Pentoxifylline in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

October 26, 2011 updated by: Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group

An Open-Label Pilot Study of Pentoxifylline in Steroid-naive Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

In this study, the primary aim will be to estimate the magnitude and variability of strength change over time that may be expected for subjects on the study treatment. This estimate of effect will allow us to develop a rigorous statistical plan in the future randomized study. The specific estimation technique to be applied will use a linear random effects model to estimate average strength change during the 3-month lead-in period and then during the twelve-month treatment period, taking into account the quantitative muscle testing (QMT) measures for each subject. Accounting for the correlation between repeated measures from each subject by using a random effects model will yield an unbiased estimate of variability for the population average change in strength. We will use an analysis of pre- and post-treatment data to inform a best estimate of treatment effect. For example, the difference in QMT trends pre- and post-treatment would provide a straightforward measure of efficacy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive disease of skeletal muscle caused by the absence of dystrophin due to a genetic mutation in the x-linked dystrophin gene. The absence of dystrophin results in a fragile muscle membrane that permits an abnormal permeability to electrolytes, especially Ca ++. The increase in intracellular calcium triggers a pathological cascade of events that ultimately results in muscle necrosis and fibrosis, which impedes normal muscle regeneration. The increased knowledge of the pathophysiology of DMD opens the opportunity for pharmacological treatment, with the purpose of altering the disease process and or reverting the muscle degeneration.

This research study requires having Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and the subject to be between 4 and 7 years old. We expect 5 children to take part in this study at Children's Hospital and 10 other children to participate at other hospitals worldwide.

There will be two (2) screening visits to help decide whether you will be able to participate in the study. At the second screening visit, there will be a blood test (about 13 tablespoons of blood), and an EKG. Once the study doctors decide eligibility to be in the study, the subject will then come back once a month for three months to have his strength tested. After three months, the subject will begin to take the pentoxifylline and have an MRI (you will have a test called an MRI to look inside the muscles of your legs). This will continue for 12 months.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
17

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • District of Columbia
      • Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20010
        • Children's National Medical Center
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Mayo Clinic
    • Missouri
      • St. Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • Washington University at St. Louis
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
        • Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
    • Texas
      • Dallas, Texas, United States
        • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

4 years to 7 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Male
  2. Age 4 to 7 years
  3. Ambulant independently. Subjects may use a wheelchair occasionally, but only for long distances

  4. Diagnosis of DMD confirmed by at least one of the following:

    • Dystrophin immunofluorescence and/or immunoblot showing complete dystrophin deficiency, and clinical picture consistent with typical DMD OR
    • Gene deletion test positive (missing one or more exons) in the central rod domain (exons 25-60) of dystrophin, where reading frame can be predicted as 'out-of-frame',
    • and clinical picture consistent with typical DMD.
    • Complete dystrophin gene sequencing showing an alteration (point mutation, duplication, or other mutation resulting in a stop codon mutation) that can be definitely associated with DMD, with a typical clinical picture of DMD.
  5. Positive family history of DMD confirmed by one of the criteria listed above in a sibling or maternal uncle, and clinical picture typical of DMD.
  6. Glucocorticosteroid - naïve (i.e. has not been treated with prednisone or Deflazacort within 1 year before onset of the study)
  7. Has not participated in other therapeutic research protocol within the last 6 months.
  8. Evidence of muscle weakness by MRC score or clinical functional evaluation
  9. Ability to provide reproducible repeat QMT bicep score of either the right or left arm within 15% of first assessment score.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Symptomatic DMD carrier
  2. Use of any medication, nutritional supplement or herb for treatment of DMD within the last 3 months.
  3. Symptomatic cardiomyopathy or ventricular arrhythmias
  4. History of significant concomitant illness, impairment of blood clotting ability (as evidenced by increased PT/PTT or bleeding time over the upper limit of normal (ULN)), recent cerebral or retinal hemorrhage, bleeding diathesis, gastric ulcer, hypotension or significant impairment of renal or hepatic function (defined as serum creatinine and GGT respectively, greater than 1.5 times normal upper limit for age and gender).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Solution
All enrolled participants were give pentoxifylline in this pilot protocol.
Drug: Pentoxifylline
Pentoxifylline dosing: 20mg/Kg/day in a 20 mg/mL solution. Maximum dose of 1200mg/day. Dosing split into two equal parts taken morning and night with food.
Other Names:
  • Supplier: Frank's Pharmacy, Ocala, Fl. 34474.
  • Product: Pentoxifylline BP
  • CAS number: 5/6/6493
  • Formula weight: 278.35
  • Chemical formula: C13H18N4O3

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
QMT measurements
Time Frame: Each study visit
Quantitative muscle testing (QMT) is a technique utilized to assess muscle strength. Measurements of force are collected using a load cell while performing a maximum voluntary isometric contraction. This set-up is able to measure changes in strength of 0.25 lb which provides accurate and sensitive measurement of muscular strength. QMT is performed by a CINRG physical therapist.
Each study visit

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in manual muscle test (MMT) at 12 months
Time Frame: Each study visit
Manual muscle testing (MMT), which is graded according to the modified Medical Research Council (MRC) scale, is a test of a participant's muscle strength, or ability of the muscle to move a part of the body against resistance. A CINRG physical therapist will perform MMT testing with each participant.
Each study visit

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Diana Escolar, MD, Children's National Research Institute

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2002

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2006

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 29, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 28, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 31, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 27, 2011

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 26, 2011

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CNMC0302

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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