The purpose of this study is to determine whether Gilenya, also known as fingolimod, is safe and tolerable in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The primary objective of the study is to determine the acute safety and tolerability of oral administration of Gilenya (fingolimod) 0.5mg daily vs. matched oral placebo administered daily. The primary outcome measure will be safety and tolerability; safety will be assessed by the occurrence of adverse events and clinically meaningful changes in vital signs, ophthalmologic examination, physical examination, electrocardiogram and standard clinical laboratory blood tests, and tolerability will be defined as the ability of subjects to complete the entire 4-week study. The secondary outcome measure will be the measured effect of the treatment on circulating lymphocyte populations in patients with ALS. Exploratory outcome measures will include the rate of decline of the ALS Functional Rating Scale (Revised) (ALSFRS-R) and Slow Vital Capacity (VC) during the course of treatment. This study will be conducted in subjects who meet the El Escorial criteria of possible, laboratory-supported probable, probable, or definite criteria for a diagnosis of ALS. At screening, eligible subjects must be at least 18 years old, must have an SVC ≥ 65% of predicted capacity for age, height and gender, and must provide written informed consent prior to screening. Subjects on a stable dose of riluzole and those not taking riluzole, and women of child-bearing age at screening are eligible for inclusion as long as they meet specific protocol requirements. Subjects will remain on randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind treatment until the Week 4 visit. Each randomized subject will also have a Week 8 Follow-up Telephone Interview to assess for adverse events (AEs), changes in concomitant medications and to administer the ALSFRS-R.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
30
University of California, Irvine
Orange, California, United States
Georgia Regents University
Augusta, Georgia, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Methodist Neurological Institute
Houston, Texas, United States
ALSFRS-R Total Score at Weeks 0, 2, 4 and 8
The ALSFRS-R is a quickly administered (5 minutes) ordinal rating scale (ratings 0-4) used to determine subjects' assessment of their capability and independence in 12 functional activities. All 12 activities are relevant in ALS. Initial validity was established by documenting that in ALS patients, change in ALSFRS-R scores correlated with change in strength over time, was closely associated with quality of life measures, and predicted survival.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 2, Week 4 and Week 8
Change in Slow Vital Capacity Score (SVC)
The vital capacity (VC) (percent of predicted normal) was determined using the slow VC method. Vital Capacity is the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation. A subject's VC depends on their age, sex and height. The value is recorded as a percent of predicted normal.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 2, Week 4 and Week 8
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1)
Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1): Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs in the first second of a forced exhalation.
Time frame: Screening, Week 0, Week 2, and Week 4
Lymphocyte (T-Cell) Subset Trajectories
Gilenya (fingolimod) has been shown to successfully reduce circulating lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) by blocking their egress (exit) from the lymph nodes. A secondary objective of the study is to quantify the effect of the treatment on circulating lymphocyte populations in patients with ALS.
Time frame: Week 0, Week 2, and Week 4
Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1) / Slow Vital Capacity (SVC) Ratio
Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1): Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) is the amount of air which can be forcibly exhaled from the lungs in the first second of a forced exhalation. Slow Vital Capacity (SVC): Vital Capacity is the maximum amount of air a person can expel from the lungs after a maximum inhalation. A subject's VC depends on their age, sex and height. The value is recorded as a percent of predicted normal.
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Time frame: Screening, Week 0, Week 2, and Week 4