Tocilizumab in the Treatment of Coronavirus Induced Disease (COVID-19)

NCT ID: NCT04335071

Last Updated: 2020-10-14

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

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

5 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-04-26

Study Completion Date

2020-09-27

Brief Summary

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The mortality rate of the disease caused by the corona virus induced disease (COVID-19) has been estimated to be 3.7% (WHO), which is more than 10-fold higher than the mortality of influenza. Patients with certain risk factors seem to die by an overwhelming reaction of the immune system to the virus, causing a cytokine storm with features of Cytokine-Release Syndrome (CRS) and Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) and resulting in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Several pro-inflammatory cytokines are elevated in the plasma of patients and features of MAS in COVID-19, include elevated levels of ferritin, d-dimer, and low platelets.

There is increasing data that cytokine-targeted biological therapies can improve outcomes in CRS or MAS and even in sepsis. Tocilizumab (TCZ), an anti-IL-6R biological therapy, has been approved for the treatment of CRS and is used in patients with MAS. Based on these data, it is hypothesized that TCZ can reduce mortality in patients with severe COVID-19 prone to CRS and ARDS.

The overall purpose of this study is to evaluate whether treatment with TCZ reduces the severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Detailed Description

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Background and Rationale

The Acute Respiratory Syndrome by Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan/China, is causing a worldwide pandemic with potentially lethal implications on an individual basis, and, on the large scale bringing the health care systems and the economy to its limits. The mortality rate of this COronaVIrus induced Disease, COVID-19, has been estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be 3.7%, which is more than 10-fold higher than the mortality of influenza.

An infection with SARS-CoV-2 may cause an excessive host immune response, leading to an Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and death. Reports from China and from Italy describe an overwhelming inflammation which is triggered by the virus, causing a cytokine storm with features of Cytokine-Release Syndrome (CRS) and/or Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS). Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) are elevated in the plasma of patients and features of MAS in COVID-19 include elevated levels of ferritin, d-dimer and low platelets.

There is increasing evidence, that cytokine-targeted biological therapies can improve outcomes in CRS or MAS and even in sepsis. In recognition of the dramatic development of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in a pragmatic manner, already approved and safe therapies should be evaluated for the use in severe COVID-19.

Tocilizumab (TCZ), an anti-IL-6R biological therapy, has been approved for the treatment of CRS and is used in patients with MAS (and in other rheumatologic conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) or Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), with a good safety profile also in the elderly).

Collectively, the data strongly suggest that neutralization of the inflammatory pathway induced by IL-6 may reduce mortality in patients with severe COVID-19 prone to CRS and ARDS.

Conditions

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SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

A multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled phase II trial
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors
All participants and study personnel involved in patient enrolment, treatment, and follow-up will be masked to group assignment until the final report will be completed and a first interpretation of the results has been done.

Study Groups

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Actemra

Patients get one dose (= 8 mg/kg bodyweight, max. single dose 800 mg) Actemra® (active ingredient: TCZ) intravenously in 100 mL NaCl 0.9% after confirmation of progressive dyspnoea. Infusion time: 60 min. The procedure is repeated once if no improvement in the 8-point WHO scale is observed.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Tocilizumab (TCZ)

Intervention Type DRUG

Patients get one dose (= 8 mg/kg bodyweight, max. single dose 800 mg) Actemra® (active ingredient: TCZ) intravenously in 100 mL NaCl 0.9% after confirmation of progressive dyspnoea. Infusion time: 60 min. The procedure is repeated once if no clinical improvement in the 8-point WHO scale is observed.

Placebo

The placebo-controlled intervention is one dose (100 mL) NaCl 0.9% intravenously administered after confirmation of progressive dyspnoea. Infusion time: 60 min. The procedure is repeated once if no improvement in the 8-point WHO scale is observed.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

The placebo-controlled intervention is one dose (100 mL) NaCl 0.9% intravenously administered after confirmation of progressive dyspnoea. Infusion time: 60 min. The procedure is repeated once if no clinical improvement in the 8-point WHO scale is observed.

Interventions

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Tocilizumab (TCZ)

Patients get one dose (= 8 mg/kg bodyweight, max. single dose 800 mg) Actemra® (active ingredient: TCZ) intravenously in 100 mL NaCl 0.9% after confirmation of progressive dyspnoea. Infusion time: 60 min. The procedure is repeated once if no clinical improvement in the 8-point WHO scale is observed.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

The placebo-controlled intervention is one dose (100 mL) NaCl 0.9% intravenously administered after confirmation of progressive dyspnoea. Infusion time: 60 min. The procedure is repeated once if no clinical improvement in the 8-point WHO scale is observed.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Actemra NaCl 0.9%

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

I (first step):

* Admission to hospital
* Male or non-pregnant female, ≥60 years of age or ≥30 years of age plus one or more known risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, heart failure, pre-existing chronic pulmonary disease)
* Confirmed SARS-CoV infection
* Radiographic evidence compatible with Covid-19 pneumonia (X-ray/CT scan, etc.)
* Signed Informed Consent Form

