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Checkpoint Blockade in COVID-19 Pandemic

A Randomized, Controlled, Open-Label, Phase II Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Tocilizumab Combined With Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Pneumonia

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04335305
Acronym
COPERNICO
Enrollment
12
Registered
2020-04-06
Start date
2020-04-09
Completion date
2021-06-21
Last updated
2022-06-21

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

Conditions

COVID-19, Pneumonia, Viral

Brief summary

This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, phase 2 clinical trial

Detailed description

The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy -as determined by the proportion of patients with normalization of SpO2 ≥96% on room air- of continued standard care together with tocilizumab plus pembrolizumab (MK- 3475) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

Interventions

DRUGTocilizumab

IV infusion over 60 minutes; 8 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 800 mg per dose); single dose

IV infusion over 30 minutes, 200 mg; single dose

Sponsors

MedSIR
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Informed consent form (ICF) prior to participation in any study-related activities. Note: If no written ICF can be provided by the trial participant, consent could be given either orally in the presence of an impartial witness or from the legal representative in accordance with national and local patient regulations. 2. Male or non-pregnant female patients ≥ 18 years and ≤ 80 years at the time of ICF. 3. Laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infection defined with a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from any specimen and/or detection of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG antibodies. 4. Diagnostic confirmation of pneumonia by either chest X-ray or thoracic CT scan (preferable). 5. Patient with acute respiratory syndrome related to COVID-19. 6. Patients with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≤ 3 at the time of ICF. 7. Patients with total lymphocyte count ≤0,8 x106/mL. 8. Patients who are showing SpO2 ≤ 92% on room air (measured without any respiratory support for at least 15 minutes). Note: For patients on prior tocilizumab-containing regimen, SpO2 ≤ 94% on room air is sufficient criterion for their eligibility. 9. Patients who meet at least one of the following parameters: • Increased levels of ferritin; * Increased levels of IL-6; * Increased levels of D-dimer; * Increased levels of CRP; * Increased levels of LDH; * Increased levels of ESR; * For patients on prior tocilizumab-containing regimen for COVID-19, no objective clinical improvement at physician's discretion within 48 hours after treatment initiation. 10. Life expectancy greater than 10 days. 11. Willing to take study medication and to comply with all study procedures. 12. In women of childbearing potential, negative pregnancy test and commitment to use contraceptive method throughout the study.

Exclusion criteria

1. Participation in any other clinical trial of an experimental treatment for COVID-19. 2. Concurrent treatment with other agents with actual or possible direct acting antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 is prohibited \< 24 hours prior to study drug dosing, except the commonly used antiviral drugs and/or chloroquine and/or tocilizumab. 3. Requiring endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at screening. 4. Patients being treated with immunomodulators or anti-rejection drugs. 5. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> 5 x upper limit of normal (ULN). 6. Creatinine clearance \< 50 mL/min. 7. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or end-stage lung disease that require home oxygen therapy. 8. Known hypersensitivity to recombinant proteins, or any excipient contained in the drug formulation of study pembrolizumab and tocilizumab. 9. Treatment with high doses of systemic corticosteroids within 72 hours prior obtaining consent except for inhaled steroids and prior corticosteroid therapy at dose lower than or equal to 10 mg/day methylprednisolone equivalent. 10. Bowel diverticulitis or perforation. 11. Diagnosis of immunodeficiency receiving immunosuppressive therapy within seven days prior to study treatment initiation. Active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in past 2 years (i.e., with use of disease modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs). 12. Current known infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Patients with past HBV infection or resolved HBV infection (defined as having a negative hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\] test and a positive hepatitis B core antibody \[HBcAb\] test, accompanied by a negative HBV DNA test) are eligible. Patients positive for HCV antibody are eligible only if PCR test is negative for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA). 13. Vaccination with any live virus vaccine within 28 days prior to study treatment initiation. Note: Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox/zoster, yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., FluMist®) are live-attenuated vaccines and are not allowed. 14. History of prior allogeneic bone marrow, stem-cell, or solid organ transplantation. 15. Patients have any other concurrent severe medical condition that would, in the Investigator's judgment contraindicate patient participation in the clinical study. 16. Pregnant women, lactating women and planned pregnant women.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of patients with normalization of SpO2 ≥96% on room air (measured without any respiratory support for at least 15 minutesthrough day 14 after study treatment initiationAssessed by hospital records

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion of patients discharged from the emergency department and classified as low riskthrough End of Study, defined as 90 ± 14 days after study entryAssessed by hospital records
Number of days of patient hospitalizationthrough End of Study, defined as 90 ± 14 days after study entryAssessed by hospital records
Change from baseline in organ failure parametersDays 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 (+/- 1 day) and 28 (+/- 2 days) or until discharge whatever it comes first.The clinical status will be assessed by the SOFA scores
Proportion of mortality ratethrough End of Study, defined as 90 ± 14 days after study entryDetermined as percentage of dead patients
Analysis of the remission of respiratory symptomsthrough End of Study, defined as 90 ± 14 days after study entryDetermined as: * Time to invasive mechanical ventilation (if not previously initiated); * Time to independence from non-invasive mechanical ventilation; * Time to independence from oxygen therapy.
Evaluation of the radiological responseat days 1 and 28 (+/- 2 days)by using the same imaging technique (chest X-ray or thoracic CT scan)
Time to first negative in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RT-PCR testwithin 28 days from study inclusiondetermined using oropharyngeal or anal swabs
Change from baseline of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC),white blood cell count and white blood cell differential countdays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of hemoglobindays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of plateletsdays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of creatininedays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of glucosedays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of total bilirubindays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Change from baseline of albumindays 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 28 after administration of study drugBaseline defined as the value collected at day 1, 2 hours before treatment administration
Incidence of adverse events (AEs), incidence of prespecified AEs (safety and tolerability)Up to End of Study, defined as 90 ± 14 days after study entryEvaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (CTCAE v.5.0), SOFA scores.

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

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