) Dose should be titrated based on platelet response. Maximum dose: 75 mg once daily.

DRUGSteroids

Prednisone/Prednisolone 4mg/kg/day (Max 120 mg/day) x 4 day

DRUGIVIG

IVIG 1 g/kg x1 (no steroids for pre-medication or adjunctive therapy)

DRUGRho(D) Immune Globulin

Anti-D globulin 75 mcg/kg x1 (no steroids for pre-medication or adjunctive therapy)

Sponsors

Boston Children's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
University of California, San Francisco
CollaboratorOTHER
Baylor College of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Age: 1- \<18 years * Newly diagnosed ITP (\<3 months from diagnosis (first abnormal platelet count), per international working group definition17) * Platelets \<30 x 10\^9/L at screening * Requires pharmacologic treatment from the perspective of the treating clinician. Need to treat is at the discretion of the investigator, but there should be clinical equipoise about the use of eltrombopag vs standard treatment options (patients should not, in the opinion of the investigator, require concomitant therapy at time of enrollment). * Treatment options include one of three standard therapies, (IVIg, steroids, or Anti-D). For example, if patient has previously shown no response to IVIg or steroids and is Rh-negative, patient would not be eligible for study. * Patient population includes both: 1. Upfront treatment: Patient within 10 days of ITP diagnosis who has not received previous treatment OR 2. Treatment failure: Patients who have failed standard management (observation or treatment with one or more first-line agents) * Failure of observation: no platelet recovery (\>30 x 10\^9/L) with observation \>10 days from diagnosis, with need to treat * Poor response to first-line agent (platelets remain \<30 x10\^9/L) * Initial response to first-line agent, but response wanes and platelets fall below 30 x10\^9/L * Family willing and able to return for required lab studies

Exclusion criteria

* Severe bleeding: Buchanan Overall Grade 4 or 5 bleeding, or severe bleeding requiring emergent treatment at the discretion of the provider. (e.g., intracranial hemorrhage, pulmonary hemorrhage, bleeding with ongoing need for pRBC transfusion) * Prior treatment with TPO-RA (eltrombopag or romiplostim) * Known secondary ITP (due to lupus, CVID, ALPS) * Known HIV (or history of HIV positivity) or Hepatitis C (screening not required if no clinical suspicion) * Evans Syndrome: positive direct Coombs with evidence of active hemolysis (elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) or reticulocyte count not attributable to recent treatment or bleeding) * Any Malignancy * History of stem cell transplant or solid organ transplant * aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or ALT \>2 x upper limit of normal (ULN) * Total bilirubin \>1.5 × ULN * Subjects with liver cirrhosis (as determined by the investigator) * Creatinine \>2.5 × ULN * Known active or uncontrolled infections not responding to appropriate therapy * On anticoagulation or anti-platelet agents * Known thrombophilic risk factors. Exception: Subjects for whom the potential benefits of participating in the study outweigh the potential risks of thromboembolic events, as determined by the investigator. * Baseline ophthalmic problems that may potentiate cataract development * Impaired cardiac function, such as: * Known prolonged QTc, with corrected QTc \>450 msec * Other clinically significant cardio-vascular disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, history of labile hypertension), * History of known structural abnormalities (e.g. cardiomyopathy). * History or current diagnosis of cardiac disease indicating significant risk of safety for patients participating in the study such as uncontrolled or significant cardiac disease, including any of the following: * Recent myocardial infarction (within last 6 months), * Uncontrolled congestive heart failure, * Unstable angina (within last 6 months), * Clinically significant (symptomatic) cardiac arrhythmias (e.g., sustained ventricular tachycardia, and clinically significant second or third degree AV block without a pacemaker.) * Long QT syndrome, family history of idiopathic sudden death, congenital long QT syndrome or additional risk factors for cardiac repolarization abnormality, as determined by the investigator. * Known immediate or delayed hypersensitivity reaction to eltrombopag or its excipient. * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or unwilling to practice birth control during participation in the study. Women of childbearing potential (have achieved menarche) must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test and agree to use basic methods of contraception (if sexually active) or maintain abstinence for the duration of the study. Basic contraception methods include: * Total abstinence (when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject. Periodic abstinence (e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, post-ovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception * Female sterilization (have had surgical bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy), total hysterectomy, or tubal ligation at least six weeks before taking study treatment. In case of oophorectomy alone, only when the reproductive status of the woman has been confirmed by follow up hormone level assessment * Male sterilization (at least 6 months prior to screening). The vasectomized male partner should be the sole partner for that subject * Barrier methods of contraception: Condom or Occlusive cap. For the UK: with spermicidal foam/gel/film/cream/ vaginal suppository * Use of oral, injected or implanted hormonal methods of contraception or placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS), or other forms of hormonal contraception that have comparable efficacy (failure rate \<1%), for example hormone vaginal ring or transdermal hormone contraception. In case of use of oral contraception women should have been stable on the same pill for a minimum of 3 months before taking study treatment. * Male patients who are sexually active and do not agree to abstinence or to use a condom during intercourse while taking eltrombopag, and for 7 days after stopping treatment. * History of alcohol/drug abuse * Presence of a medical condition that in the opinion of the Investigator would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data. * Concurrent participation in an investigational study within 30 days prior to enrollment or within 5-half-lives of the investigational product, whichever is longer. Note: parallel enrollment in a non-therapeutic trial such as disease registry or biology study is permitted. Other Eligibility Criteria Considerations All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent (and assent when applicable) * Patients and/or parents who are unable to read at a grade 2 level will be excluded from the patient-reported outcome component of the study, as will non-English speaking patients and/or parents when there is no availability of translated versions in their spoken language . They will not be excluded from all other aspects of the study

