This study aims at exploring the use of Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin in children and adolescents 6-18 years old with heart failure. These molecules are effective in reducing hospitalisations and mortality in adults with heart failure and are used in adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but little is known on children with heart failure. Particularly, the best dose to use in this population is currently unknown. This trial aims to: 1. define a dose rationale for this indication and age group (pharmacokinetic study), 2. assess and monitor safety, 3. assess ease-of-swallow, 4. explore middle-term (4-6 weeks) efficacy and efficacy markers. Participants will be asked to attend 4 study visits over 4-6 weeks, and one end-study visit 2-12 weeks thereafter. Visits 1 and 3 will entail an 8h day-hospital stay, while Visits 2, 4 and the end-study visit will be outpatient clinics (approximately 2h). Participants will be asked to take the studied drug once daily during the 4-6 weeks of the study period. All participants will take both Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin: 6 will start with Dapagliflozin first (Visits 1-2) and then switch to Empagliflozin (Visits 3-4), while 6 will start with Empagliflozin first (Visits 1-2) and then switch to Dapagliflozin (Visits 3-4). No comparison group is foreseen for this study.
Paediatric heart failure is a relevant healthcare issue, with almost 15'000 yearly hospitalizations just in the USA. Sadly, current heart failure therapy in Paediatrics is still unsatisfactory, with high in-hospital (7-26%), and 5-year mortality (30%-50%). Among the recent improvements in adult heart failure management, impressive is the discovery that Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin are able to reduce cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure by 25% on top of optimal medical therapy. Indeed, since 2021, they have been recommended as part of standard heart failure therapy. In the past, paediatric heart failure trials often failed, mainly because of suboptimal dose or inappropriate formulations and endpoints. This phase II.a, cross-over, open-label trial is designed to characterize pharmacokinetics (primary outcome), palatability, safety and explore potential efficacy markers (secondary outcomes) of Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin in 12 heart failure children, so to inform the design and performance of subsequent, state-of-the-art, high-quality efficacy trials. Participants will first receive Drug A (either Dapagliflozin, n=6, or Empagliflozin, n=6) during 3-5 weeks, followed by the other molecule (Drug B) for 2 weeks. They will have 4 visits, one end-study visit and 11-15 pharmacokinetic samples (depending on their weight). The timing of these samples will be optimized exploiting contemporary modeling and simulation techniques. Safety evaluation will occur throughout the study, while palatability will be evaluated at Visits 1 (Drug A) and 3 (Dug B), and efficacy markers at Visits 1, 3 and 4. Pharmacokinetic modeling will characterize primary and secondary pharmacokinetic parameters and allow to define the optimal paediatric dose, informing both current compassionate-care use and the design of future efficacy trials.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
12
Patients randomized to Group A will start with Dapagliflozin on Visit 1 and take Dapagliflozin once daily up to the day before Visit 3. Patients randomized to Group B will start Dapagliflozin once daily on the day of Visit 3, to be continued up to the day preceding Visit 4. Dose: * participants ≤12 year old: 5mg once daily p.o. (commercially available tablet) * participants \>12 year old: 10mg once daily p.o. (commercially available tablet)
Patients randomized to Group A will start with Empagliflozin on Visit 1 and take Empagliflozin once daily up to the day before Visit 3. Patients randomized to Group B will start Empagliflozin once daily on the day of Visit 3, to be continued up to the day preceding Visit 4. Dose: Empagliflozin 10mg once daily p.o. (commercially available tablet)
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV)
Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
University College London
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Pharmacokinetics 1: Dapagliflozin, respectively Empagliflozin half-life
This will be derived by pharmacokinetic analysis and modeling, basing on Dapagliflozin, respectively Empagliflozin, concentrations at the different time-points (5-6 samples \[according to weight\] at Visit 1, 1 opportunistic sample at Visits 2 and 3 for Drug A; 5-6 samples \[according to weight\] at Visit 3 and 1 opportunistic sample at Visit 4 for Drug B; the timing of the samples will be optimized with modeling \& simulation techniques).
