Effect of Allopurinol for Hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury on Neurocognitive Outcome

NCT ID: NCT03162653

Last Updated: 2023-07-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

760 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-03-25

Study Completion Date

2026-01-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of death or long-term disability in infants born at term in the western world, affecting about 1-4 per 1.000 life births and consequently about 5-20.000 infants per year in Europe.

Hypothermic treatment became the only established therapy to improve outcome after perinatal hypoxic-ischemic insults. Despite hypothermia and neonatal intensive care, 45-50% of affected children die or suffer from long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. Additional neuroprotective interventions, beside hypothermia, are warranted to further improve their outcome.

Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and reduces the production of oxygen radicals and brain damage in experimental, animal, and early human studies of ischemia and reperfusion.

This project aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of allopurinol administered immediately after birth to near-term infants with HIE in addition to hypothermic treatment.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

During labour and childbirth various events (such as placental abruption, uterine rupture, umbilical cord complications etc.) may result in impaired oxygenation and/or perfusion of the newborn brain which may result in brain injury termed "hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy" (HIE). HIE is associated with development of long-term motor, cognitive, and neurosensory and memory disability and is one of the fundamental problems in perinatal medicine affecting about 5,000-20,000 infants/year in Europe (or 1-4/1000 live births in western societies) and approximately 1 million infants/year worldwide.

In term infants with perinatal asphyxia and postnatal HIE, brain injury predominantly originates in the immediate perinatal period (in contrast to a more distant prenatally acquired brain injury) as indicated by the lack of already established brain injury on early postnatal MRI. Consequently, brain injury in this population may potentially be ameliorated by postnatal pharmacological interventions.

The most common motor disability resulting from HIE is "cerebral palsy", the other major adverse outcome is cognitive disability, which prevents affected patients to lead their lives independently (without assistance and/or financial support).

The single major cause of HIE is a perinatal hypoxic/ischemic event (perinatal asphyxia). This hypoxic insult can cause immediate (necrosis) and delayed death (apoptosis) of (especially neuronal) cells, the latter responsible for a substantial amount of HIE-associated permanent brain damage. Whereas no intervention is known to prevent necrosis, the delayed cell death by apoptosis can be reduced by therapeutic interventions: Apoptosis is in part caused by secondary energy failure which can be reduced by hypothermic treatment.

Apoptosis is also caused by xanthine oxidase-mediated production of cytotoxic oxygen radicals during reperfusion, and there is evidence that allopurinol, a xanthine-oxidase inhibitor, reduces delayed cell death in animal models of perinatal asphyxia and ischemia/reperfusion.

Allopurinol prevents adenosine degradation, oxygen radical formation, preserves NMDA receptor integrity, and consequently may reduce brain injury in HIE by several mechanisms of action which are independent from the proven beneficial effect of hypothermic treatment on cellular energy metabolism. An additional beneficial (or even synergistic?) effect of allopurinol in addition to hypothermia can therefore be expected.

As no safety concerns were known at the start of this study regarding administration of even high doses of Allopurinol to neonates a phase III study was planned instead of a pilot study or an adaptive design. Close follow-up of MR-imaging along with reporting of all safety relevant data to a Data Monitoring Committee (which includes experts for brain imaging not otherwise involved in the study) ensures patients' safety.

Primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether newborns with asphyxia and early clinical signs of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy will benefit from early administered Allopurinol compared to placebo, both in addition to standard of care, regarding long-term follow-up such as severe neurodevelopmental impairment or death at two years.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Encephalopathy, Hypoxic-Ischemic Infant, Newborn, Diseases

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Allopurinol

Allopurinol, powder for injection (PFI), administered in two doses. First dose (20 mg/kg in 2ml/kg sterile water for injection) given as soon as intravenous access is established and no later than 30min postnatally and second dose (10mg/kg in 1ml/kg sterile water for injection) 12 hours thereafter. The second dose will only be administered to in infants on therapeutic hypothermia. Infants who recover quickly and do not qualify for and hence do not undergo hypothermia will not receive a second dose. Administration will be by continuous infusion using a syringe pump over 10min through secure venous access.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Allopurinol

Intervention Type DRUG

Allopurinol, powder for injection (PFI), administered in two doses. First dose (20 mg/kg in 2ml/kg sterile water for injection) given as soon as intravenous access is established and no later than 30min postnatally and second dose (10mg/kg in 1ml/kg sterile water for injection) 12 hours thereafter. The second dose will only be administered to in infants on therapeutic hypothermia. Infants who recover quickly and do not qualify for and hence do not undergo hypothermia will not receive a second dose. Administration will be by continuous infusion using a syringe pump over 10min through secure venous access.

