Treatment of Patients With Atherosclerotic Disease With Methotrexate-associated to LDL Like Nanoparticles

NCT ID: NCT04616872

Last Updated: 2020-11-10

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

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE2/PHASE3

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-10-10

Study Completion Date

2023-10-12

Brief Summary

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

The investigators propose a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an anti-inflammatory agent methotrexate in a cholesterol-rich non-protein nanoparticle (MTX-LDE) in patients with stable coronary disease.

Patients with multi-vessels stable coronary disease will be randomized to receive MTX-LDE IV or placebo-LDE IV each 7 days for 12 weeks. The primary and main secondary endpoints will be analyzed by coronary and aortic CT angiography, that will be performed before the first treatment cycle, four weeks after the last drug infusion and 12 months after randomization. Patients will undergo clinical and laboratory safety evaluations before each treatment cycle, four weeks after the last cycle and 12 months after randomization.

An algorithm for drug suspension based on clinical and laboratory finding will be followed.

Detailed Description

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

Atherosclerosis is a life-threatening condition, as long as cardiovascular disease is responsible for one-third of all global mortality.

Inflammation is extremely important in atherosclerosis pathophysiology. The use of inflammatory biomarkers to predict risk, monitor treatments and guide therapy, has shown substantial potential for clinical applicability. Many studies in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease showed that individuals with lower high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) have better clinical outcomes than those with higher levels.

The potential benefit of anti-inflammatory therapy in atherosclerosis has been previously demonstrated in studies in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis). The use of methotrexate has been associated with a reduction in cardiovascular events in these patients.

In this setting, the use of non-invasive treatments to reduce lesion size and inflammation is essential for the prevention of sub-sequent cardiovascular events.

The systemic use of methotrexate at high doses for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is unlikely due to their significant, often life-threatening toxicity. Nonetheless, the toxicity of such agents can be strongly diminished by the use of optimized drug-delivery systems. In a pioneer study performed on patients with acute leukemia, was reported the potential of a cholesterol-rich non-protein nanoparticle (LDE) as a drug targeting agent. LDE particles have lipid compositions and structures that resemble low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and can be injected directly into the bloodstream. When LDE particles come into contact with plasma, the particles acquire exchangeable apolipoproteins from native lipoproteins, such as apolipoprotein (apo) E, which binds the particles to LDL receptors. In neoplastic cells, lipoprotein receptors are overexpressed, such that uptake of native LDL and of LDE particles is increased relative to that in normal tissues. In aortas of cholesterol-fed rabbits the uptake of LDE particles is increased in comparison to normal aortas and in rabbit-grafted hearts take up the nanoemulsion at amounts fourfold greater than native hearts.

LDE-methotrexate treatment of rabbits induced to exhibit atherosclerosis via high cholesterol intake resulted in a 65% reduction in lesion size.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether patients with aortic and coronary atherosclerotic disease showed good tolerability to LDE-methotrexate treatment and whether this formulation could achieve reduction in plaque volume and characteristics by coronary and aortic CT angiography.

Conditions

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

Atherosclerosis Coronary Artery Disease Inflammation

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Atherosclerosis coronary artery disease inflammation methotrexate nanoparticles nanotechnology drug delivery system

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

Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-control Trial.
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.

Methotrexate-LDE

Methotrexate carried by a lipid nanoparticle (MTX-LDE)

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Methotrexate-LDE

Intervention Type DRUG

MTX-LDE 40mg/m2 (250mL total volume) IV and Folic acid 5mg by mouth (the day after MTX-LDE) weekly for 12 weeks

Placebo-LDE

Lipid nanoparticle (LDE)

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo-LDE

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo-LDE (250mL total volume) IV and Folic acid 5mg by mouth (the day after Placebo-LDE) weekly for 12 weeks

Interventions

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

Methotrexate-LDE

MTX-LDE 40mg/m2 (250mL total volume) IV and Folic acid 5mg by mouth (the day after MTX-LDE) weekly for 12 weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo-LDE

Placebo-LDE (250mL total volume) IV and Folic acid 5mg by mouth (the day after Placebo-LDE) weekly for 12 weeks

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

* Multi-vessels coronary artery disease diagnosis by coronary CT or invasive angiography
* Aortic atherosclerosis diagnosis by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography.
* High-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels \> 2mg/L
* Signing the study informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

