Coenzyme Q10 in Adult-Onset Ataxia (CoQATAX)

Safety and Tolerability of Coenzyme Q10 in Adult-Onset Sporadic Spinocerebellar Ataxia

This is a Physician-sponsored pilot study, whose purpose it is determine if high-dose oral Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is safe and tolerated in patients with sporadic forms of adult-onset spinocerebellar ataxias (SAOA), a group of degenerative neurological disorders affecting the cerebellum and pathways to and from the cerebellum, with or without additional central nervous system (CNS) manifestations, in the absence of family history of degenerative ataxias.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sporadic Ataxia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo (sugar pill); Drug: Coenzyme Q10

Detailed Description

This is a Physician-sponsored pilot study, whose purpose it is determine if high-dose oral Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is safe and tolerated in patients with sporadic forms of adult-onset spinocerebellar ataxias (SAOA), a group of degenerative neurological disorders affecting the cerebellum and pathways to and from the cerebellum, with or without additional central nervous system (CNS) manifestations, in the absence of family history of degenerative ataxias.

CoQ10 is an essential cofactor of the electron transport chain and is a potent free radical scavenger in lipid and mitochondrial membranes. CoQ10 has shown efficacy in treatment of Parkinson's disease patients, and a Huntington's disease trial gave a trend of slowing down disease progression (CARE-HD). A small trial of CoQ10 in patients with Friedreich's ataxia suggested potential beneficial effects on ventricular thickness. CoQ10 is being tested on ALS patients and is considered to be potentially useful for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Thus, CoQ10 is considered to be a promising therapeutic agent that might slow down the disease progression in a wide variety of neurodegenerative disorders. To date, very high doses of CoQ10 have not been used in patients with ataxia and the safety and tolerability in this group of patients should be established before efficacy trials are launched.

Twenty patients with SAOA will be recruited for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Fifteen patients will receive a total of 2400 mg of oral CoQ10 daily, and five patients will receive placebo, for a period or 4 weeks. Cerebellar functions will be measured using a validated rating scale (SARA), an oculomotor examination, and functional measurement of motor function using a 9 hole peg test and timed walk. Safety labs will be collected and a digital movie will be recorded at the beginning (prior to treatment with CoQ10) and at the end of the study.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Galveston, Texas, United States, 77555-0539
      • The Universtity of Texas, Galveston

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of SAOA
2. Age 18 or older
3. Adult onset of ataxia
4. Ambulatory capability (with or without an assisting device)
5. Women with 2 years post menopause or surgical sterility or practicing adequate birth control
6. Stable doses of psychotropic drugs
7. Stable doses of drugs for movement disorders
8. Ability to give informed consent
9. Ability to comply with trial procedures
10. Able to take oral medication
11. No active and significant systemic disease (cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, renal disease or cancer) that is not under adequate medical control
12. Women with child-bearing potential who have a negative urine pregnancy test and practice adequate contraception during the study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. A history or known sensitivity of intolerability to Coenzyme Q10
2. Diagnosis of secondary (non-degenerative) ataxia
3. Family history of degenerative ataxia
4. Diagnosis of childhood-onset ataxia
5. DNA diagnosis of inherited ataxia in the absence of family history
6. Other investigational agent within 30 days of screening
7. Ingestion of Coenzyme Q10 within 120 days of the baseline visit
8. Diagnosis of ongoing malignancy
9. Women who are pregnant or lactating or who have child bearing potential and not using effective birth control
10. Uncontrolled hypertension
11. Symptomatic orthostatic hypotension
12. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
13. Untreated thyroid disease
14. Major psychiatric disease within 12 months of screening
15. History of non-compliance with other therapies
16. Drug or alcohol abuse within 12 months of screening
17. Other condition or therapy that may prevent participation in the opinion of the investigator

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: sugar pill	Drug: Placebo (sugar pill); placebo: 2 wafers 4 times a day
Active Comparator: Coenzyme Q10; The CoQ10 arm will be compared with the placebo arm to determine if high-dose CoQ10 is safe and well tolerated in subjects with sporadic adult-onset spinocerebellar ataxias	Drug: Coenzyme Q10; 300mg wafers; 2 wafers 4 times a day; Other Names: CoQ10

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Measure cerebellar functions by a validated scale (SARA)	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
• Collaborators: University of Florida
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sankarasubramoney H Subramony, MD, University of Texas medical branch, Galveston

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 22, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 11, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): August 12, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 11, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2018
• Last Verified: April 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: adult onset ataxia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Dyskinesias; Cerebellar Diseases; Ataxia; Cerebellar Ataxia; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Micronutrients; Vitamins; Coenzyme Q10; Ubiquinone
• Other Study ID Numbers: 08-129; 08-SAOA-001