- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT02438137
Dimethyl Fumarate for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Dimethyl Fumarate as a Novel Therapeutic Agent for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Study Overview
Status
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder that involves collapse of the upper airway during sleep, leading to low blood oxygen levels and sleep disruption. Untreated OSA increases the risk of many health consequences, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, memory problems, fatigue, sleepiness, and impaired memory. Despite its profound public health and societal impact, there are no known medications that can effectively treat OSA, and up to 50% of patients cannot tolerate current treatments. The primary treatment for OSA, known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), is delivered by a mechanical device and mask that blows air into the airway to keep it open during sleep. Although CPAP controls OSA, many patients can't tolerate the discomfort of the mask, and up to 50% of patients cannot use CPAP appropriately.
Several recent studies of OSA patients suggest that inflammation in the airway and the bloodstream may worsen OSA, and that medications that control inflammation may improve OSA. In particular, a previous study from the researchers suggests that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are on MS therapies that control inflammation may have less severe OSA than those who are not. MS is an autoimmune disease that is associated with inflammation of the nervous system. As OSA may also be caused or worsened by inflammation, this clinical trial aims to study the effects of a specific MS medication known as dimethyl fumarate (brand name - Tecfidera®) to see if it may also be useful to treat OSA. Tecfidera® is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat patients with MS. However, it is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of OSA and is thus considered an investigational drug in this study.
Study-related activities will last for 5 months. Consenting participants will receive a baseline overnight sleep study to assess their current sleep apnea severity. Participants will then be given either oral dimethyl fumarate or placebo for a period of 4 months, and will be followed on a monthly basis during the course of the study. At the end of the study, participants will undergo a repeat overnight sleep study to monitor for changes in their sleep apnea severity. Treatments will be assigned at random (like flipping a coin), and participants will not be aware of which treatment they receive. There is a 2/3 chance that participants will receive dimethyl fumarate. Participants will also undergo blood draws and complete several surveys during their monthly study visits. Participants will be compensated for their travel and time throughout the course of the study.
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Phase
- Phase 2
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
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Michigan
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Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
- University of Michigan
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Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age of 18-65 years at screening;
- Diagnosis of OSA as confirmed by previous clinical sleep study (polysomnography, PSG);
- Refusal, inability, or high reluctance to use CPAP regularly for treatment of OSA, despite medical advice;
- Willingness to undergo repeat sleep study (PSG) and blood studies;
- Normal immune cell counts, as evidenced by complete blood count (CBC) done at screening
Exclusion Criteria:
- Regular use of CPAP within the last 2 months
- Physical, psychiatric or cognitive impairment that prevents informed consent, PSG, or reliable follow-up;
- Cardiac conditions that may increase sleep apnea severity (e.g., congestive heart failure or recent heart attack);
- Current successful treatment for obstructive or central sleep apnea, for example by CPAP, and patient agreement to continue with that treatment;
- History of surgical treatment for OSA within past 6 months, or subsequent to last PSG confirmation that OSA is present;
- Active nervous system diseases that may predispose subjects to OSA;
- Systemic autoimmune disease that could increase inflammation and influence apnea severity (such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus);
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- Use of immunotherapies or immunosuppressants, currently or within past 6 months;
- Anticipated initiation or dose change in tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin uptake inhibitors, or related compounds;
- Participants with a history of active, serious or persistent infections.
- Participants with recent surgery (within 3 months prior to screening), or anticipated surgery during the length of the study.
- Systemic steroid use within the last 2 months (does not include local steroid injections or intranasal steroid spray);
- Current diagnosis of cancer that is not considered to be cured or in remission by the treating physician, cancer treatment of any kind within the last 6 months prior to screening (chemo, radiation, surgery), or anticipated cancer treatment during the length of the study;
- History of a lymphoproliferative disorder (such as leukemia);
- History of Multiple Myeloma
- History of decreased immune cell counts per a blood test known as a CBC, specifically lymphocyte counts less than 1.2 K/μL at screening.
- Refusal to use at least one reliable method of birth control (for women of childbearing age)
- Newly diagnosed (within 2 months) OSA subjects who have an AHI > 30 and history of serious, recent, or unstable cardiovascular disease (including but not limited to recent MI, recent stroke/TIA, or unstable angina)
- Participants who report previous motor vehicle accidents or near-misses presumed to be due to excessive sleepiness while driving.