* History of Acute myocardial infarction in the last 30 days
* Heart failure with ejection fraction \<40%
* Estimated glomerular filtration rate \< 40 mL/min/1.73 m2.
* Prior history of chronic infectious disease, including tuberculosis, severe fungal disease, or known HIV positive.
* Chronic hepatitis B or C infection.
* Prior history of nonbasal cell malignancy or myeloproliferative or lymphoproliferative disease within the past 5 years.
* White blood cell count \<4000/mm3, hematocrit \<32%, or platelet count \<75000/mm3.
* Alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT) greater than 3-fold the upper limit of normal.
* History of actual alcohol abuse or unwillingness to limit alcohol consumption to \< 4 drinks per week.
* Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
* Women of child bearing potential, even if currently using contraception.
* Men who plan to father children during the study period or who are unwilling to use contraception.
* Chronic use of oral steroid therapy or other immunosuppressive or biologic response modifiers.
* Known chronic pericardial effusion, pleural effusion, or ascites.
* Angina pectoris Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) III-IV
* New York Heart Association class III-IV congestive heart failure.
* Contraindication for the use of iodinated contrast
* Life expectancy of \< 1 years.
* Acute or Chronic aortic dissection
* Interstitial pneumonitis, bronchiectasis, or pulmonary fibrosis.
* Current indication for methotrexate therapy.
* Patient with a history of an allergic reaction or significant sensitivity to methotrexate.
* Requirement for use of drugs that alter folate metabolism (trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) or reduce tubular excretion (probenecid) or known allergies to antibiotics making avoidance of trimethoprim impossible.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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

University of Sao Paulo General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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

Raul Cavalcante Maranhão

MD; PHD. Director Lipid Metabolism Laboratory, Heart Institute

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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

Heart Institute (InCor) - University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Institute Prevent Senior

São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

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

Brazil

Central Contacts

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

Raul Maranhão, MD;PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +551126615951

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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

Lucas Marinho, MD

Role: primary

Rodrigo Esper, MD;PhD

Role: primary

References

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

Solomon DH, Karlson EW, Rimm EB, Cannuscio CC, Mandl LA, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Circulation. 2003 Mar 11;107(9):1303-7. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.0000054612.26458.b2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12628952 (View on PubMed)

Maranhao RC, Vital CG, Tavoni TM, Graziani SR. Clinical experience with drug delivery systems as tools to decrease the toxicity of anticancer chemotherapeutic agents. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2017 Oct;14(10):1217-1226. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2017.1276560. Epub 2017 Jan 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28042707 (View on PubMed)

Bulgarelli A, Leite AC Jr, Dias AA, Maranhao RC. Anti-atherogenic effects of methotrexate carried by a lipid nanoemulsion that binds to LDL receptors in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2013 Dec;27(6):531-9. doi: 10.1007/s10557-013-6488-3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24065615 (View on PubMed)

Shapiro MD, Fazio S. From Lipids to Inflammation: New Approaches to Reducing Atherosclerotic Risk. Circ Res. 2016 Feb 19;118(4):732-49. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.306471.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26892970 (View on PubMed)

van Diepen JA, Berbee JF, Havekes LM, Rensen PC. Interactions between inflammation and lipid metabolism: relevance for efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. 2013 Jun;228(2):306-15. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2013.02.028. Epub 2013 Mar 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23518178 (View on PubMed)

Ridker PM, Danielson E, Fonseca FA, Genest J, Gotto AM Jr, Kastelein JJ, Koenig W, Libby P, Lorenzatti AJ, MacFadyen JG, Nordestgaard BG, Shepherd J, Willerson JT, Glynn RJ; JUPITER Study Group. Rosuvastatin to prevent vascular events in men and women with elevated C-reactive protein. N Engl J Med. 2008 Nov 20;359(21):2195-207. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0807646. Epub 2008 Nov 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18997196 (View on PubMed)

Ridker PM. Residual inflammatory risk: addressing the obverse side of the atherosclerosis prevention coin. Eur Heart J. 2016 Jun 7;37(22):1720-2. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehw024. Epub 2016 Feb 22. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26908943 (View on PubMed)

Khan R, Spagnoli V, Tardif JC, L'Allier PL. Novel anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. 2015 Jun;240(2):497-509. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.04.783. Epub 2015 Apr 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25917947 (View on PubMed)

Prodanovich S, Ma F, Taylor JR, Pezon C, Fasihi T, Kirsner RS. Methotrexate reduces incidence of vascular diseases in veterans with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005 Feb;52(2):262-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2004.06.017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15692471 (View on PubMed)