Placebo

mannitol, powder for injection (PFI), administered in two doses. First dose (20 mg/kg in 2ml/kg sterile water for injection) given as soon as intravenous access is established and no later than 30min postnatally and second dose (10mg/kg in 1ml/kg sterile water for injection) 12 hours thereafter. The second dose will only be administered to in infants on therapeutic hypothermia. Infants who recover quickly and do not qualify for and hence do not undergo hypothermia will not receive a second dose. Administration will be by continuous infusion using a syringe pump over 10min through secure venous access.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Mannitol

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo (Mannitol, PFI, 20mg/kg in the same volume and at the same time intervals as the intervention group - (2nd dose 10mg/kg only if infant undergoes therapeutic hypothermia)).

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Allopurinol

Allopurinol, powder for injection (PFI), administered in two doses. First dose (20 mg/kg in 2ml/kg sterile water for injection) given as soon as intravenous access is established and no later than 30min postnatally and second dose (10mg/kg in 1ml/kg sterile water for injection) 12 hours thereafter. The second dose will only be administered to in infants on therapeutic hypothermia. Infants who recover quickly and do not qualify for and hence do not undergo hypothermia will not receive a second dose. Administration will be by continuous infusion using a syringe pump over 10min through secure venous access.

Intervention Type DRUG

Mannitol

Placebo (Mannitol, PFI, 20mg/kg in the same volume and at the same time intervals as the intervention group - (2nd dose 10mg/kg only if infant undergoes therapeutic hypothermia)).

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

Term and near-term infants with a history of disturbed labour who meet at least one criterion of perinatal acidosis (or ongoing resuscitation) and at least two early clinical signs of potentially evolving encephalopathy as defined herein:

Severe perinatal metabolic acidosis or ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation at 5 min after birth:

At least 1 out of the following 5 criteria must be met

* Umbilical (or arterial or reliable venous) blood gas within 30 min after birth with pH\<7.0
* Umbilical (or arterial or reliable venous) blood gas within 30 min after birth with base deficit ≥16 mmol/l
* Need for ongoing cardiac massage at/beyond 5 min postnatally
* Need for adrenalin administration during resuscitation
* APGAR score ≤5 at 10min AND

Early clinical signs of potentially evolving encephalopathy:

At least 2 out of the following 4 criteria must be met:

* Altered state of consciousness (reduced or absent response to stimulation or hyperexcitability)
* Severe muscular hypotonia or hypertonia,
* Absent or insufficient spontaneous respiration (e.g., gasping only) with need for respiratory support at 10 min postnatally
* Abnormal primitive reflexes (absent suck or gag or corneal or Moro reflex) or abnormal movements (e.g., potential clinical correlates of seizure activity)

Exclusion Criteria

* gestational age below 36 weeks
* birth weight below 2500 g
* postnatal age \>30min at the end of screening phase
* severe congenital malformation or syndrome requiring neonatal surgery or affecting long-term outcome
* patient considered "moribund" / "non-viable" (e.g., lack of spontaneous cardiac activity and ongoing chest compression at 30min)
* decision for "comfort care only" before study drug administration
* parents declined study participation as response to measures of community engagement
* both parents are insufficiently fluent in the study site's national language(s) or English or do not seem to have the intellectual capacity to understand the study procedures and to give consent as judged by the personnel who had been in contact with the mother/father before delivery.
* both parents/guardians less than 18 years of age, in case of single parent/guardian this one less than 18 years of age
Maximum Eligible Age

45 Minutes

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Technische Universität Dresden

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

UMC Utrecht

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

KU Leuven

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Vienna

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Fundación para la Investigación del Hospital Clínico de Valencia

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Universidade do Porto

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Oslo University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Università degli Studi di Udine

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Helsingin Ja Uudenmaan Sairaanhoitopiirin

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Helsinki

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Poznan University of Medical Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Tartu University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

ACE Pharmaceuticals BV

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University Hospital Tuebingen

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Axel Franz, Prof. Dr.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University Children's Hospital Tuebingen

