Brief Summary(Use lay language. Include a statement of the study hypothesis.): Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common childhood cardiomyopathy and is associated with significant early morbidity and mortality. Those who fail to improve within the first year of diagnosis usually deteriorated even upon aggressive anti-congestive medications. Investigators had conducted precision-medicine-based approach to provide strategic approach as drug repurposing to identify new treatments. Investigators have identified the beneficial effects from a statin, simvastatin, to restore the cardiac contractility in the human induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from a DCM proband and the proband's father. The mutant mouse consequently confirmed the beneficial effects. The initial experience in the proband is promising. This clinical trial is to find out if simvastatin will benefit the cardiac function of DCM patients.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common childhood cardiomyopathy and is associated with significant early morbidity and mortality. About half of patients die or require heart transplantation within 5 years of diagnosis. The survival advantage from transplantation is limited, particularly in DCM infants.The medical therapy for DCM with heart failure includes anti-congestive medications and antiplatelet therapy. Those who fail to improve within the first year of diagnosis usually deteriorated even upon aggressive anti-congestive medications. Investigators have conducted precision-medicine-based approach to provide strategic approach as drug repurposing to identify new treatments. Investigators have identified the beneficial effects from a statin, simvastatin, to restore the cardiac contractility in the human induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from a DCM proband and the proband's father. The mutant mouse consequently confirmed the beneficial effects. The initial experience in the proband is promising. The proband was diagnosed as DCM with severe heart failure during infancy. Family screening identified that the proband's father had dilated left ventricle (LV) and low LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Genetic examination of this DCM family revealed that the proband and the proband's father had heterogeneous missense mutation. About 2 years after the disease onset, participants growth was slow, the LVEF remained poor and the NT-pro BNP level was high under aggressive anti-congestive medications. Because of the beneficial effects of simvastatin from in vitro study and in vivo animal study, off-label use of simvastatin was initiated after obtaining the parents' agreement. Participants general condition and cardiac condition 4 years after the disease onset and 1.5 years after the simvastatin therapy improved without adverse effects. The LVEF increased from 17.5% to 39.2% and the NT-pro BNP level dropped from 1200 to 363 pg/ml. Simvastatin is effective in lowing LDL and cholesterol, thereby to improve the outcome of patients with coronary arterial disease, familiar hypercholesterolemia, etc. For children, though the dosage range and the indication remain unclear, it had been used in children with various diseases. Simvastatin had been given in a small cohort of adult DCM. Patients treated with simvastatin had a lower New York Heart Association functional class compared with those receiving placebo. The LVEF also improved in the simvastatin group. This clinical trial is to find out if simvastatin will benefit the cardiac function of DCM patients.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
230
Simvastatin should be administered initially with the dose of 10 mg once daily for adult and 0.25 mg/Kg once daily for children. Dose of simvastatin will be increased to the dose of 20 mg once daily for adult and 0.5 mg/Kg once daily for children after the check at 3 months without adverse effects.
National Taiwan University Hospital
Taipei County, Zhongzheng District, Taiwan
RECRUITINGImprovement in left ventricular ejection fraction and NT-pro BNP (biomarker for left ventricular function))
The changes from baseline to completion of the study in the echocardiographic parameters for LV function, the left ventricular ejection fraction.The changes in the biomarker for left ventricular function(pro-BNP) from baseline to completion of the study will be evaluated by a repeated assessment. Preliminary data Our preliminary data from pediatric DCM population showed that the 1-year-, and 5-year transplant-free survival after diagnosis were 61.3%, and 45.2%. None of infant patients received heart transplant and the waitlist mortality were high. The proband patient was diagnosed as DCM at the age of 6 months. Two years after the diagnosis, participants cardiac condition was stagnant. Because of the beneficial effects of simvastatin from in vitro and in vivo animal study, off-label use was initiated after obtaining the parents' agreement. Participants LVEF increased from 17.5% to 42% and the NT-pro BNP level dropped from 1200 to 217 pg/ml.
Time frame: 2 years
Progression free survival and overall survival
Progression-free survival is measured from the date of starting treatment to the date of disease progression (increase of LVEF for 6% or prior pro-BNP for 10%), to death without progression, or to the last follow-up without progression.Overall survival is measured from the date of starting treatment in the study to the date of death, or to the last follow-up without death.Safety variables include toxicity grading, adverse events, and laboratory values.
Time frame: 2 years
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