Desloratadine to Prevent Taxane-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Breast Cancer (DETOXp)

May 28, 2026 updated by: Montefiore Medical Center

Desloratadine to Prevent Taxane-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Breast Cancer (DETOXp)

This is a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial that aims to study if desloratadine can reduce rates of peripheral neuropathy development in patients with breast cancer receiving taxane chemotherapy. Researchers will compare desloratadine to a placebo (look-alike substance with no drug) and use validated neurotoxicity and quality of life questionnaires to determine if desloratadine can be used to prevent or make taxane induced peripheral neuropathy (TPIN) symptoms better.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Taxanes are frequently incorporated in first line chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer. Although taxane induces peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) is among the most common side effects of taxane treatment, currently there are no therapies that have consistently proven to be effective in preventing TIPN. TIPN involves a complex interplay of mechanisms which are not yet fully understood. However, neuroinflammation has been shown to be a critical component of the pathophysiology of TIPN. As a result, the discovery of novel therapies that can safely and efficiently attenuate the inflammatory drivers of TIPN and thus prevent the onset of bothersome and potentially disabling neuropathy, represents a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of breast cancer patients.

Desloratadine has shown promise for preventing TIPN in animal models, but based on available information has not yet been tested in humans. This study aims to build on this research by investigating the efficacy of desloratadine in preventing and ameliorating TIPN symptoms as assessed by validated neurotoxicity and quality of life questionnaires. Additionally, this study seeks to expand current knowledge about the role of inflammatory biomarkers as predictive markers of TIPN development. This study will investigate a broad subset of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines, many of which have been previously shown to be mediated by the Histamine H1 Receptor (HRH1) and 5-HT 2A /c-Fos/NLRP3/IL-1β pathways. This study will measure histamine and nitric oxide levels, which have been show in-vivo to induce neuroinflammation and be upregulated in TIPN. This study will also assess nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurofilament light polypeptide (NF-L), which have protective, regenerative, nociceptive, and structural function in neurons. These biomarkers have shown to correlate with severity of TIPN, but thus far predictive utility is lacking and merits more research. Finally, this study aims to build upon current research regarding the human microbiome and its role in mediating inflammation and the onset of TIPN. Based on current knowledge, no prior study has investigated whether attenuation of chemotherapy induced inflammation via an antihistamine can prevent dysbiosis and help minimize the effect altered gut flora has on promoting further inflammation.

Desloratadine is a safe and inexpensive drug. This study is using 5mg PO dosing, every other day, because this is the standard dose used clinically for allergic rhinitis and chronic urticaria. Based on the effectiveness of loratadine in improving patient reported outcomes from vinca alkaloid induced neuropathy, and because of promising results of desloratadine in preventing and alleviating TIPN in mouse models, it is hypothesized that desloratadine will be an effective therapy to prevent TIPN in patients with breast cancer who receive adjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy regimens. Furthermore, it is also hypothesized that inflammatory biomarkers and gut microbiome signatures are associated with the development of TIPN. The effect of desloratadine in modulating such biomarkers will be monitored.

This double-blinded randomized controlled trial design will help mitigate bias in patient reported outcomes and clinician assessments. If the primary objective is met, desloratadine could potentially represent a safe, cost effective, and accessible strategy to prevent TIPN.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

116

Phase

  • Phase 2

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 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients must have histologically confirmed breast cancer, stage I-III as per the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition (Anatomic Staging)
  • Patients must be planned to receive taxane-based regimen for breast cancer (Adjuvant or neoadjuvant) of at least 12 weeks duration. Patients planned to receive taxanes in combination with other chemotherapy drugs (including platinums) are eligible. Patients planned to receive taxanes plus single or dual antiher2 therapy are also eligible. Patients planned to receive taxane-based regimen with immune checkpoint inhibitors are also allowed
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤2 (Karnofsky ≥60%)
  • Patients must have an adequate organ and marrow function as defined below:
  • absolute neutrophil count ≥1,000/microliter (mcL)
  • platelets ≥100,000/mcL
  • total bilirubin ≤ institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤3 × institutional ULN
  • Creatinine ≤ institutional ULN
  • Patients with a prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment does not have the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen are eligible for this trial
  • Patients with prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus are allowed if the patient has no peripheral neuropathy
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Legally authorized representatives may sign and give informed consent on behalf of study participants
  • Patients must not have received prior taxane or platinum therapy
  • Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test: serum or urine beta human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) within 14 days prior to first dose of study treatment
  • Potential fertile subjects must agree to use adequate contraception (double barrier methods of birth control or abstinence) prior to start of treatment, for the duration of treatment, and 28 days after last study medication dose. If male, must also agree to refrain from donating sperm during this period

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with prior diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy
  • Patients who received chemotherapy for the current breast cancer diagnosis before the planned taxane-based regimen
  • Patients who are receiving any other investigation agents
  • Patients with concurrent use of antihistamines during or for 2 days prior to the study period
  • History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to desloratadine
  • Patients with uncontrolled intercurrent illness or any other significant condition(s) that would make participation in this protocol unreasonably hazardous
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women are not allowed in the study
  • Patients who are taking probiotics
  • Patients who are using chronic laxatives or enema
  • Patients who used antibiotics within 4 weeks of registration

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

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Paclitaxel or Docetaxel for 12 weeks and Placebo
Drug: Placebo
Placebo daily PO for 12 weeks. Placebo is a lactose filler covered by a capsule.
Experimental: Desloratodine
Paclitaxel or Docetaxel for 12 weeks and Desloratadine
Drug: Desloratodine
Desloratadine 5mg PO every other day for 12 weeks. Desloratadine is a long- acting tricyclic histamine antagonist with selective H1-receptor histamine antagonist activity. Desloratadine inhibited histamine release from human mast cells.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)/Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG)-Neurotoxicity (NTX) Subscale Version 4 (FACT-GOG-NTX) neuropathy score
Time Frame: From baseline to after completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy

The patient-related-outcome based neurotoxicity will be assessed using the 11 items about neurotoxicity in the FACT/GOG-NTX questionnaire. For the FACT/GOG-NTX neuropathy, each item is scored from 0-4, and the neurotoxicity total score is the sum of the scores for the 11 items, and ranges from 0 to 44. Lower values of the FACT/GOG-NTX neurotoxicity total score indicate higher neurotoxicity.