- Any other condition or treatment that in the opinion of the investigator could affect subject safety or study eligibility.
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Treatment
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: Double
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
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Active Comparator: Dimethyl Fumarate (Tecfidera®) capsules
The starting dose for dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera®, http://www.tecfidera.com/pdfs/full-prescribing-information.pdf) is 120 mg twice a day orally.
After 7 days, the dose should be increased to the maintenance dose of 240 mg twice a day, though slower dose escalations are possible to increase tolerability, if necessary.
Participants randomized to dimethyl fumarate will be instructed to take this medication twice a day with breakfast and dinner for a period of 4 months.
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Dimethyl fumarate capsules will be dispensed during routine study appointments.
120 mg tablets will be dispensed to facilitate dose titrations.
Drug will be dispensed in 1 month supply, so that compliance can be reconciled at monthly follow-up visits, and recorded in accountability logs.
Participants will be instructed to take the medication with food, in the morning and at dinnertime.
If participants miss a dose, they will be instructed to resume their normal dose at the next scheduled time, and be instructed not to take an extra dose at their next dosing interval if they previously miss a dose.
Other Names:
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Placebo Comparator: Placebo
The placebo is an inert product that looks like a pill and is identical to dimethyl fumarate capsules, but it contains no medicine.
Participants randomized to placebo will be instructed to take placebo twice a day with breakfast and dinner for a period of 4 months.
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Placebo capsules will be dispensed during routine study appointments.
Placebo will be dispensed in 1 month supply, so that compliance can be reconciled at monthly follow-up visits, and recorded in accountability logs.
Participants will be instructed to take the placebo with food, in the morning and at dinnertime.
If participants miss a dose, they will be instructed to resume their normal dose at the next scheduled time, and be instructed not to take an extra dose at their next dosing interval if they previously miss a dose.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
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Mean Change in Apnea Severity as Measured by the Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI)
Time Frame: Month 0 to Month 4
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For the 50 participants who had interpretable month 4 polysomnography (PSG) data available, mean change in sleep apnea severity, as measured by the mean change in respiratory disturbance index (RDI) between baseline (Month 0) PSG and Month 4 PSG, was calculated.
The RDI represents the total number of apneas, hypopneas and respiratory-related arousals per hour of sleep.
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Month 0 to Month 4
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Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
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Mean Change in Serum Cytokine Levels (Mean Difference of Log-transformed Values)
Time Frame: Month 0 to Month 4
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Levels of markers in the blood known as cytokines (measured in picograms per milliliter) were measured on a monthly basis from Month 0 (baseline) to Month 4. The outcome is the mean difference in cytokine level from baseline to month 4 (mean level at Month 4 - mean level at Baseline).
Values were log-transformed for normality, prior to analysis.
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Month 0 to Month 4
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Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Tiffany J. Braley, MD, MS, University of Michigan
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Scannevin RH, Chollate S, Jung MY, Shackett M, Patel H, Bista P, Zeng W, Ryan S, Yamamoto M, Lukashev M, Rhodes KJ. Fumarates promote cytoprotection of central nervous system cells against oxidative stress via the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 pathway. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2012 Apr;341(1):274-84. doi: 10.1124/jpet.111.190132. Epub 2012 Jan 20.
- Aloia MS, Stanchina M, Arnedt JT, Malhotra A, Millman RP. Treatment adherence and outcomes in flexible vs standard continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Chest. 2005 Jun;127(6):2085-93. doi: 10.1378/chest.127.6.2085.
- Vgontzas AN, Bixler EO, Tan TL, Kantner D, Martin LF, Kales A. Obesity without sleep apnea is associated with daytime sleepiness. Arch Intern Med. 1998 Jun 22;158(12):1333-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.158.12.1333.
- Vgontzas AN, Zoumakis E, Lin HM, Bixler EO, Trakada G, Chrousos GP. Marked decrease in sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea by etanercept, a tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonist. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Sep;89(9):4409-13. doi: 10.1210/jc.2003-031929.
- Thomas KS, Motivala S, Olmstead R, Irwin MR. Sleep depth and fatigue: role of cellular inflammatory activation. Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Jan;25(1):53-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2010.07.245. Epub 2010 Jul 23.
