EPA for Metastasis Trial 2 (EMT2)

A Randomised Placebo-controlled Phase III Trial of the Effect of the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) on Colorectal Cancer Recurrence and Survival After Surgery for Resectable Liver Metastases

A significant proportion of patients who undergo liver surgery to remove bowel cancer that has spread to the liver (metastases) develop disease recurrence and die from the disease. A previous small study (the EMT study) suggested a possible survival benefit in patients who took the naturally-occurring omega-3 fatty acid EPA (a fish oil supplement) before liver surgery. The EMT2 study is a larger study which will recruit 448 men and women with liver metastases from bowel cancer. Trial participants will receive either Icosapent Ethyl (pure EPA derived from fish oil) or placebo (dummy capsules). EMT2 will investigate whether patients who take this supplement before liver surgery and for up to four years after surgery, remain free of recurrence for longer than those who take placebo (dummy capsules)

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Colon Cancer; Liver Metastasis
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Icosapent Ethyl; Other: Placebo

Detailed Description

Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), it remains the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the UK. The majority of deaths from CRC are related to distant metastasis, predominantly to the liver. Overall 5-year survival following liver resection and adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) is, at best, 40-60%. Despite surgery with curative intent, up to 60% of patients develop recurrence within 2 years of surgery. The preliminary EMT study was a Phase II RCT of EPA 2 g daily in patients (n=88) undergoing liver resection surgery for CRCLM. Although there was no difference in the primary endpoint (tumour proliferation index), metastases from the EPA arm had a lower vascularity score (suggesting possible anti-angiogenic activity) than placebo-treated tumours. Although EPA (or placebo) treatment was limited to the pre-operative period, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were specified as exploratory end-points on the basis that oral dosing with EPA before liver surgery would provide tissue EPA exposure in the immediate peri-operative period with prolonged bioavailability in the post-operative period due to the slow tissue 'washout' kinetics of EPA. Survival analysis demonstrated that the median DFS in the EPA group was 22.6 months compared with 14.7 months in the placebo group. Any DFS benefit was explained by a reduction in CRC recurrence from 12 months after surgery onwards.

The EMT2 study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre, phase III trial of the omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) as the ethyl ester (icosapent ethyl [IPE; Vascepa®]) in patients undergoing liver resection surgery for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) with curative intent designed to determine whether EPA treatment improves Progression-Free Survival (PFS). A key secondary objective is overall survival (OS).

Investigators will recruit adult individuals listed for CRCLM resection with curative intent.

Randomisation will be 1:1 to receive either IPE capsules or placebo capsules. 4 capsules per day containing IPE (equivalent to 4 g EPA-ethyl ester [EE] daily) or 4 placebo capsules per day. Participants will start treatment a prior to CRCLM surgery and will continue to receive treatment for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 4 years post-liver resection. Participants are followed up for 60 days beyond the end of treatment.

Participants are clinically assessed 6 months post-operatively (from liver resection) and at 6-monthly intervals thereafter for disease progression/recurrence.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 418
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Mark Hull; Phone Number: 0113 343 8650; Email: m.a.hull@leeds.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Aintree, United Kingdom
    • Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Birmingham, United Kingdom
    • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
  • Cambridge, United Kingdom
    • Cambridge UniversityHospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Cardiff, United Kingdom
    • University Hospital of Wales
  • Leeds, United Kingdom
    • Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • London, United Kingdom
    • Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
  • London, United Kingdom
    • King's College London
  • Newcastle, United Kingdom
    • Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Nottingham, United Kingdom
    • Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
  • Sheffield, United Kingdom
    • Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Southampton, United Kingdom
    • University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
  • Oxfordshire
    • Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, OX3 9DU
      • Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
  • Royal Hampshire
    • Basingstoke, Royal Hampshire, United Kingdom, RG24 9NA
      • Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged ≥ 18 years
• Able to provide written informed consent
• Histological diagnosis of colorectal cancer with evidence of liver metastases
• Planned liver resection surgery for colorectal cancer liver metastases with curative intent, including repeat 're-do' colorectal cancer liver metastases surgery (a second independent resection for a separate colorectal cancer liver recurrence)
• Intention to receive IMP prior to colorectal cancer liver metastases surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous CRCLM surgery for the management of the current metastatic disease
• Incurable extra-hepatic metastases
• Current (in the last 2 months) or planned regular (>3 doses per week) use of O3FA-containing drugs or supplements, including Vazkepa®, Omacor®, fish oil and cod-liver oil supplements
• Fish/seafood allergy
• Diagnosis of hereditary fructose intolerance
• Soya or peanut allergy
• Inability to comply with trial treatment and follow-up schedule
• Known bleeding tendency/condition (e.g. von Willebrand disease)

