PHOMS Study is a randomized, controlled, open-label, prospective, and multicentric clinical trial involving outpatients diagnosed with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS) or Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). The primary objective is the safety profile assessment of the investigational intervention (Extracorporeal Photopheresis -ECP) and its preliminary efficacy evaluation, while the secondary objective is the assessment of the immune response profile in MS patients.
PHOMS patients will be randomly allocated (2:1) in a parallel assignment involving two groups of participants: Group A (Experimental group, n = 30): ECP plus Multiple Sclerosis (MS) standard of care, or Group B (Control group, n = 15) receiving MS standard of care alone. The PHOMS Study standard of care is defined by Disease-modifying Therapy (DMT) recommended by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The Study will be conducted within Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) and Yas Clinic Khalifa City (YCKC) Hospital, including patient assessment and inclusion, randomization, ECP procedures (Group A), and follow-up consultations, according to the approved Protocol and Good Clinical Practices (GCPs) principles. The primary objective is the safety profile assessment of the investigational intervention (ECP), to be assessed by procedure tolerability, the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), adverse events of special interest (AESIs), and serious adverse events (SAEs) according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v5.0), and the World Health Organization - Uppsala Monitoring Center (WHO-UMC) causality assessment system. The ECP preliminary efficacy assessment, as another primary objective, will be assessed by the proportion of subjects with no evidence of disease progression at 1 year; while the secondary objective is the assessment of the immune response profile in MS patients. All subjects will undergo longitudinal Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), 25-foot walk ambulation test, 9-hole peg test, and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) testing at baseline and every 3 months through 1 year. Blood will be collected for immunological testing at baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12; and subjects will also undergo neuroimaging with brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at baseline, and months 6 and 12 following initiation of treatment, while Chest X-Ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), and echocardiogram can be required at the discretion of the Investigator. The trial is approved by the institutional Research Ethics Committees (RECs), and written informed consent will be obtained from all patients. PHOMS Study will be conducted following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) GCP Guidelines. The authors are responsible for designing the trial and for compiling and analyzing the data.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
15
ECP procedures will be performed using a Therakos Cellex integrated, closed photopheresis system (Therakos, Inc., a Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Company). ECP will administered according to the following schedule (Group A): Weeks 1-8: Twice per week (16 sessions). Weeks 9-16: Once per week (8 sessions). Weeks 17-24: Once every 2 weeks (4 sessions). Total: 28 sessions (within 24 weeks).
Disease-modifying Therapy -DMT, recommended by the American Academy of Neurology -AAN
Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center
Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates
Tolerability to ECP procedures (Group A patients)
Proportion of patients tolerating the ECP procedures reaching the cycles' goal.
Time frame: Weeks 0-24
Incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), adverse events of special interest (AESIs), and serious adverse events (SAEs)
Proportion of patients referring TEAEs, AESIs, and SAEs assessed by CTCAE v5.0.
Time frame: Weeks 0-52
Tolerability to TEAEs, AESIs, and SAEs
Proportion of patients tolerating TEAEs, AESIs, and SAEs, and finalizing the Study
Time frame: Weeks 0-52
Clinical improvement (25-foot walk)
Proportion of patients with clinical improvement from baseline in 20% or greater increase in the timed 25-foot walk
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
Clinical improvement (9-hole peg test)
Proportion of patients with clinical improvement from baseline in 20% or greater increase in the 9-hole peg test
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
Clinical improvement (36-Item Short Form Survey)
Proportion of patients with clinical improvement from baseline in 20% or greater increase in the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36)
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
Clinical improvement (EDSS baseline low score)
Proportion of patients with clinical improvement from baseline in 1 point or greater increase in EDSS score (in subjects with baseline EDSS scores between 3 and 5.5)
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
Clinical improvement (EDSS baseline high score)
Proportion of patients with clinical improvement from baseline in 0.5 point or greater increase in EDSS score (in subjects with baseline EDSS scores ≥ than 6)
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
Occurrence of clinical relapse at any point in the study
Proportion of patients demonstrating new or recurrent neurological symptoms consistent with MS, symptoms last 24 to 48 hours, or development of new MS symptoms over days to weeks
Time frame: Weeks 0-52
Immune response profile (cellular)
Analysis of the biomarkers CD3, CD4, CD8, CD11c, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD20, CD25, CD27, CD28, CD38, CD45, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD56, CD57, CD66b, CD123, CD127, CD161, CD294, CCR4, CCR6, CCR7, CXCR3, CXCR5, for identification of immune cells and subsets analysis
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
Immune response profile (humoral)
IgG, IgA, IgM levels will be assessed for characterization of the humoral response profile
Time frame: Baseline, months 3, 6, 9, and 12
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