Rüdiger Mario, Prof. Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University Children's Hospital Dresden

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Medizinische Universitaet Wien

Vienna, , Austria

Site Status RECRUITING

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Leuven, , Belgium

Site Status RECRUITING

Tartu Ulikool

Tartu, , Estonia

Site Status RECRUITING

Helsingin Ja Uudenmaan Sairaanhoitopiirin Kuntayhtymä

Helsinki, , Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

University Hospital Tübingen

Tübingen, , Germany

Site Status RECRUITING

Universita Degli Studi Di Udine

Udine, , Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht

Utrecht, , Netherlands

Site Status RECRUITING

Oslo Universitetssykehus Hf

Oslo, , Norway

Site Status RECRUITING

Uniwersytet Medyczny Im Karola Marcinkowskiego W Poznaniu

Poznan, , Poland

Site Status WITHDRAWN

Universidade Do Porto

Porto, , Portugal

Site Status WITHDRAWN

Para La Investigacion Del Hospital UniversitarioLa Fe De La Comunidad Valenciana

Valencia, , Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Universitaet Zuerich

Zurich, , Switzerland

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Austria Belgium Estonia Finland Germany Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Spain Switzerland

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Oldershausen Gabriele

Role: CONTACT

+49 7071 29-86176

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Katrin Klebermaß-Schrehof, Assoz. Prof.

Role: primary

Karel Allegaert, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Gunnar Naulaers, Prof. Dr.

Role: backup

Renata Poláčková, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Marjo Metsäranta, Dr.

Role: primary

Axel R Franz, MD

Role: primary

+49707129 ext. 0

Gabriele von Oldershausen

Role: backup

+49707129 ext. 0

Isabella Mauro, MD

Role: primary

Manon Benders, Prof. MD PhD

Role: primary

Tom Stiris, Prof. MD PhD

Role: primary

Maximo Vento, Prof. MD PhD

Role: primary

Dirk Bassler, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Maiwald CA, Annink KV, Rudiger M, Benders MJNL, van Bel F, Allegaert K, Naulaers G, Bassler D, Klebermass-Schrehof K, Vento M, Guimaraes H, Stiris T, Cattarossi L, Metsaranta M, Vanhatalo S, Mazela J, Metsvaht T, Jacobs Y, Franz AR; ALBINO Study Group. Effect of allopurinol in addition to hypothermia treatment in neonates for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on neurocognitive outcome (ALBINO): study protocol of a blinded randomized placebo-controlled parallel group multicenter trial for superiority (phase III). BMC Pediatr. 2019 Jun 27;19(1):210. doi: 10.1186/s12887-019-1566-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31248390 (View on PubMed)

Annink KV, Franz AR, Derks JB, Rudiger M, Bel FV, Benders MJNL. Allopurinol: Old Drug, New Indication in Neonates? Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23(38):5935-5942. doi: 10.2174/1381612823666170918123307.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28925896 (View on PubMed)

Deferm N, Annink KV, Faelens R, Schroth M, Maiwald CA, Bakkali LE, van Bel F, Benders MJNL, van Weissenbruch MM, Hagen A, Smits A, Annaert P, Franz AR, Allegaert K; ALBINO Study Group. Glomerular Filtration Rate in Asphyxiated Neonates Under Therapeutic Whole-Body Hypothermia, Quantified by Mannitol Clearance. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2021 Jul;60(7):897-906. doi: 10.1007/s40262-021-00991-6. Epub 2021 Feb 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33611729 (View on PubMed)

Engel C, Rudiger M, Benders MJNL, van Bel F, Allegaert K, Naulaers G, Bassler D, Klebermass-Schrehof K, Vento M, Vilan A, Falck M, Mauro I, Metsaranta M, Vanhatalo S, Mazela J, Metsvaht T, van der Vlught R, Franz AR; ALBINO Study Group. Detailed statistical analysis plan for ALBINO: effect of Allopurinol in addition to hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury on Neurocognitive Outcome - a blinded randomized placebo-controlled parallel group multicenter trial for superiority (phase III). Trials. 2024 Jan 24;25(1):81. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07828-6.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38267942 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

http://www.albino-study.eu

official study homepage

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2016-000222-19

Identifier Type: EUDRACT_NUMBER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

ALBINO

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Erythropoietin in HIE Neonate
NCT06590155 NOT_YET_RECRUITING EARLY_PHASE1