The FACT/GOG-NTX neurotoxicity total score will be analyzed as a continuous variable. Proper transformation to improve normality will be used if needed. Change in FACT/GOG-NTX neuropathy score will be defined as the difference in score values between baseline versus after 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy.
From baseline to after completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of grade 2-4 TIPN assessed by treating physician
Time Frame: After completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy and at 24 weeks and 12 months after completing taxane chemotherapy
The rate of grade 2-4 TIPN will be assessed by treating physician using CTCAE V5.0 while on taxane treatment. Patients will be coded as having the event if grade 2-4 neuropathy occurred at any time during the observation period. Patients without neuropathy or with maximum of grade 1 neuropathy will be coded as having no event. Of note, only neuropathy with a treatment relationship classified as possibly, probably, or definitely will be considered as taxane-induced neuropathy, whereas neuropathy with a treatment relationship classified as unrelated or unlikely will not be considered an event in the study design.
After completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy and at 24 weeks and 12 months after completing taxane chemotherapy
Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) survey score
Time Frame: After completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy
The PRO-CTCAE includes a two-item questionnaire that focuses on taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) in which each item is scored 0 to 4 and a three-item questionnaire that focuses on general pain in which each item is scored 0 to 4. Scores from the two questionnaires are composited yielding an overall possible scoring range of 0-20, such that higher scores represent a patient's self-reported experience of the frequency, severity, and impact of neuropathy and pain on daily activities.
After completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy
Change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group - Neurotoxicity (FACT-GOG-NTX) quality of life survey score
Time Frame: From baseline to the completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy
The FACT/GOG-NTX quality of life survey score contains 27 questions evaluating 4 domains of quality of life. Each question is scored 0 to 4. The physical wellbeing domain has 7 questions, and the total score ranges from 0-28. The social family well-being domain has 7 questions, and the total score ranges from 0-28. The emotional well-being domain has 6 questions, and the total score ranges from 0-24. The functional well-being score has 7 questions, and the total score ranges from 0-28. The total score for each domain will be summarized and reported as a continuous variable. Researchers will define change in each domain score as the difference in score values between baseline vs. after 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy.
From baseline to the completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy
Change in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) 29 v2.1 survey score
Time Frame: From baseline to the completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy

The PROMIS 29 survey contains items from seven PROMIS domains (Depression, Anxiety, Physical Function, Pain Interference, Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities). The PROMIS-29 assesses 7 domains with 4 questions each. There is an additional question that assesses pain intensity 0-10 on numeric rating scale.

Tables in the protocol will be used to translate the total raw score into a T-score for each participant. The T-score rescales the raw score into a standardized T-score with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation (SD) of 10. Therefore, a person with a T-score of 40 is one SD below the mean.
From baseline to the completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy
European Organisation of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ) - Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy twenty-item scale (CIPN20) (EORTC QLQ CIPN20) survey score
Time Frame: 12 weeks after the completion of taxane chemotherapy
The EORTC CIPN20 survey contains 20 items that address neuropathy symptoms using a 4-point Likert type scale (1 = "not at all," 2 = "a little," 3 = "quite a bit," and 4 = "very much"). based on 7-day recall. Given that the patient population in the study is expected to be predominately female and have significant heterogeneity in motor vehicle use, items 19 ("Did you have difficulty using the pedals?") and 20 ("Did you have difficulty getting or maintaining an erection?") will be omitted. The assessment thus can be divided into three subscales: sensory (9 items), motor (7 items), and autonomic symptoms (2 items). Each subscale is converted into a score ranging from 1-36, 1-28, and 1-8, respectively. All scales are linearly converted to a 0-100 total score where a higher score indicates worse symptoms.
12 weeks after the completion of taxane chemotherapy
Rate of permanent discontinuation of taxane due to TIPN
Time Frame: From baseline up to week 12 of taxane chemotherapy
The rate of permanent discontinuation of taxane will be calculated as the percentage of patients who discontinue taxane chemotherapy before 12 weeks due to TIPN. Results will be summarized by study arm.
From baseline up to week 12 of taxane chemotherapy
Rate of taxane dose interruption or dose reduction due to TIPN
Time Frame: From baseline up to week 12 of taxane chemotherapy
The rate of taxane dose interruption or dose reduction will be calculated by the percentage of patients who experience taxane dose interruption or reduction due to TIPN before 12 weeks of taxane treatment. Results will be summarized by study arm.
From baseline up to week 12 of taxane chemotherapy
Rate of pathological complete response (pCR)
Time Frame: After completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy
The rate of pathological complete response will be evaluated using the safety of adding desloratadine to taxane-based regimens on breast cancer outcomes. Pathological complete response(pCR), defined as no evidence of invasive carcinoma on breast or axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (ypT0/Tis,ypN0), proposed as a surrogate of overall survival, will be summarized by study arm.
After completion of 12 weeks of taxane chemotherapy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Montefiore Medical Center

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jesus R Anampa, MD, MS, Montefiore Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 31, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 31, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

August 7, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 28, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025-16651

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

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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