Barnabe C, Martin BJ, Ghali WA. Systematic review and meta-analysis: anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy and cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011 Apr;63(4):522-9. doi: 10.1002/acr.20371.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20957658 (View on PubMed)

Vaidya K, Arnott C, Martinez GJ, Ng B, McCormack S, Sullivan DR, Celermajer DS, Patel S. Colchicine Therapy and Plaque Stabilization in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A CT Coronary Angiography Study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018 Feb;11(2 Pt 2):305-316. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2017.08.013. Epub 2017 Oct 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29055633 (View on PubMed)

Ridker PM, Everett BM, Thuren T, MacFadyen JG, Chang WH, Ballantyne C, Fonseca F, Nicolau J, Koenig W, Anker SD, Kastelein JJP, Cornel JH, Pais P, Pella D, Genest J, Cifkova R, Lorenzatti A, Forster T, Kobalava Z, Vida-Simiti L, Flather M, Shimokawa H, Ogawa H, Dellborg M, Rossi PRF, Troquay RPT, Libby P, Glynn RJ; CANTOS Trial Group. Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease. N Engl J Med. 2017 Sep 21;377(12):1119-1131. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1707914. Epub 2017 Aug 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28845751 (View on PubMed)

Ridker PM, Everett BM, Pradhan A, MacFadyen JG, Solomon DH, Zaharris E, Mam V, Hasan A, Rosenberg Y, Iturriaga E, Gupta M, Tsigoulis M, Verma S, Clearfield M, Libby P, Goldhaber SZ, Seagle R, Ofori C, Saklayen M, Butman S, Singh N, Le May M, Bertrand O, Johnston J, Paynter NP, Glynn RJ; CIRT Investigators. Low-Dose Methotrexate for the Prevention of Atherosclerotic Events. N Engl J Med. 2019 Feb 21;380(8):752-762. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1809798. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30415610 (View on PubMed)

Tardif JC, Kouz S, Waters DD, Bertrand OF, Diaz R, Maggioni AP, Pinto FJ, Ibrahim R, Gamra H, Kiwan GS, Berry C, Lopez-Sendon J, Ostadal P, Koenig W, Angoulvant D, Gregoire JC, Lavoie MA, Dube MP, Rhainds D, Provencher M, Blondeau L, Orfanos A, L'Allier PL, Guertin MC, Roubille F. Efficacy and Safety of Low-Dose Colchicine after Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med. 2019 Dec 26;381(26):2497-2505. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912388. Epub 2019 Nov 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31733140 (View on PubMed)

Nidorf SM, Fiolet ATL, Mosterd A, Eikelboom JW, Schut A, Opstal TSJ, The SHK, Xu XF, Ireland MA, Lenderink T, Latchem D, Hoogslag P, Jerzewski A, Nierop P, Whelan A, Hendriks R, Swart H, Schaap J, Kuijper AFM, van Hessen MWJ, Saklani P, Tan I, Thompson AG, Morton A, Judkins C, Bax WA, Dirksen M, Alings M, Hankey GJ, Budgeon CA, Tijssen JGP, Cornel JH, Thompson PL; LoDoCo2 Trial Investigators. Colchicine in Patients with Chronic Coronary Disease. N Engl J Med. 2020 Nov 5;383(19):1838-1847. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2021372. Epub 2020 Aug 31.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32865380 (View on PubMed)

Moura JA, Valduga CJ, Tavares ER, Kretzer IF, Maria DA, Maranhao RC. Novel formulation of a methotrexate derivative with a lipid nanoemulsion. Int J Nanomedicine. 2011;6:2285-95. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S18039. Epub 2011 Oct 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22072866 (View on PubMed)

Bulgarelli A, Martins Dias AA, Caramelli B, Maranhao RC. Treatment with methotrexate inhibits atherogenesis in cholesterol-fed rabbits. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2012 Apr;59(4):308-14. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0b013e318241c385.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22113347 (View on PubMed)

Hansson GK, Libby P. The immune response in atherosclerosis: a double-edged sword. Nat Rev Immunol. 2006 Jul;6(7):508-19. doi: 10.1038/nri1882. Epub 2006 Jun 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16778830 (View on PubMed)

Hansson GK. Inflammation and Atherosclerosis: The End of a Controversy. Circulation. 2017 Nov 14;136(20):1875-1877. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.030484. Epub 2017 Sep 15. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28916641 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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

Other Identifiers

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

4786/19/005

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id