Early Use of Long-acting Tacrolimus in Lung Transplant Recipients
NCT ID: NCT04469842
Last Updated: 2025-03-10
Study Results
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Basic Information
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RECRUITING
EARLY_PHASE1
48 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-12-01
2026-12-31
Brief Summary
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Long-acting Tacrolimus (LCP-tacrolimus) may have the potential to bridge the balance of providing potent immunosuppression, while sparing renal function, due to the better systemic dose levels and improved concentration/dose ration achieved with it compared to IR-tacrolimus, evidenced in the renal transplant population. There is limited experience with LCP-tacrolimus in lung transplantation. Several case reports chronicling the late conversion from IR-tacrolimus to LCP-tacrolimus due to absorption issues or side-effect intolerance, have demonstrated safety and tolerability. The investigators seek to determine whether early use of LCP-tacrolimus in lung transplant recipients following the index hospitalization is acceptable, and propose a single-center prospective, randomized, controlled pilot study of early-use LCP-tacrolimus in lung transplant recipients to assess safety, tolerability and side-effects of LCP-tacrolimus.
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Detailed Description
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Given the preference to utilize a CNI-based regimen early-post transplant but still minimize nephrotoxic effects, the investigators seek to determine whether the early use of long acting tacrolimus, LCP-Tacrolimus (LCP-tacro, Envarsus XR, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals), results in improved renal function compared to intermediate release tacrolimus (IR-tacrolimus, IR-tacro). Anecdotally, LCP-tacro has been used in lung transplant recipients as an alternative agent for those with debilitating headache or tremor. Early use of LCP-tacro has not been widely adopted due to perceptions associated with ability to closely titrate trough levels and cost. However, early use of LCP-tacro may provide several benefits. As a long-acting formulation, LCP-tacro allows for daily dosing. Moreover, LCP-tacro has greater absorption and bioavailability, leading to decreased swings in peak and trough concentrations; frequent fluctuations in serum tacrolimus levels potentiates afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction.\[24\] A steady state of systemic tacrolimus trough levels is desirable, since tacrolimus metabolism is directly related to nephrotoxicity.\[25\] The use of LCP-Tacro has been studied in renal transplant recipients. Langone and colleagues identified that LCP-tacrolimus compared to IR-tacrolimus was associated with improved tremor incidence and quality of life.\[1\] Rostaing and colleagues demonstrated that the use of LCP-tacro compared to intermediate tacrolimus was non-inferior in terms of combined death, allograft failure, biopsy-proven acute rejection and loss to follow-up. However, the use of LCP-tacro was associated with a significant reduction in total daily dose, and a 30% reduction in peak dose, without an increase in biopsy proven acute rejection episodes. Although not a prospective end-point, there was no significant impact on renal function.\[26\] In other studies, though, higher concentration/ drug (C/D) ratios for tacrolimus are associated with an improved renal safety profile.\[27\] It is conceivable that a clinical benefit of LCP-tacro over IR-tacro may be better manifested in clinical arenas that require higher target tacrolimus trough levels, such as lung allograft recipients, where initial post-transplant targets can be as high as 12-15 ng/mL, compared to renal transplantation where target trough levels are a relatively conservative 4-8 ng/mL.\[2, 3\] The experience of LCP-tacrolimus in the realm of lung transplantation is limited. Murakoezy and colleagues studied 53 patients that were converted from short-acting Tacrolimus to long-acting Envarsus. Conversion was performed at an average 3.6 years post-transplant. Ten patients were switched back due to side-effects (unknown), though the remainder tolerated conversion without complication. Ahmed and colleagues demonstrated feasibility in using long-acting Tacrolimus in 8 patients that were unable to achieve sufficient therapeutic levels with a short-acting formulation due to suspected polymorphisms of CYP3A4/3A5.\[28\] McCurry and colleagues assessed safety and feasibility of LCP-tacrolimus in a retrospective analysis of 18 lung transplant recipients. They found that patients on LCP-tacro had a 27% reduction in total dose. No patients experienced any adverse effects. Moreover, 2/18 patients had an improvement in tremors and headache.\[29\] Given the limited experience with of LCP-tacrolimus in lung transplant populations, the investigators propose a prospective, randomized, controlled pilot study to assess the safety, tolerability, and side-effect profile of early use LCP-tacro within the first 9 months post-transplantation. It is hypothesized that the early use of LCP-tacro in lung transplant recipients is safe and tolerable, and associated with an improved side-effect profile compared to patients treated with standard IR-tacro.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
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Immunosuppression with Extended-Release Tacrolimus
LCP-tacrolimus administered daily to target a goal trough level of 10-14 ng/mL x 7 months (with Mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone).
Additional standard immunosuppression with either mycophenolate mofetil (500-1500mg twice daily) OR Azathioprine (up to 2mg/kg daily) AND Prednisone (5-10mg daily) will be administered.
Tacrolimus Extended Release Oral Tablet [Envarsus]
Immunosuppression regimen with Tacrolimus Extended Release as the backbone.
Mycophenolate Mofetil Hydrochloride
Standard immunosuppression of the anti-proliferative class.
Prednisone
Standard immunosuppression (corticosteroid class).
Azathioprine
Standard immunosuppression of the anti-proliferative class.
Immunosuppression with Intermediate Release Tacrolimus
IR-tacrolimus administered twice daily to target a goal trough level of 10-14 ng/mL x 7 months (with Mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone). This is currently the standard of care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and most other lung transplant centers (ISHLT Registry 2019).
Additional standard immunosuppression with either mycophenolate mofetil (500-1500mg twice daily) OR Azathioprine (up to 2mg/kg daily) AND Prednisone (5-10mg daily) will be administered.
Tacrolimus
Standard Immunosuppression regimen with Intermediate-Release Tacrolimus.
Mycophenolate Mofetil Hydrochloride
Standard immunosuppression of the anti-proliferative class.
Prednisone
Standard immunosuppression (corticosteroid class).
Azathioprine
Standard immunosuppression of the anti-proliferative class.
Interventions
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Tacrolimus Extended Release Oral Tablet [Envarsus]
Immunosuppression regimen with Tacrolimus Extended Release as the backbone.
Tacrolimus
Standard Immunosuppression regimen with Intermediate-Release Tacrolimus.
Mycophenolate Mofetil Hydrochloride
Standard immunosuppression of the anti-proliferative class.
Prednisone
Standard immunosuppression (corticosteroid class).
Azathioprine
Standard immunosuppression of the anti-proliferative class.
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Participant is able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
* Male or female age 18 years or above.
* Actively receives care at VUMC and is adherent with medical therapies.
Exclusion Criteria
* History of tacrolimus use prior to transplantation
* Intolerance of tacrolimus (that precludes use)
* Having DSA pre-transplant (Positive virtual crossmatch)
* Active infection with Hepatitis B or C
* Active infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
* Baseline AST / ALT \> three times upper limit normal
* Primary graft dysfunction grade 3 at 72 hours
* Acute kidney injury during index hospitalization that does not resolve to two times the pre-transplant baseline value.
* Contraindication to PO (per os) intake of medications
* Impaired GI absorption (defined as sublingual administration of IR-tacro)
* History of frequent headaches
* Seizure history
* Cannot provide consent (at least verbally)
* Pregnancy or breast-feeding
* Participation in another interventional clinical trial
18 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Veloxis Pharmaceuticals
INDUSTRY
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Anil Trindade
Associate Professor of Medicine
Principal Investigators
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Anil J Trindade, MD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Locations
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Other Identifiers
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VEL-IIS-2020-085
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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