It was an open label study to evaluate safety, tolerability and brain microglia response in participants with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) following multiple doses of BLZ945.
The purpose of the study was to identify a dose (or doses) of BLZ945, that measurably decrease(s) 18 KDa Translocator Protein (TSPO) binding in the brain of participants with ALS. The study also aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of BLZ945 in participants with ALS at different doses and dosing regimens, and safety related effects on extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation. This was an exploratory, adaptive , open label study of approximately 16 participants in cohorts of 4 participants per cohort at increasing doses of BLZ945 with the last dose determined after the completion of cohorts 1 to 3. Each cohort received treatment for 4 days and continued with a 32 day follow up period with an end of study visit at day 36. After completion of the 4 initial cohorts a fifth cohort was initiated with two parallel arms receiving BLZ945 for up to 12 weeks at two different treatment regimens, either once weekly or 4 days of treatment followed by 10 days off drug.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
28
Investigational drug capsules taken orally or via enteral infusion
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Novartis Investigative Site
Turku, Finland
Novartis Investigative Site
Stockholm, Sweden
Cohorts 1-4 : Change From Baseline in Volume of Distribution (Vt) in Different Brain Regions for [11C]-PBR28 PET Scan
\[11C\]-PBR28 is a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer for the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) that is used to image neuroinflammation in vivo. \[11C\]PBR28 imaging was used to measure microglial volume at baseline and after BLZ945 treatment in ALS participants. Relative % change from baseline in volume of distribution (Vt) of \[11C\]-PBR28 in different brain regions after BLZ945 treatment
Time frame: Baseline, day 5
Cohort 5 (PET Sub-study): Change From Baseline in Volume of Distribution (Vt) in Different Brain Regions for [11C]-PBR28 PET Scan
\[11C\]-PBR28 is a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer for the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) that is used to image neuroinflammation in vivo. \[11C\]PBR28 imaging was used to measure microglial volume at baseline and after BLZ945 treatment in ALS participants. Relative % change from baseline in volume of distribution (Vt) of \[11C\]-PBR28 in different brain regions after BLZ945 treatment
Time frame: Baseline, day 84
Cohort 5: Change From Baseline in Esophageal Wall Thickness
Mean change from baseline in esophageal wall thickness measured in mm
Time frame: Baseline, Day 84
Cohort 5: Cardiac Valve Thickness at Day 84 Compared to Baseline
Cardiac valve thickness on a three point ordinal scale. Categorized by imaging vendor into three semiquantitative (normal, mild-moderate and severe) categories
Time frame: Baseline, Day 84
Cohort 5: Cardiac Valve Stenosis at Day 84 Compared to Baseline
Cardiac valve stenosis on a four point ordinal scale. Categorized by imaging vendor into four semiquantitative (normal, mild, moderate and severe) categories
Time frame: Baseline, Day 84
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Cohort 5: Cardiac Valve Regurgitation Severity at Day 84 Compared to Baseline
Cardiac valve regurgitation severity on a four point ordinal scale. Categorized by imaging vendor into four semiquantitative (normal, mild, moderate and severe) categories
Time frame: Baseline, Day 84
Cohort 5: Change From Baseline in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF)
Mean change from baseline in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction. LVEF is defined as the percentage of blood volume ejected from the left ventricle during systole (contraction phase) relative to the total volume of blood present in the ventricle at the end of diastole (relaxation phase).
Time frame: Baseline, day 84
Cohort 5: Adverse Events Related to Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Accumulation
Number of patients with adverse events related to ECM accumulation
Time frame: Up to Day 84
Cohorts 1-5: Plasma Pharmacokinetics (PK) of BLZ945 - Cmax
Measured by Cmax - The maximum plasma concentration of BLZ945
Time frame: Cohort 1-4: Pre-dose, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 and Day 4. Cohort 5: pre-dose, 1, 2 and 4 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 (Arm#2 only) and Day 4 (Arm#1 only)
Cohorts 1-5: Plasma Pharmacokinetics (PK) of BLZ945 - Tmax
Measured by Tmax - Time to Reach the Maximum Concentration After Drug Administration of BLZ945. Actual recorded sampling times were taken into consideration for the calculation of PK parameters.
Time frame: Cohort 1-4: Pre-dose, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 and Day 4. Cohort 5: pre-dose, 1, 2 and 4 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 (Arm#2 only) and Day 4 (Arm#1 only)
Cohorts 1-5: Plasma Pharmacokinetics (PK) of BLZ945 - AUC
Measured by AUC - Area under the curve of BLZ945 AUC0-24h is the AUC calculated from time zero to 24 hours after dosing (end of a dosing interval). AUClast is the AUC from time zero to the last measurable concentration sampling time.
Time frame: Cohort 1-4: Pre-dose, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 and Day 4. Cohort 5: pre-dose, 1, 2 and 4 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 (Arm#2 only) and Day 4 (Arm#1 only)
Cohorts 1-4: Plasma Pharmacokinetics (PK) of BLZ945 - T1/2
Measured by T1/2 - The elimination half-life of BLZ945
Time frame: Cohort 1-4: Pre-dose, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 and Day 4.
Cohorts 1-4: Renal Clearance (CLR) of BLZ945
Urine renal clearance (CLR) of BLZ945
Time frame: pre-dose, 0-4, 4-8, 8-12 and 12-24 hours after BLZ945 dosing on Day 1 and Day 4
Cohorts 1-5: Number of Patients With Adverse Events (AEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)
Incidence and severity of AEs and SAEs by treatment group. AE grades to characterize the severity of the AEs were based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5. For CTCAE, Grade 1 = mild; Grade 2 = moderate; Grade 3 = severe; Grade 4 = life-threatening; Grade 5 = death related to AE
Time frame: From first dose of study treatment up to 32 days after last dose (Day 36) for Cohorts 1-4 and up to 4 weeks after last dose (Day 330) for Cohort 5. *Maximum duration of exposure in Cohort 5 was 302 days. 302 + 28 days of FU=330 days