Topical Sodium Nitrite in Sickle Cell Disease and Leg Ulcers

A Phase II Study of Topical Sodium Nitrite in Patients With Sickle Cell and Leg Ulcers

The investigators are conducting a Phase II prospective and placebo controlled study of a topical cream containing sodium nitrite compared to the current standard of care. Sodium nitrite is a local donor of nitric oxide, which is known to improve blood flow and decrease bacterial load in the ulcer bed. The primary objectives are to evaluate the safety of topical sodium nitrite cream treatment in patients with sickle cell disease and chronic leg ulcers and to determine its effectiveness in accelerating the healing process and decreasing the pain associated with ulceration.

Potential benefit will be a durable resolution or improvement of the leg ulcer and its associated pain. Possible side effects include decreased blood pressure and methemoglobinemia, secondary to sodium nitrite absorption through the ulcerated skin.

Funding source FDA OOPD.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Sickle Cell Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Placebo; Drug: Topical Sodium Nitrite

Detailed Description

Chronic leg ulcers are a complication of many blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and other red blood cell disorders. In these disorders, red blood cells break down earlier than normal, which researchers suspect may cause or contribute to the development of leg ulcers; however, the exact cause is unknown, and current therapies are not very effective. Researchers are interested in determining if a research cream made with sodium nitrite, a substance that is known to increase blood flow by dilating blood vessels, may speed up the healing of skin ulcers.

Investigators are planning to enroll fifty patients with sickle cell disease to be randomized and treated twice a week with sodium nitrite cream or a placebo for ten weeks. The following events will be compared in treatment and placebo arms: a) changes in blood pressure; b) changes in pulse oximetry; c) changes in methemoglobin levels; d) any adverse events; e) rate of sickle cell disease (SCD) related complications; f) changes in biomarkers of inflammation and other laboratory data such as complete blood count and chemistries.

In order to determine if topical sodium nitrite accelerates wound healing and decreases pain at the wound site compared to placebo in patients receiving similar levels of wound care, investigators will a) accurately measure and photograph ulcers at baseline, after a two week run-in period and at predefined time points during the study and compare treatment arm to placebo; b) pain scores at wound sites will be recorded and compared for the two groups, c) Investigators will calculate opioid intake in the two arms and d) quality of life measures before and at the end of the trial

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 18
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Bronx, New York, United States, 10461
      • Montefiore Medical Center - Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
      • Duke University Medical Center
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15260
      • University of Pittsburgh

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects must have a diagnosis of sickle cell disease (SS, SC, Sß-thalassemia, SD, SOArab)
• Have one or more ulcers of the one or both leg or foot
• Total surface area of leg ulcer(s) that will receive treatment must be no larger than 100 cm2
• No history of congenital methemoglobinemia
• Have documented normal Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exposure to therapeutic nitric oxide, L-arginine, nitroprusside or nitroglycerine within the past 1 week
• Subjects presenting with clinically diagnosed bacterial infection (e.g., osteomyelitis, pneumonia, sepsis or meningitis)
• Subjects who have a pre-existing methemoglobinemia (more than 3.5% on two different occasions)
• Patients who are currently enrolled in any other investigational drug study (this does not include observational or natural history protocols)
• Use of Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, such as sildenafil, 4 days prior to screening
• Pregnant women - urine or serum Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)+ or nursing mothers
• The following list of drugs and agents may cause methemoglobinemia and should be avoided while on this study:

