Xolair Interventional Study in ASD Patients With Comorbid Atopy

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Overview

Following the publication of two case studies that reported behavioral benefit in ASD patients treated with omalizumab, the investigators will conduct a pilot trial to test the proof-of-concept efficacy of omalizumab in ASD patients with comorbid atopic disease. Investigators will evaluate behavioral improvement using three questionnaires. Investigators will also perform fMRI on all subjects and obtain serum samples for quantification of immunological biomarkers. If the trial is conclusive, the investigators will conduct a larger-scale, randomized-controlled trial to further understand the pathology of allergy in this subpopulation of ASD patients and the efficacy of this intervention.

This clinical trial is a Phase I, single-arm, open-label study. All 20 subjects will be given the same dosage of the study drug. Following baseline testing, subjects will undergo treatment during a 24 week treatment period and will receive six subcutaneous injections total, one injection every 4 weeks. A 24-week follow-up period after the treatment period will be concluded with patient interview. Behavioral questionnaires will be administered throughout the duration of the trial. fMRI will be conducted at baseline and at the conclusion of the treatment period. Blood will be drawn for serum testing at baseline, at Week 12 during the treatment period, and at the conclusion of the treatment period. Vitals and CGI will also be assessed throughout the trial.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Atopy

Interventions

Omalizumab Injection [Xolair]DRUG

300mg via 2 subcutaneous injections every 4 weeks

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 30 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion criteria: * Age between 18-30 years old. * Clinical diagnosis of ASD during childhood that is still active. * History of atopic diseases, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis. * Total serum IgE level ≥ 30 IU/ml and ≤ 400 IU/ml Exclusion criteria: * History of omalizumab use. * Subjects who have used oral or systemic steroid burst within 6 weeks of study enrollment. Subjects who are receiving a maintenance dose of Prednisone of 5 mg/day or less will be allowed provided the dose of Prednisone is not changed during the study. * Subjects actively taking the antipsychotic medication, Loxapine. * History of cancer or pre-cancer. * Subjects with active or unstable seizure disorder. * History or active signs of psychosis. * Body weight \> 90kg * For subjects who meet allergic rhinitis inclusion criteria, RCAT \>20 * IQ \< 70 * Adaptive Behavior Composite score \< 90, based on the Vineland 3rd Edition * Lactating or pregnant females. Xolair has not been sufficiently tested for safe use in pregnant females. * Subjects who are deemed by the study staff to be unable to cooperate with or understand the instructions that will be given during the study. * Subjects with severe medical condition(s) that in the view of a Physician Investigator prohibits participation in the study.

Locations (1)

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change from Baseline to Week 12 in Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Edition 2

Social communication and behavior - The scoring is based on T-score which is based on the sum of responses as follows (76 to higher - severe, 66 to 75- moderate deficiencies, 60 to 65 - mild deficiencies, 59 and below is not clinically significant for ASD).

Time frame: Baseline and Week 12

Change from Baseline to Week 24 in Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Edition 2

Time frame: Baseline and Week 24

Change from Baseline to Week 48 in Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Edition 2

Time frame: Baseline and Week 48

Change from Week 24 to Week 48 in Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Edition 2

Time frame: Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period) and Week 48 (follow-up)

Change from Baseline to Week 12 in Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC)

Social behavior test - The total score is calculated based on 5 sub-scales (Irritability, Social Withdrawal, Stereotypic Behavior, Hyperactive/Noncompliance, and Inappropriate Speech). There are 58 questions that are scored on a 0-3 scale 0 -"not at all a problem", 1- "the behavior is a problem but slight in degree", 2- "the problem is moderately serious" and 3- "the problem is severe in degree". Based on this sub-scores are calculated and added to get the total score.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Time frame: Baseline and Week 12

Change from Baseline to Week 24 in Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period)

Change from Baseline to Week 48 in Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 48 (follow-up)

Change from Week 24 to Week 48 in Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC)

Time frame: Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period) and Week 48 (follow-up)

Change from Baseline to Week 1 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Social Behavior Test - The total score is calculated by adding together the scores of 4 subtests (Speech/Language Communication, Sociability, Sensory/Cognitive Awareness, and Health/Physical/Behavior). This 67 question test will provide scores for each subtest and a total score, for which a higher score indicates greater symptom severity.

Time frame: Baseline and Week 1

Change from Baseline to Week 4 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 4

Change from Baseline to Week 8 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 8

Change from Baseline to Week 12 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 12

Change from Baseline to Week 16 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 16

Change from Baseline to Week 20 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 20

Change from Baseline to Week 24 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period)

Change from Baseline to Week 48 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 48 (follow-up)

Change from Week 24 to Week 48 in Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)

Time frame: Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period) and Week 48 (follow-up)

Secondary Outcomes

Inflammatory Marker Levels

Inflammatory marker serum concentration quantification (free IgE, total IgE, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, tryptase).

Time frame: Baseline, Week 12, and Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period)

Structural MRI

The software Freesurfer will be used to calculate volume of brain regions and diffusion parameters (e.g. fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) from structural T1 and diffusion tensor images respectively. Paired t-test will be used to compare brain volume at baseline and post-treatment.

Time frame: Baseline and Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period)

Functional MRI (resting state)

Correlation analysis will be used to calculate the connectivity across different brain regions. Paired t-test will be used to compare differences in activity at baseline and post-treatment.

Time frame: Baseline, and Week 24 (conclusion of treatment period)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7)

Anxiety symptom questionnaire - Scoring is based on how frequently the subject experienced 7 GAD-related symptoms in the last two weeks. Each question is rated on a 0-3 scale: 0 - "Not at all", 1 - "Several days", 2 - "More than half the days", 3 - "Nearly every day." Defined cutoffs will be used to define severity.