- Aihara K, Oga T, Chihara Y, Harada Y, Tanizawa K, Handa T, Hitomi T, Uno K, Mishima M, Chin K. Analysis of systemic and airway inflammation in obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Breath. 2013 May;17(2):597-604. doi: 10.1007/s11325-012-0726-y. Epub 2012 Jun 7.
- Tam CS, Wong M, McBain R, Bailey S, Waters KA. Inflammatory measures in children with obstructive sleep apnoea. J Paediatr Child Health. 2006 May;42(5):277-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2006.00854.x.
- Ursavas A, Karadag M, Rodoplu E, Yilmaztepe A, Oral HB, Gozu RO. Circulating ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Respiration. 2007;74(5):525-32. doi: 10.1159/000097770. Epub 2006 Dec 4.
- Cofta S, Wysocka E, Dziegielewska-Gesiak S, Michalak S, Piorunek T, Batura-Gabryel H, Torlinski L. Plasma selectins in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013;756:113-9. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-4549-0_15.
- Htoo AK, Greenberg H, Tongia S, Chen G, Henderson T, Wilson D, Liu SF. Activation of nuclear factor kappaB in obstructive sleep apnea: a pathway leading to systemic inflammation. Sleep Breath. 2006 Mar;10(1):43-50. doi: 10.1007/s11325-005-0046-6.
- Walsh JA, Duffin KC, Crim J, Clegg DO. Lower frequency of obstructive sleep apnea in spondyloarthritis patients taking TNF-inhibitors. J Clin Sleep Med. 2012 Dec 15;8(6):643-8. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.2254.
- Braley TJ, Segal BM, Chervin RD. Sleep-disordered breathing in multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2012 Aug 28;79(9):929-36. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318266fa9d. Epub 2012 Aug 15.
- Gerdes S, Shakery K, Mrowietz U. Dimethylfumarate inhibits nuclear binding of nuclear factor kappaB but not of nuclear factor of activated T cells and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta in activated human T cells. Br J Dermatol. 2007 May;156(5):838-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.07779.x. Epub 2007 Mar 23.
- Stoof TJ, Flier J, Sampat S, Nieboer C, Tensen CP, Boorsma DM. The antipsoriatic drug dimethylfumarate strongly suppresses chemokine production in human keratinocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Br J Dermatol. 2001 Jun;144(6):1114-20. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2001.04220.x.
- Wierinckx A, Breve J, Mercier D, Schultzberg M, Drukarch B, Van Dam AM. Detoxication enzyme inducers modify cytokine production in rat mixed glial cells. J Neuroimmunol. 2005 Sep;166(1-2):132-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2005.05.013.
- Vandermeeren M, Janssens S, Borgers M, Geysen J. Dimethylfumarate is an inhibitor of cytokine-induced E-selectin, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 expression in human endothelial cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1997 May 8;234(1):19-23. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.1997.6570.
- Wallbrecht K, Drick N, Hund AC, Schon MP. Downregulation of endothelial adhesion molecules by dimethylfumarate, but not monomethylfumarate, and impairment of dynamic lymphocyte-endothelial cell interactions. Exp Dermatol. 2011 Dec;20(12):980-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2011.01376.x. Epub 2011 Oct 13.
- Meissner M, Valesky EM, Kippenberger S, Kaufmann R. Dimethyl fumarate - only an anti-psoriatic medication? J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2012 Nov;10(11):793-801. doi: 10.1111/j.1610-0387.2012.07996.x. Epub 2012 Aug 17. English, German.
- Braley TJ, Huber AK, Segal BM, Kaplish N, Saban R, Washnock-Schmid JM, Chervin RD. A randomized, subject and rater-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of dimethyl fumarate for obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep. 2018 Aug 1;41(8). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsy109.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start
Primary Completion (Actual)
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Estimate)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
- Nervous System Diseases
- Respiratory Tract Diseases
- Respiration Disorders
- Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic
- Dyssomnias
- Sleep Wake Disorders
- Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory
- Sleep Apnea Syndromes
- Sleep Apnea, Obstructive
- Apnea
- Physiological Effects of Drugs
- Immunosuppressive Agents
- Immunologic Factors
- Dermatologic Agents
- Dimethyl Fumarate
Other Study ID Numbers
- HUM00080121
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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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