Belatacept Pilot Study in Lung Transplantation Immunosuppression in Lung Transplantation

NCT ID: NCT03388008

Last Updated: 2022-11-25

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

27 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-12-17

Study Completion Date

2022-08-31

Brief Summary

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This is a pilot randomized controlled trial examining the feasibility of conducting a large scale randomized controlled trial of belatacept-based immunosuppression in lung transplantation. This pilot study will enroll 40 lung transplant recipients and randomize them to belatacept-based immunosuppression or standard of care. The primary endpoint of the study is the development of donor-specific HLA antibodies after transplantation. All study participants will be followed for a minimum of 12 months after transplantation.

Detailed Description

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Lung transplantation is the ultimate treatment for patients with advanced lung disease. However, long-term outcomes remain disappointing and the median survival after transplantation is approximately 5.5 years. Beyond the first year after transplantation, chronic lung allograft dysfunction is the leading cause of death. The exact mechanisms that lead to chronic lung allograft dysfunction are unclear, but the development of donor-specific HLA antibodies is an independent risk factor. In fact, studies have consistently identified the development of donor-specific HLA antibodies as a significant and independent risk factor for chronic lung allograft dysfunction and mortality after transplantation.

Belatacept is a CTLA4-Ig fusion protein that binds CD80 and CD86 thereby blocking CD28 co-stimulatory signals. Belatacept has been extensively studied in kidney transplantation. In a long-term study, patients treated with Belatacept had better survival than those treated with Cyclosporine. Importantly, Belatacept-treated patients were significantly less likely to develop donor-specific HLA antibodies than Cyclosporine-treated patients. Nonetheless, Belatacept has not been formally evaluated after lung transplantation. The investigators hypothesize that Belatacept-based immunosuppression would result in a lower incidence of donor-specific HLA antibodies and that this would result in better chronic lung allograft dysfunction-free survival after transplantation. Before conducting a large scale randomized controlled trial to test this hypothesis, the investigators plan to conduct the current pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the feasibility of conducting the large scale randomized controlled trial.

The investigators plan to enroll and randomize 40 lung transplant recipients at 2 sites. All recipients will be treated with anti-thymocyte globulin for induction immunosuppression. Those randomized to standard of care immunosuppression will be treated with Tacrolimus, Mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone. Those randomized to Belatacept-based immunosuppression will be treated with Belatacept, Tacrolimus, and prednisone for the first 89 days; on day 90, Mycophenolate mofetil will be substituted for Tacrolimus and patients will be continued on Belatacept, Mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone for the remainder of year 1 after transplantation.

Patients in both groups will be monitored closely for episodes of acute cellular rejection, lymphocytic bronchiolitis, and antibody-mediated rejection with surveillance bronchoscopy and transbronchial lung biopsies on days 28, 84, 112, 168, 252, and 365 (± 7 days) as part of the sites' routine clinical protocols. In addition, patients will be monitored for the development of donor-specific HLA antibodies with routine blood tests on on days 10 (± 3 days), 28, 56, 84, 112, 168, 252, and 365 (± 7 days).

The primary endpoint of the study is a composite of the development of donor-specific HLA antibodies, re-transplantation, and death. Secondary endpoints include acute cellular rejection, lymphocytic bronchiolitis, antibody-mediated rejection, chronic lung allograft dysfunction, survival, cytomegalovirus infection, bacterial infection, community-acquired respiratory viral infection, chronic kidney disease stage 3, malignancy, hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.

Conditions

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Lung Transplant Rejection Antibody-mediated Rejection

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Study participants will be randomized to 1 of 2 arms: Belatacept-based immunosuppression or standard of care immunosuppression
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
Investigators examining lung biopsy results and blood for the development of donor-specific HLA antibodies will be blinded to study participants' treatment arm assignment.

Study Groups

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Standard of care

Tacrolimus + Mycophenolate mofetil + prednisone from day 0 through day 365

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Tacrolimus

Intervention Type DRUG

Tacrolimus will be dosed enterally or sublingually within 48 hours of transplantation and the dose will be adjusted to target a trough blood level of 8-15 ng/ml

ATG

Intervention Type DRUG

Anti-thymocyte globulin will be dosed intravenously at 3 mg/kg divided into 3 daily doses starting on day 0 after transplantation

Mycophenolate Mofetil

Intervention Type DRUG

Mycophenolate mofetil will be dosed at 1000 mg twice daily (or if the enteric coated formulation is used, this will be dosed at 720 mg twice daily. In the standard of care arm, mycophenolate mofetil will be initiated on day 0 after transplantation, whereas in the belatacept-based immunosuppression arm, mycophenolate mofetil will be initiated on day 90 after transplantation