• A previous malignancy within the last 5 years other than:

  • colorectal cancer
  • non-melanoma skin cancer where treatment consisted of resection only or radiotherapy
  • ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) where treatment consisted of resection only
  • cervical carcinoma in situ where treatment consisted of resection only
  • superficial bladder carcinoma where treatment consisted of resection only
• A previous malignancy where the patient has been disease free for ≤ 5 years
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women or women of childbearing potential not willing to use effective contraceptive measures. Women of childbearing potential are defined as fertile, following menarche and until becoming post-menopausal, unless permanently sterile
• Men defined as fertile (post-pubescent and not permanently sterile by vasectomy or bilateral orchidectomy) and not willing to use effective contraceptive measures if appropriate.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Icosapent Ethyl (EPA-EE); Soft gelatin capsules containing 1g pure EPA-EE equivalent to 914mg EPA-FFA. Administered as 4g per day to be taken as 2 capsules in the morning and 2 capsules in the evening.	Drug: Icosapent Ethyl; Composition: soft amber to light yellow, oblong gelatin capsules. One capsule contains 1g pure EPA-EE Dose: 4 capsules per day; Other Names: Vascepa
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Soft gelatin capsules containing light mineral oil. 4 capsules to be taken per day (2 in the morning and 2 in the evening).	Other: Placebo; Composition: soft, amber to light yellow, oblong gelatin capsules containing light mineral oil: Dose: 4 capsules per day

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Progression Free Survival (PFS)	PFS is defined as the time from randomisation to death (from any cause), first documented evidence of disease progression, new recurrence or clinical deterioration unequivocally due to disease progression	Minimum of 2 years follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Overall Survival (OS)	The time from randomisation to death, from any cause (key secondary endpoint)	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Safety and Tolerability of Icosapent Ethyl	The number of participants with treatment-emergent adverse events as defined by CTCAE v4.0	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Patient reported quality of life 1	Measured using the EQ-5D questionnaire	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Patient reported quality of life 2	Measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
Patient reported quality of life 3	Measured using the QLQ-LMC21 questionnaire	Minimum of 2 years follow-up
New Primary Cancers	Excluding DCIS, cervical carcinoma in situ, superficial bladder carcinoma where treatment consisted of resection only and non-melanoma skin cancer where treatment consisted of resection or radiotherapy only)	Minimum of 2 years follow-up

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Red Blood Cell Membrane EPA content (exploratory endpoint)	EPA content measured at baseline, surgery and 6 months after surgery. Samples taken at selected sites only	Samples taken at baseline, surgery and 6 months after surgery
Change in lean body mass (exploratory endpoint)	Change in lean body mass measured by CT scanning during follow-up as assessed by the L3 skeletal muscle index score. Scans reviewed from selected sites only	6 months and up to 4 years follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mark A Hull, PhD FRCP
• Collaborators: Yorkshire Cancer Research; Amarin Pharma Inc.
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Mark Hull, University of Leeds

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 2, 2018
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 8, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 9, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 6, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Colon Cancer; Liver metastases
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Liver Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Neoplastic Processes; Colorectal Neoplasms; Neoplasm Metastasis; Liver Neoplasms; Colonic Neoplasms; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Lipid Regulating Agents; Eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester
• Other Study ID Numbers: MO16/053

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES

IPD Plan Description

The datasets generated during the current study will be available upon request from the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the University of Leeds.

De-identified individual participant data datasets generated during the current study will be available upon request from the Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Leeds (contact CTRU-DataAccess@leeds.ac.uk in the first instance).

• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will be made available at the end of the trial, i.e. usually when all primary and secondary endpoints have been met and all key analyses are complete. Data will remain available from then on, for as long as CTRU retains the data.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data will be released for secondary research purposes, where the Chief Investigator, Sponsor and CTRU agree that the proposed use has scientific value and will be carried out to a high standard (scientific rigour and information governance and security), and that suitable resources are available. Data will be released in line with participants' consent, all applicable laws relating to data protection and confidentiality, and any contractual obligations to which the CTRU is subject. No IPD will be released before an appropriate agreement is in place governing data retention, usually stipulating that data recipients must delete their copy of the data at the end of the project.

The CTRU believes it is best practice for researchers who generated datasets to be involved in subsequent uses of those datasets. Recipients of trial data for secondary research will also receive data dictionaries, key trial documents and any other information required to reuse the datasets.

• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF; ANALYTIC_CODE; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: Yes