Therapeutic Monitoring of Infliximab and Adalimumab

June 13, 2024 updated by: IRCCS Burlo Garofolo

Therapeutic Monitoring of Infliximab and Adalimumab in Pediatric Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: Innovative Pharmacological Strategies for Predicting Response and Adverse Effects

Anti tumor necrosis factor (TNF agents), particularly infliximab and adalimumab, changed the way chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refractory to conventional therapies is treated, including in pediatric patients. However, approximately 10-30% of patients do not respond to initial therapy and up to 50% lose response over time. Variability in response to therapy may be influenced by multiple interacting factors at different levels. Recent studies showed that measurement of serum infliximab concentrations during induction therapy predicts treatment effects at one year. Therefore, therapeutic monitoring of infliximab is proposed as a useful strategy to improve clinical outcomes and optimize healthcare resources.

Most commercially available methods for infliximab quantification are based on the ELISA assay, which has an assay time of at least 8 hours. Recently, commercial point-of-care devices became available with assay times of less than one hour, enabling real-time therapeutic drug monitoring; however, validation of these devices in clinical settings and comparison with standard assays are still needed, particularly in pediatric patients. In addition, some studies suggest that loss of response in patients treated with anti-TNFs may be partly due to the emergence of specific anti-drug antibodies (AAFs). A limitation of the most widely used ELISA assays is the inability to quantify drug and AAF when they are simultaneously present. Recently, innovative ELISA assays have become available to overcome this problem. However, there is a lack of comparative studies between the classical and the specific method in terms of clinical response in pediatric patients. In patients who do not respond to infliximab, especially if they have high levels of AAF, guidelines call for the use of adalimumab. For this drug, the evidence in the literature regarding therapeutic monitoring of adalimumab concentrations and association with response in pediatric patients is still very preliminary. This study, carried out in in pediatric patients with IBD, aims to:

  1. validate the "point of care" infliximab assay by comparing it with reference ELISA assays;
  2. evaluate the correlation of infliximab and AAF levels, as measured by the innovative ELISA assays, with response to therapy, compared to traditional assays.
  3. evaluate the association between adalimumab and AAF levels and response to therapy

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

Anti-TNF agents, particularly infliximab and adalimumab, changed the way chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refractory to conventional therapies is treated, including in pediatric patients. These biologic agents also appear promising as first-line treatment even in the early stages of the disease. However, approximately 10-30% of patients do not respond to initial therapy and up to 50% lose response over time. In addition, the widespread use of these drugs is limited by serious side effects and the high cost of therapy. Variability in response to therapy may be influenced by multiple interacting factors at different levels. Recent studies showed that measurement of serum infliximab concentrations during induction therapy predicts treatment effects at one year: in particular, patients with infliximab concentrations below 3 ug/ml at the end of induction (pre-dose IV infusion) have a reduced probability of response. Therefore, therapeutic monitoring of infliximab is proposed as a useful strategy to improve clinical outcomes and optimize healthcare resources.

Currently, most commercially available methods for infliximab quantification are based on the ELISA assay, which has an assay time of at least 8 hours, delaying therapeutic adjustment to the next drug infusion. Recently, commercial point-of-care devices became available with assay times of less than one hour, enabling real-time therapeutic drug monitoring; however, validation of these devices in clinical settings and comparison with standard assays are still needed, particularly in pediatric patients. In addition, some studies suggest that loss of response in patients treated with anti-TNFs, infliximab and adalimumab, may be partly due to the emergence of specific anti-drug antibodies (AAFs). A limitation of the most widely used ELISA assays is the inability to quantify drug and AAF when they are simultaneously present. Data from the literature suggest that in patients who lose response to anti-TNFs, classical ELISA assays may overestimate the percentage of patients with low levels of both drug and AAF; the use of specific ELISA assays allows accurate quantification of drug and AAF levels even in these patients, allowing the clinician to modify therapy accordingly. Recently, innovative ELISA assays have become available to overcome this problem. However, there is a lack of comparative studies between the classical and the specific method in terms of clinical response in pediatric patients. In patients who do not respond to infliximab, especially if they have high levels of AAF, guidelines call for the use of adalimumab. For this drug, the evidence in the literature regarding therapeutic monitoring of adalimumab concentrations and association with response in pediatric patients is still very preliminary. Thus, the research objectives are three, of equal importance:

  1. to validate the "point of care" infliximab assay by comparing it with reference ELISA assays in pediatric patients with IBD;
  2. to evaluate the correlation of infliximab and AAF levels, as measured by the above innovative ELISA assays, with response to therapy, compared to traditional assays, in pediatric patients with IBD.
  3. to evaluate the association between adalimumab and AAF levels and response to therapy in pediatric patients with IBD.

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.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
100

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

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

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pediatric subjects with IBD suitable for treatment with infliximab or adalimumab

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • IBD subjects
  • age between 0 and 17 years
  • suitable for treatment with infliximab or adalimumab

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pediatric subjects with IBD not suitable for treatment with infliximab or adalimumab

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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.
IBD group
Pediatric patients with IBD
Drug: Infliximab
Pediatric patients with IBD suitable for treatment with infliximab
Drug: Adalimumab
Pediatric patients with IBD suitable for treatment with adalimumab

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
Infliximab concentration
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 years
Assessed with the point-of-care assay and with the ELISA assay
Through study completion, an average of 5 years
Adalimumab concentration
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 years
Assessed with ELISA assay
Through study completion, an average of 5 years
AAF concentration
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 years
Assessed by the novel ELISA assays
Through study completion, an average of 5 years
Response to therapy assessed with validated score
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 5 years
Assessed by Pediatric Crohn's disease activity index (PCDAI) and Pediatric UlcerativeColitis Activity Index (PUCAI). PCDAI ranges from 0 to 100; higher scores indicate more active disease. Clinical remission was defined as PCDAI ≤ 10. PUCAI score ranges from 0 to 85, with disease remission less than 10, mild disease activity between 10-35, moderate disease activity from 35-65, and severe disease activity above 65
Through study completion, an average of 5 years

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.
IRCCS Burlo Garofolo

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.
  • Principal Investigator: Gabriele Stocco, MSC, IRCCS materno infantile Burlo Garofolo

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 (Actual)

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 15, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 30, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 30, 2024

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).
September 5, 2023

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.
September 5, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

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.
September 13, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
June 14, 2024

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.
June 13, 2024

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.
September 1, 2023

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.
  • RC 01/17

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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