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion of Patients With a Platelet Response12 weeksTo determine if the percentage of patients with a platelet response is significantly greater in patients with newly diagnosed ITP treated with eltrombopag than those treated with standard first-line treatments

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Cumulative Number of Rescue Therapies Required12 weeksThe percentage of patients who received rescue therapy in the experimental (eltrombopag) arm vs the comparator (standard therapy) arm during the first 12 weeks of treatment
Bleeding Score1 yearPoor bleeding score (binary) at 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment defined as World Health Organization (WHO) Bleeding Scale ≥ 2 or Modified Buchanan Scale ≥ 3
Platelet Response Among Patients Requiring Rescue Therapy During Weeks 1-2 of Study12 weeksPlatelet response (binary), defined as ≥ 3 of 4 weeks with platelets \>50 x109/L during weeks 6-12 of therapy, but patient required a rescue treatment during weeks 1-2 of study.
Need for Treatment6 monthsNo further need for treatment (binary) after 12 weeks or 6 months of study
Treatment Response1 yearTreatment response (binary endpoints) at 1 year defined as: * CR is defined as platelet count \>/= 150 x 10\^9/L * Primary Remission at 1 year is defined as CR at 1 year with no second-line agents required and \>/= 3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication * Disease resolution at 1 year is defined as complete response (CR) at 1 year \>/= 3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication. May have received a second-line therapy, excluding rituximab or splenectomy. * Disease stability at 1 year is defined as platelets \>/= 50 x 10\^9/L but \<150 x 10\^9/L \>/= 3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication.
Number of 2nd Line Therapies52 weeksNumber of 2nd-line therapies in weeks 13-52
Regulatory T-Cells1 yearAbsolute change in percentage of CD4+25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells from baseline at 12 weeks and 1 year
KIT Scores1 yearChange in parent proxy-reported Kids ITP tool (KIT) overall scores from baseline at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment
Hockenberry Fatigue Scale-Parent1 yearTotal scale intensity ratings (continuous) from the Hockenberry Fatigue Scale-Parent (FS-P) at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year
Blood Iron Values1 yearSerum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and hemoglobin at 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after study enrollment
Safety Evaluations1 yearSafety evaluations as defined by: * Abnormal liver function tests (LFTs): ALT ≥ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN) in patients with normal baseline ALT ≥ 3 x baseline or ≥ 5 x ULN (whichever is lower) in patients with abnormal baseline ALT ≥ 3 x ULN AND bilirubin ≥ 1.5 x ULN (\>35% direct) * Incidence of adverse events * Incidence of serious adverse events

