Effect of Albendazole Dose on Treatment of Lymphatic Filariasis

NCT ID: NCT00511004

Last Updated: 2015-08-31

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2007-07-31
• Study Completion Date: 2014-02-28

Brief Summary

This study is conducted in Kerala, India. It will determine whether a new treatment regimen of albendazole and diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for lymphatic filariasis can eliminate the disease more quickly than the standard regimen. Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with very small parasitic worms that are spread by mosquitoes. The disease can cause swelling of the arms, legs, breast and scrotum and can progress to permanent swelling of the legs or arms called elephantiasis. The study will see if a higher and more frequent dose of albendazole is better at clearing filarial worms from the blood than the current treatment.

Healthy people between 18 and 55 years of age who are in good health and who are infected with filarial worms may be eligible for this study.

Participants undergo the following procedures:

3-day hospital stay at the Filariasis Chemotherapy Unit of the T.D. Medical College Hospital in Kerala, India

• Random assignment to receive either: 400 mg albendazole and DEC 300 mg given once a year for 2 years (standard treatment); or 800 mg albendazole and DEC 300 mg given once a year for 2 years; or 800 mg albendazole and DEC 300 mg given twice a year for 2 years.
• Urine pregnancy test for women of childbearing age .
• Ultrasound test to look for filarial worms.
• Treatment dose.
• Monitoring for symptoms

6-month 3-day hospital stay

• Medical history, physical examination and blood test.
• Repeat ultrasound in subjects whose first ultrasound detected adult worms.
• Treatment dose for subjects receiving medicine every 6 months.
• Urine pregnancy test for women of childbearing age.

1-year 3-day hospital stay

• Medical history, physical examination and blood test.
• Treatment dose.
• Repeat ultrasound in subjects whose first ultrasound detected adult worms.
• Urine pregnancy test for women of childbearing age.

18-month 3-day hospital stay

• Medical history, physical examination and blood test.
• Treatment dose for subjects receiving medicine every 6 months.
• Urine pregnancy test for women of childbearing age.

24-month 3-day hospital stay

• Medical history, physical examination and blood test.
• Treatment dose.
• Repeat ultrasound in subjects whose first ultrasound detected adult worms.
• Urine pregnancy test for women of childbearing age.

Detailed Description

Albendazole and diethylcarbamazine (DEC) are currently used in combination for annual mass treatment of lymphatic filariasis in all parts of the world except Africa. Although the drugs have been donated, the cost of such programs is very high and has proven to be a major impediment to the success of programs in many countries with limited financial resources. Data from albendazole treatment of other filarial infections and one study comparing single to multi-dose DEC/albendazole in lymphatic filariasis suggest that increased dose and/or frequency of albendazole dosing may be more effective in clearing microfilariae. In this study, 75 volunteers with microfilaremic Brugia malayi infection will be randomized to receive standard annual therapy (albendazole 400 mg + DEC 300 mg), annual therapy with increased dosing of albendazole (albendazole 800 mg + DEC 300 mg), or semiannual therapy with an increased albendazole dose (albendazole 800 mg + DEC 300 mg). Microfilarial levels will be followed every 6 months for 2 years to determine whether the higher dose, and/or the more frequent regimen, is more effective.

Conditions

Lymphatic Filariasis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Diethylcarbamazine/Albendazole -STD

Standard therapy of DEC (300mg) and albendazole (400mg) yearly

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Albendazole

Intervention Type: DRUG

Comparing 400 mg to 800 mg dose

Diethylcarbamazine

Intervention Type: DRUG

Providing diethylcarbamazine more frequently in combination with albendazole

Diethylcarbamazine/Albendazole- HD1

High dose of DEC (300mg) and albendazole (800mg) yearly

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Albendazole

Intervention Type: DRUG

Comparing 400 mg to 800 mg dose

Diethylcarbamazine

Intervention Type: DRUG

Providing diethylcarbamazine more frequently in combination with albendazole

Diethylcarbamazine/Albendazole-HD2

High dose of DEC (300mg) and albendazole (800mg) twice yearly (every 6 months)

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Albendazole

Intervention Type: DRUG

Comparing 400 mg to 800 mg dose

Diethylcarbamazine

Intervention Type: DRUG

Providing diethylcarbamazine more frequently in combination with albendazole

Interventions

Albendazole

Comparing 400 mg to 800 mg dose

Intervention Type: DRUG

Diethylcarbamazine

Providing diethylcarbamazine more frequently in combination with albendazole

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Zentel; Banocide

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18 years to 55 years inclusive
• Both genders
• Not pregnant or breastfeeding by history
• If selected, subjects must be willing to spend 3 days on the Filariasis Chemotherapy Unit at the T.D. Medical College Hospital, Alleppey, Kerala, India
• If selected, subjects must be willing to undergo nighttime blood draws once every 6 months and Doppler ultrasound twice yearly for 2 years
• If selected, agree to have blood stored for future studies
• Ability to understand and give informed consent

• Age 18 to 55 years inclusive
• Men and non-pregnant or non-breast feeding women
• Microfilarial levels greater than 50mf/mL
• Willingness to spend 3 days on the Filariasis Chemotherapy Unit at the T.D. Medical College Hospital, Alleppey, Kerala, India every 6 months for 2 years
• Willingness to undergo nighttime blood draws once every 6 months for 2 years
• Ability to understand and give informed consent
• Hemaglobin (Hgb) levels for inclusion greater than 9 g/dL
• Creatinine (Cr) less than or equal to 1.2 mg/dL
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) less than 30 U/L
• Willingness to have blood stored for future studies

Exclusion Criteria

• Age less than 18 years or greater than 55 years
• Pregnant or breast feeding by history

• Non-volunteers
• Age less than 18 years or greater than 55 years
• Pregnant or breast feeding
• Hgb levels less than or equal to 9 g/dL
• Cr greater than 1.3 mg/dL
• ALT greater than 30 U/L
• Alcohol consumption of more than 2 beers or other alcohol-containing drinks/day within a week of each drug administration
• Temperature greater than 37.5 degrees Celsius
• Serious medical illness
• History of benzimidazole allergy
• History of DEC allergy
• Use of albendazole or DEC within past 6 months
• Unwillingness to comply with required study visits

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 55 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Thomas B Nutman, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Locations

Filariasis Chemotherapy Unit (FCU), T.D. Medical Hospital

Alleppey, Kerala, , India

Countries

India

References

Edwards G, Awadzi K, Breckenridge AM, Gilles HM, Orme ML, Ward SA. Diethylcarbamazine disposition in patients with onchocerciasis. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1981 Oct;30(4):551-7. doi: 10.1038/clpt.1981.202.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 7285488 (View on PubMed)

Taylor HR, Greene BM. Ocular changes with oral and transepidermal diethylcarbamazine therapy of onchocerciasis. Br J Ophthalmol. 1981 Jul;65(7):494-502. doi: 10.1136/bjo.65.7.494.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 7020746 (View on PubMed)

Partono F, Purnomo, Oemijati S, Soewarta A. The long term effects of repeated diethylcarbamazine administration with special reference to microfilaraemia and elephantiasis. Acta Trop. 1981 Sep;38(3):217-25.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 6118029 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

07-I-N197

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

999907197

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id