Methylprednisolone

Intervention Type DRUG

Methylprednisolone 500 mg will be given intravenously before perfusion of the allograft during the transplant procedure, then methylprednisolone 0.5 mg/kg will be given intravenously twice daily for 6 total doses

Prednisone

Intervention Type DRUG

Prednisone will be dosed at 0.5 mg/kg orally daily through day 14, then 0.2 mg/kg orally daily through day 30, then 0.1 mg/kg daily through day 180, then 5 mg daily through day 365

Belatacept-based immunosuppression

Belatacept + Tacrolimus + prednisone from day 0 through day 89, then Belatacept + Mycophenolate mofetil + prednisone from day 90 through day 365

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Belatacept

Intervention Type DRUG

Belatacept will be dosed at 10 mg/kg of actual body weight on days 0, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84 then at 5 mg/kg on day 112 and every 28 days through day 364 (i.e., on days 140, 168, 196, 224, 252, 280, 308, 336, and 364)

ATG

Intervention Type DRUG

Anti-thymocyte globulin will be dosed intravenously at 3 mg/kg divided into 3 daily doses starting on day 0 after transplantation

Mycophenolate Mofetil

Intervention Type DRUG

Mycophenolate mofetil will be dosed at 1000 mg twice daily (or if the enteric coated formulation is used, this will be dosed at 720 mg twice daily. In the standard of care arm, mycophenolate mofetil will be initiated on day 0 after transplantation, whereas in the belatacept-based immunosuppression arm, mycophenolate mofetil will be initiated on day 90 after transplantation

Methylprednisolone

Intervention Type DRUG

Methylprednisolone 500 mg will be given intravenously before perfusion of the allograft during the transplant procedure, then methylprednisolone 0.5 mg/kg will be given intravenously twice daily for 6 total doses

Prednisone

Intervention Type DRUG

Prednisone will be dosed at 0.5 mg/kg orally daily through day 14, then 0.2 mg/kg orally daily through day 30, then 0.1 mg/kg daily through day 180, then 5 mg daily through day 365

Interventions

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Belatacept

Belatacept will be dosed at 10 mg/kg of actual body weight on days 0, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84 then at 5 mg/kg on day 112 and every 28 days through day 364 (i.e., on days 140, 168, 196, 224, 252, 280, 308, 336, and 364)

Intervention Type DRUG

Tacrolimus

Tacrolimus will be dosed enterally or sublingually within 48 hours of transplantation and the dose will be adjusted to target a trough blood level of 8-15 ng/ml

Intervention Type DRUG

ATG

Anti-thymocyte globulin will be dosed intravenously at 3 mg/kg divided into 3 daily doses starting on day 0 after transplantation

Intervention Type DRUG

Mycophenolate Mofetil

Mycophenolate mofetil will be dosed at 1000 mg twice daily (or if the enteric coated formulation is used, this will be dosed at 720 mg twice daily. In the standard of care arm, mycophenolate mofetil will be initiated on day 0 after transplantation, whereas in the belatacept-based immunosuppression arm, mycophenolate mofetil will be initiated on day 90 after transplantation

Intervention Type DRUG

Methylprednisolone

Methylprednisolone 500 mg will be given intravenously before perfusion of the allograft during the transplant procedure, then methylprednisolone 0.5 mg/kg will be given intravenously twice daily for 6 total doses

Intervention Type DRUG

Prednisone

Prednisone will be dosed at 0.5 mg/kg orally daily through day 14, then 0.2 mg/kg orally daily through day 30, then 0.1 mg/kg daily through day 180, then 5 mg daily through day 365

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Nulojix Prograf Thymoglobulin Cellcept, Myfortic Solumedrol

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Provided written informed consent for study participation
* Underwent single or bilateral lung transplantation
* Negative urine pregnancy test for women of child bearing potential and willingness to use highly-effective contraception

Exclusion Criteria

* Requiring invasive mechanical ventilation immediately before transplantation
* Requiring extracorporeal life support (ECLS) (i.e., ECMO) immediately before transplantation
* Received treatment to deplete HLA antibodies before transplantation to improve the possibility of transplantation
* Having DSA immediately before transplantation (i.e., positive virtual crossmatch)
* Listed for multi-organ transplant (e.g., heart-lung, liver-lung, kidney-lung)
* Pregnant or breast-feeding
* Active infection with Hepatitis B or C virus
* Active infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
* Chronic infection with Burkholderia cepacia complex before transplantation
* Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) seronegative status
* Participation in another interventional clinical trial
* Allograft dysfunction requiring ECMO support after transplantation
* Delayed chest closure after transplantation
* Severe coagulopathy and significant bleeding in the opinion of the PI
* Any condition that in the opinion of the site PI introduces undue risk by participating in this study
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

70 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Bristol-Myers Squibb

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

Washington University School of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Ramsey R Hachem, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Washington University School of Medicine

Locations

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Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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Bela Lung Pilot

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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