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to Platelet Count1 yearTime to platelet count \>100x10\^9/L and absence of bleeding (IWG definition)
Treatment Response1 yearTreatment response (platelet count \>100x10\^9/L and absence of bleeding) (IWG definition) at 12 weeks
Loss of Treatment Response1 yearLoss of treatment response (platelet count below 30x10\^9/L, or less than 2-fold increase in the baseline count or bleeding) (IWG definition) at any time during the study period after achieving response during the first 12 weeks
Extreme Thrombocytosis1 yearExtreme thrombocytosis (platelets \>1 x10\^12/L)
Patient-reported Outcomes Endpoints1 yearChange in child self-reported and parent impact KIT scores from baseline at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment
Change in Hockenberry Fatigue1 yearChange in Hockenberry fatigue (FS-C, FS-A, FS-P) scores from baseline at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment
Global Change Scale Scores1 yearGlobal Change Scale scores at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment
Number of Hospitalizations1 yearNumber of hospitalizations
Platelet-specific Endpoints1 yearTreatment response (platelets \>30x10\^9/L, and at least 2-fold increase in the baseline count and absence of bleeding) (IWG definition) at 12 weeks
Time to Response1 yearTime to response (platelets \>30x10\^9/L, and at least 2-fold increase in the baseline count and absence of bleeding) (IWG definition)

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Experimental: Eltrombopag
Patients ages 1 to \<18 years with newly diagnosed primary ITP, platelets \<30 x 10\^9/L, requiring pharmacological treatment, but without severe bleeding or need for rapid rise in counts, randomized to receive the experimental therapy (eltrombopag).
78
Comparator: Standard Therapy
Patients ages 1 to \<18 years with newly diagnosed primary ITP, platelets \<30 x 10\^9/L, requiring pharmacological treatment, but without severe bleeding or need for rapid rise in counts, randomized to receive standard therapy (investigator choice of glucocorticoids, IVIg, anti-D immunoglobulin).
40
Total118

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall Studypatient retrospectively deemed ineligible (Day 0 plt ct >30 x 10^9/L)11
Overall Studypatient retrospectively deemed ineligible (did not have primary ITP)20

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicComparator: Standard TherapyTotalExperimental: Eltrombopag
Age, Continuous8.7 years8.2 years7.9 years
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
11 Participants26 Participants15 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
27 Participants83 Participants56 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
2 Participants9 Participants7 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
3 Participants6 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
3 Participants7 Participants4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
1 Participants4 Participants3 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
7 Participants16 Participants9 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
26 Participants85 Participants59 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
18 Participants60 Participants42 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
22 Participants58 Participants36 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 780 / 39
other
Total, other adverse events
8 / 783 / 39
serious
Total, serious adverse events
6 / 783 / 39

Outcome results

Primary

Proportion of Patients With a Platelet Response

To determine if the percentage of patients with a platelet response is significantly greater in patients with newly diagnosed ITP treated with eltrombopag than those treated with standard first-line treatments

Time frame: 12 weeks

Population: This study included 118 pediatric patients (median age 8y, 49% male), 78 randomized to eltrombopag and 40 to standard therapy.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Experimental: EltrombopagProportion of Patients With a Platelet Response52 Participants
Comparator: Standard TherapyProportion of Patients With a Platelet Response14 Participants
Secondary

Bleeding Score

Poor bleeding score (binary) at 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment defined as World Health Organization (WHO) Bleeding Scale ≥ 2 or Modified Buchanan Scale ≥ 3

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary

Blood Iron Values

Serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, ferritin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and hemoglobin at 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after study enrollment

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary

Cumulative Number of Rescue Therapies Required

The percentage of patients who received rescue therapy in the experimental (eltrombopag) arm vs the comparator (standard therapy) arm during the first 12 weeks of treatment