Time frame: Visits 1-4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 2 = week 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Pharmacokinetics 2: Dapagliflozin, respectively Empagliflozin Volume of distribution
This will be derived by pharmacokinetic analysis and modeling, basing on Dapagliflozin, respectively Empagliflozin, concentrations at the different time-points (5-6 samples \[according to weight\] at Visit 1, 1 opportunistic sample at Visits 2 and 3 for Drug A; 5-6 samples \[according to weight\] at Visit 3 and 1 opportunistic sample at Visit 4 for Drug B; the timing of the samples will be optimized with modeling \& simulation techniques).
Time frame: Visits 1-4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 2 = week 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Pharmacokinetics 3: Dapagliflozin, respectively Empagliflozin AUC
This will be derived by pharmacokinetic analysis and modeling, basing on Dapagliflozin, respectively Empagliflozin, concentrations at the different time-points (5-6 samples \[according to weight\] at Visit 1, 1 opportunistic sample at Visits 2 and 3 for Drug A; 5-6 samples \[according to weight\] at Visit 3 and 1 opportunistic sample at Visit 4 for Drug B; the timing of the samples will be optimized with modeling \& simulation techniques).
Time frame: Visits 1-4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 2 = week 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Safety 1 - eGFR
Creatinine (respectively Cystatin C in DMD participants) will be collected in order to calculate eGFR (bedside Schwartz formula, respectively Filler equation).
Time frame: Visits 1-4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 2 = week 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Safety 2 - Occurrence of hypoglycemia
Blood glucose will be checked three times at Visit 1 and Visit 3 (baseline, at the time of 2nd PK sampling, which will be individualized but will be at approximately 2-3h post-intake, and before discharge at 8h post-intake), as well as once at Visits 2 and 4 (together with PK sampling). Outcome measure: number of patients experiencing hypoglycemia.
Time frame: Visits 1-4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 2 = week 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Safety 3 - Occurrence of ketoacidosis
The outcome is presence (or absence) of ketoacidosis. This will be assessed at Visits 1, 2, 3, and 4. Outcome measure: number of patients experiencing ketoacidosis.
Time frame: Visits 1-4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 2 = week 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Ease-of-swallow
Ease of swallow will be assessed by means of facial hedonic scales, according to our standard procedure, at Visit 1 (Drug A), and Visit 3 (Drug B). (Scale 1 to 4, 1 being the worse and 4 the best score: very difficult - difficult - possible - easy to swallow.)
Time frame: Visit 1, Visit 3 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5 after study start)
Efficacy and efficacy markers (exploratory) 1 - Heart failure severity class
Symptoms, clinical signs, NYHA (if \>8 years of age) / Ross (if \<8 years of age) class assignment. NYHA and Ross heart failure classes share the same scale of I (no limitation of physical activity) to IV (symptoms at rest). Analysis will be performed at Visit 1, Visit 3 and Visit 4. Outcome: change between Visit 1 and Visit 4.
Time frame: Visits 1, 3 and 4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Efficacy and efficacy markers (exploratory) 2 - NT-proBNP level
Analysis will be performed at Visits 1, 3 and 4. Outcome: change between Visit 1 and Visit 4.
Time frame: Visits 1, 3 and 4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Efficacy and efficacy markers (exploratory) 3 - Echocardiography 1: Left-ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd)
LVEDd (mm) will be measured at Visits 1, 3 and 4. Outcome: change between Visit 1 and Visit 4.
Time frame: Visits 1, 3 and 4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Efficacy and efficacy markers (exploratory) 4 - Echocardiography 2: Left-ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESd)
LVESd (mm) will be measured at Visits 1, 3 and 4. Outcome: change between Visit 1 and Visit 4.
Time frame: Visits 1, 3 and 4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Efficacy and efficacy markers (exploratory) 5 - Echocardiography 3: Fractional shortening (FS)
FS (%) will be measured at Visits 1, 3 and 4. Outcome: change between Visit 1 and Visit 4.
Time frame: Visits 1, 3 and 4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
Efficacy and efficacy markers (exploratory) 6 - Echocardiography 4: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF)
LV-EF (%) will be measured at Visits 1, 3 and 4. Outcome: change between Visit 1 and Visit 4.
Time frame: Visits 1, 3 and 4 (Visit 1 = day 1, Visit 3 = week 3 to 5, Visit 4 = week 4 to 6 after study start)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.