Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS)
Conditions
Keywords
dry eye, Oral Dryness and Saliva Altered, Eular Sjögren Syndrome Disease Activity index, Primary Sjögrens's syndrome
Brief summary
There are no approved treatments for pSS and the clinical endpoints currently used in clinical trials are inadequate to capture all aspects of the disease that should be evaluated in clinical trials. The newly developed composite endpoint: Sjögren's Tool for Assessing Response to treatment (STAR) will allow a more specific and meaningful assessment of treatment efficacy in pSS. Because of the heterogeneity of the disease and of the central role of the interplay between B- and T-cells in the pathogenesis, it is worth to evaluate combination of conventional synthetic immunomodulatory drugs targeting both B- and T-cells.
Detailed description
Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a female-to-male predominance of 9:1 and a peak incidence at 50 years of age. It is characterized by chronic inflammation and subsequent destruction of exocrine glands, mainly lacrimal and salivary glands, with ocular and oral dryness. Patients also experience joint pain and extreme fatigue. In 20-40% of patients, the inflammatory process extends beyond the exocrine glands and patients experience systemic extra glandular manifestations, with 5-10% developing B-cell lymphoma. Two populations of pSS patients can be defined. Patients with dryness, fatigue, pain and low systemic activity present no or limited long-term extraglandular damage but they have a profoundly reduced quality of life with marked anxiety, depression, and social isolation (Rischmueller 2016)(Meijer, 2009). Patients with high systemic activity have important long-term damage and bad prognosis. To date, there are no approved disease-modifying treatments. Current clinical outcome assessment (COA) tools in pSS have shown important weaknesses (e.g. high placebo response rate) which may hamper demonstration of therapeutic benefit. A novel COA called STAR has recently been developed by the NECESSITY consortium (funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative) and should allow the identification of new therapeutic options for both patient populations. the investigator aim to demonstrate, thanks to the new STAR outcome measure, efficacy of a combination therapy targeting both B- and T-cells in pSS patients.
Interventions
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a 4-aminoquinoline belonging to the group of antimalarial agents. Its immunomodulatory activity on B-cells has mainly been attributed to its inhibition of antigen presentation, cytokine production, and recently on Toll-like receptor signaling and IFN secretion that drives B cell activation.
Leflunomide (LEF) is a derivative of isoxazole and is converted into an active metabolite which blocks de novo synthesis of pyrimidines in activated T lymphocytes, thereby inhibiting T cell proliferation and consequently T cell-dependent B cell formation of autoantibodies.
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a morpholinoethyl ester of mycophenolic acid which blocks proliferation of lymphocytes by inhibiting the de novo pathway of purine biosynthesis (Allison, 2000).
Placebo of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a 4-aminoquinoline belonging to the group of antimalarial agents. Its immunomodulatory activity on B-cells has mainly been attributed to its inhibition of antigen presentation, cytokine production, and recently on Toll-like receptor signaling and IFN secretion that drives B cell activation.
Placebo of Leflunomide (LEF) is a derivative of isoxazole and is converted into an active metabolite which blocks de novo synthesis of pyrimidines in activated T lymphocytes, thereby inhibiting T cell proliferation
Placebo of Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a morpholinoethyl ester of mycophenolic acid which blocks proliferation of lymphocytes by inhibiting the de novo pathway of purine biosynthesis (Allison, 2000).
Sponsors
Study design
Intervention model description
Multi-center, prospective, randomized, double blinded
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* Cohort 1 * Having given written informed consent prior to undertaking any study-related procedures. * Patients with pSS according to ACR/EULAR 2016 criteria or AECG 2002 criteria * With a high level of symptoms (ESSPRI ≥ 5) and low systemic disease activity (ESSDAI \< 5). * Negative pregnancy test (serum at screening) * Use highly reliable contraception during research treatment from the screening and for two years after stopping treatment. * Cohort 2 * Having given written informed consent prior to undertaking any study-related procedures. * Patients with pSS according to ACR/EULAR 2016 criteria or AECG 2002 criteria * With moderate/high systemic disease activity, as defined by ESSDAI ≥ 5. * Negative pregnancy test (serum at screening) * Use highly reliable contraception during research treatment from the screening and for two years after stopping treatment
Exclusion criteria
* For both cohorts: * Age \< 18 years * Pregnant or breastfeeding women or women wanted to conceive either during or within two years after the end of the treatment period * Women of childbearing potential not using highly effective methods of contraception (as defined in section 6.3) * Participation in another interventional trial * Contra-indication to HCQ: pre-existing retinopathy, hypersensitivity to HCQ or to any of the excipients of the specialty used * Contra-indication to MMF: hypersensitivity to mycophenolate mofetil, acid mycophenolic, mycophenolate sodium or to any of the excipients of the specialty used * Contra-indication tor LEF: hypersensitivity to the active substance, the main active metabolite teriflunomide or to any excipients of the specialty used. * Concomitant treatment with corticosteroids more than 10 mg/day of prednisone equivalent at screening or inclusion (randomisation) * Concomitant treatment with other immunomodulators including methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine and tacrolimus * Previous treatment with HCQ, LEF, MMF in the last 3 months * Previous treatment with rituximab, other B-cell targeted biologic therapy or cyclophosphamide in the last 6 months * Previous treatment with anti-TNF, abatacept, tocilizumab or belimumab or any other biologic in the setting of a past clinical trial in the last 3 months * Severe life-threatening systemic involvement requiring cyclophosphamide or high dose corticosteroids, or any drug considered as an
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Cohort 1. Proportion of patients achieving a response according to preliminary STAR at week 24 between each active treatment arm and placebo arm. | During the 24 weeks of the trials |
| Cohort 2. Proportion of patients achieving a response according to preliminary STAR at week 24 between each active treatment arm and placebo arm. | During the 24 weeks of the trials |
Countries
France