Time frame: 12 weeks

Population: Patients who received \>/= 1 dose of protocol-directed therapy were evaluable for secondary objectives.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Experimental: EltrombopagCumulative Number of Rescue Therapies Required13 Participants
Comparator: Standard TherapyCumulative Number of Rescue Therapies Required15 Participants
Secondary

Hockenberry Fatigue Scale-Parent

Total scale intensity ratings (continuous) from the Hockenberry Fatigue Scale-Parent (FS-P) at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary

KIT Scores

Change in parent proxy-reported Kids ITP tool (KIT) overall scores from baseline at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary

Need for Treatment

No further need for treatment (binary) after 12 weeks or 6 months of study

Time frame: 6 months

Secondary

Number of 2nd Line Therapies

Number of 2nd-line therapies in weeks 13-52

Time frame: 52 weeks

Secondary

Platelet Response Among Patients Requiring Rescue Therapy During Weeks 1-2 of Study

Platelet response (binary), defined as ≥ 3 of 4 weeks with platelets \>50 x109/L during weeks 6-12 of therapy, but patient required a rescue treatment during weeks 1-2 of study.

Time frame: 12 weeks

Population: patient required a rescue treatment during weeks 1-2 of study.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Experimental: EltrombopagPlatelet Response Among Patients Requiring Rescue Therapy During Weeks 1-2 of Study4 Participants
Comparator: Standard TherapyPlatelet Response Among Patients Requiring Rescue Therapy During Weeks 1-2 of Study0 Participants
Secondary

Regulatory T-Cells

Absolute change in percentage of CD4+25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells from baseline at 12 weeks and 1 year

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary

Safety Evaluations

Safety evaluations as defined by: * Abnormal liver function tests (LFTs): ALT ≥ 3 x upper limit of normal (ULN) in patients with normal baseline ALT ≥ 3 x baseline or ≥ 5 x ULN (whichever is lower) in patients with abnormal baseline ALT ≥ 3 x ULN AND bilirubin ≥ 1.5 x ULN (\>35% direct) * Incidence of adverse events * Incidence of serious adverse events

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary

Treatment Response

Treatment response (binary endpoints) at 1 year defined as: * CR is defined as platelet count \>/= 150 x 10\^9/L * Primary Remission at 1 year is defined as CR at 1 year with no second-line agents required and \>/= 3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication * Disease resolution at 1 year is defined as complete response (CR) at 1 year \>/= 3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication. May have received a second-line therapy, excluding rituximab or splenectomy. * Disease stability at 1 year is defined as platelets \>/= 50 x 10\^9/L but \<150 x 10\^9/L \>/= 3 months after discontinuing most recent platelet active medication.

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Change in Hockenberry Fatigue

Change in Hockenberry fatigue (FS-C, FS-A, FS-P) scores from baseline at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Extreme Thrombocytosis

Extreme thrombocytosis (platelets \>1 x10\^12/L)

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Global Change Scale Scores

Global Change Scale scores at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Loss of Treatment Response

Loss of treatment response (platelet count below 30x10\^9/L, or less than 2-fold increase in the baseline count or bleeding) (IWG definition) at any time during the study period after achieving response during the first 12 weeks

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Number of Hospitalizations

Number of hospitalizations

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Patient-reported Outcomes Endpoints

Change in child self-reported and parent impact KIT scores from baseline at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year after study enrollment

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Platelet-specific Endpoints

Treatment response (platelets \>30x10\^9/L, and at least 2-fold increase in the baseline count and absence of bleeding) (IWG definition) at 12 weeks

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Time to Platelet Count

Time to platelet count \>100x10\^9/L and absence of bleeding (IWG definition)

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Time to Response

Time to response (platelets \>30x10\^9/L, and at least 2-fold increase in the baseline count and absence of bleeding) (IWG definition)

Time frame: 1 year

Other Pre-specified

Treatment Response

Treatment response (platelet count \>100x10\^9/L and absence of bleeding) (IWG definition) at 12 weeks

Time frame: 1 year

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 20, 2026