II (second step; indication for intervention):

* CRP ≥50mg/L plus 3 out of the following 5 criteria need to be fulfilled:
* Respiration Rate ≥25
* SpO2 \<93% (on ambient air)
* PaO2 \<65 mmHg
* Persistent or increasing dyspnoea as defined by a one point increase on the mMRC dyspnoea scale (over 1 hour)
* Persistent or increasing oxygen demand (over 1 hour)

Exclusion Criteria

I (first step):

* Patients \>80 years of age
* Patient included in any other interventional trial
* Indication for imminent or immediate transfer to ICU
* Treatment with TCZ (or other anti-IL-6R treatment) within 4 weeks prior to baseline
* Uncontrolled bacterial superinfection according to investigator
* History of severe allergic reaction to TCZ
* History of diverticulitis requiring antibiotic treatment or history of colon perforation
* History of primary immunodeficiency (e.g. CVID) or progressing malignancy
* History of chronic liver disease (\>Child-Pugh A, or according to investigator)

II (second step; contraindication for intervention):

* Alanine transaminase/aspartate transaminase (ALT/AST) \>5 times of the upper limit of normal
* Hemoglobin \<80 g/L
* Leukocytes \<2.0 G/L
* Absolute neutrophil count \<1.0 G/L
* Platelets \<50 G/L
Minimum Eligible Age

30 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Roche Pharma AG

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Peter M. Villiger, Prof. Dr. med.

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

University Hospital Bern (Inselspital)

Locations

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University Hospital Bern (Inselspital)

Bern, , Switzerland

Site Status

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV)

Lausanne, , Switzerland

Site Status

Ospedale Regionale di Lugano (EOC)

Viganello, , Switzerland

Site Status

University Hospital Zurich

Zurich, , Switzerland

Site Status

Countries

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Switzerland

References

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Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, Ren L, Zhao J, Hu Y, Zhang L, Fan G, Xu J, Gu X, Cheng Z, Yu T, Xia J, Wei Y, Wu W, Xie X, Yin W, Li H, Liu M, Xiao Y, Gao H, Guo L, Xie J, Wang G, Jiang R, Gao Z, Jin Q, Wang J, Cao B. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020 Feb 15;395(10223):497-506. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30183-5. Epub 2020 Jan 24.

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Wu C, Chen X, Cai Y, Xia J, Zhou X, Xu S, Huang H, Zhang L, Zhou X, Du C, Zhang Y, Song J, Wang S, Chao Y, Yang Z, Xu J, Zhou X, Chen D, Xiong W, Xu L, Zhou F, Jiang J, Bai C, Zheng J, Song Y. Risk Factors Associated With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Death in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Jul 1;180(7):934-943. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0994.

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Morrondo CD, Zarza LP, Gil JG, Pinto Tasende JA, Diez PD, Lopez JM. Benefit of Tocilizumab Therapy for Adult-Onset Still Disease Complicated With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. J Clin Rheumatol. 2016 Aug;22(5):291-3. doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000000374. No abstract available.

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Shakoory B, Carcillo JA, Chatham WW, Amdur RL, Zhao H, Dinarello CA, Cron RQ, Opal SM. Interleukin-1 Receptor Blockade Is Associated With Reduced Mortality in Sepsis Patients With Features of Macrophage Activation Syndrome: Reanalysis of a Prior Phase III Trial. Crit Care Med. 2016 Feb;44(2):275-81. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000001402.

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Villiger PM, Adler S, Kuchen S, Wermelinger F, Dan D, Fiege V, Butikofer L, Seitz M, Reichenbach S. Tocilizumab for induction and maintenance of remission in giant cell arteritis: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2016 May 7;387(10031):1921-7. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00560-2. Epub 2016 Mar 4.

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Yang S, Cao P, Du P, Wu Z, Zhuang Z, Yang L, Yu X, Zhou Q, Feng X, Wang X, Li W, Liu E, Chen J, Chen Y, He D. Early estimation of the case fatality rate of COVID-19 in mainland China: a data-driven analysis. Ann Transl Med. 2020 Feb;8(4):128. doi: 10.21037/atm.2020.02.66.

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Khanna D, Denton CP, Jahreis A, van Laar JM, Frech TM, Anderson ME, Baron M, Chung L, Fierlbeck G, Lakshminarayanan S, Allanore Y, Pope JE, Riemekasten G, Steen V, Muller-Ladner U, Lafyatis R, Stifano G, Spotswood H, Chen-Harris H, Dziadek S, Morimoto A, Sornasse T, Siegel J, Furst DE. Safety and efficacy of subcutaneous tocilizumab in adults with systemic sclerosis (faSScinate): a phase 2, randomised, controlled trial. Lancet. 2016 Jun 25;387(10038):2630-2640. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00232-4. Epub 2016 May 5.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Other Identifiers

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2020DR2044

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2020-00691

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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