Anesthetics (local): Benzocaine, procaine, prilocaine, Anbesol, Orajel Antimalarials: chloroquine, primaquine, quinacrine Aniline dyes Chlorates Dapsone Diarylsulfonylureas Doxorubicin Metoclopramide Nitric and nitrous oxide Nitrobenzenes (shoe and floor polish and in paint solvents) Nitroethane (artificial nail remover, propellant, fuel additive) Nitrofurantoin (furadantin) Pyridium (phenazopyridine) Phenacetin Phenylhydrazine Rasburicase Sulfonamides (sulfacetamide, sulfamethoxazole, sulfanilamide, sulfapyridine)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: control; patients will receive placebo and standard of care	Other: Placebo; Subjects will have Placebo applied to total ulcerated area. If a subject has more than one ulcer, all of them will be treated with placebo in this intervention.
Experimental: topical sodium nitrite; patients will receive 2% topical sodium nitrite cream and standard of care	Drug: Topical Sodium Nitrite; Subjects will have 0.1 cm of 2% sodium nitrite cream applied per 1 cm2 of the total ulcerated area. Areas will be rounded to the nearest 1 cm2. If a subject has more than one ulcer, all of them will be treated with either "study cream" in this intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of Tolerability (Methemoglobin Level)	Assessment of tolerability was determined by evaluating the change in methemoglobin level from baseline through the end of study at week 10. Samples were collected and Methemoglobin levels were measured by co-oximetry Results are summarized by study arm using basic descriptive statistics and expressed as a percentage of the total hemoglobin in the sample.	Baseline through last available measurement, up to 10 weeks
Change in Total Ulcerated Surface Area	Change in total ulcerated surface area from baseline was assessed through the last study visit at 10 weeks. Surface area measurements of the ulcer were obtained and photographed with defined lighting, distance, exposure, and camera type. Total ulcerated surface area measurements were obtained using digital planimetry and measuring the longest length and widest width of the ulcer(s). Results are summarized by study arm using basic descriptive statistics and reported in cm^2. Negative results are indicative of a reduction in group median total ulcerated surface area from baseline and positive results are indicative of an increase in group median total ulcerated surface area from baseline.	From Baseline through last study visit at 10 weeks
Change in Ulcer Pain	Change in Ulcer Pain from baseline through the last study visit at 10 weeks were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The VAS is a widely used tool to quantify subjective pain perception over time and in this study was used to determine the efficacy of the topical sodium nitrite. Participants were asked to mark a point on a line indicating the severity of their pain on a 0-10 scale, with "0" representing "No pain" and "10" representing the "Worst possible pain." A decrease in VAS score is indicative of a reduction in ulcer pain. Scores were summarized by study arm using basic descriptive statistics.	From Baseline through last study visit at 10 weeks
Number of Participants With Total Ulcerated Surface Area Reduction	The number of participants who achieved an objective reduction in total surface area of the ulcer of >= 25% from baseline is summarized and reported as a dichotomous ("No" or "Yes") variable.	From Baseline through last study visit at 10 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hydroxyurea Effect on Assessment of Tolerability	Hydroxyurea effect on Assessment of Tolerability, as determined by the change in Methemoglobin level, was conducted to evaluate the effect of hydroxyurea in combination with the topical sodium nitrite or placebo. Samples were collected and Methemoglobin levels were measured by co-oximetry. Study outcomes between participants with use of ("HU") and non-use of ("No HU") hydroxyurea are summarized as an increased or decreased percentage by study arm and analyzed using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney statistical testing.	From Baseline through last study visit at 10 weeks
Hydroxyurea Effect on Change in Total Ulcerated Surface Area	Hydroxyurea effect on Change in Total Ulcerated Surface Area was conducted to evaluate the effect of hydroxyurea in combination with the topical sodium nitrite or placebo. Surface area measurements of the ulcer were obtained and photographed with defined lighting, distance, exposure, and camera type. Total ulcerated surface area measurements were obtained using digital planimetry and measuring the longest length and widest width of the ulcer(s). Study outcomes between participants with use of ("HU") and non-use of ("No HU") hydroxyurea are summarized by study arm as an increase or decrease in total ulcerated surface area in cm^2 and analyzed using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and Fisher Exact statistical testing. Negative results are indicative of a reduction in group median total ulcerated surface area from baseline and positive results are indicative of an increase in group median total ulcerated surface area from baseline (with or without Hydroxyurea).	From Baseline through last study visit at 10 weeks
Hydroxyurea Effect on Change in Ulcer Pain	Hydroxyurea effect on change in Ulcer Pain was conducted to evaluate the effect of hydroxyurea in combination with the topical sodium nitrite or placebo. Ulcer pain assessments were conducted using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The VAS is used to quantify subjective pain perception over time and in this study was used to determine the efficacy of the topical sodium nitrite. Participants were asked to mark a point on a line indicating the severity of their pain on a 0-10 scale, with "0" representing "No pain" and "10" representing the "Worst possible pain." Study outcomes between participants with use of ("HU") and non-use of ("No HU") hydroxyurea are summarized by study arm as an increase or decrease in ulcer pain and analyzed using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney statistical testing. Negative results are indicative of a decrease in group median ulcer pain from baseline and positive results are indicative of an increase in group median ulcer pain from baseline (with or without Hydroxyurea).	From Baseline through last study visit at 10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: caterina P minniti
• Collaborators: Duke University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Caterina Minniti, M.D., Montefiore Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Minniti CP, Gorbach AM, Xu D, Hon YY, Delaney KM, Seidel M, Malik N, Peters-Lawrence M, Cantilena C, Nichols JS, Mendelsohn L, Conrey A, Grimes G, Kato GJ. Topical sodium nitrite for chronic leg ulcers in patients with sickle cell anaemia: a phase 1 dose-finding safety and tolerability trial. Lancet Haematol. 2014 Dec 1;1(3):e95-e103. doi: 10.1016/s2352-3026(14)00019-2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 6, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 24, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): November 24, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): August 11, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 7, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: wound healing; Sickle cell disease; Ulcer; sodium nitrite
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Hematologic Diseases; Skin Diseases; Skin Ulcer; Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital; Anemia, Hemolytic; Anemia; Hemoglobinopathies; Leg Ulcer; Anemia, Sickle Cell
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2016-6015; R01FD005729-01 (U.S. FDA Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No