The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of IVIg administration in conjunction with primary motor cortex BBB opening using the Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) FUS in adult participants with ALS.
This study is a prospective, single-arm, open-label, multiple-ascending dose (MAD), phase I trial to evaluate safety, feasibility, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of enhanced delivery of IVIg 0.4 or 0.8g/kg to the primary motor cortex in 6 patients with ALS by using a single BBB opening procedure targeting the primary motor cortex in both brain hemispheres. Six participants will be enrolled in two sequential cohorts. The first cohort (n = 3) will receive 0.4g/kg of IVIg divided in two doses, while the second cohort (n = 3) will receive a 0.8g/kg of IVIg divided in two doses. In both cohorts, the second dose of IVIg will be accompanied by a single BBB opening procedure targeting the primary motor cortex in both brain hemispheres with focused ultrasound (FUS) using Next Generation Dome Helmet and intravenous microbubbles (DEFINITY®, Lantheus Medical Imaging Canada, Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada). This FUS procedure will occur during 2 weeks after the first dose administration. Follow-up visits will occur over the span of 24 weeks from the first dose.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
6
Two doses of IVIg will be administered 2 weeks apart. The first dose at Week 0 will be a standalone administration. The second dose at Week 2 will be combined with Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) Focused Ultrasound (FUS) blood brain barrier (BBB) opening.
Two doses of IVIg will be administered 2 weeks apart. The first dose at Week 0 will be a standalone administration. The second dose at Week 2 will be combined with Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) Focused Ultrasound (FUS) blood brain barrier (BBB) opening. Cohort I will receive 0.2g/kg of IVIg at each dose. Cohort II will receive 0.4g/kg of IVIg at each dose. Privigen® IVIg comes in vials containing 10% active ingredient. It is supplied in 2.5 g (25 mL bottle), 5 g (50 mL bottle), 10 g (100 mL bottle), 20 g (200 mL bottle) or 40 g (400 mL bottle). The IVIg dose will be determined based on the patient's ideal body weight.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RECRUITINGSafety of IVIg in patients with ALS
This will be assessed up through the incidence of drug-related adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations due to adverse events after Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) administration.
Time frame: During and after IVIg administration at Week 0 and Week 2 Day 1 until Week 24.
Safety of DEFINITY® microbubbles
This will be assessed up through the incidence of drug-related adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations due to adverse events after DEFINITY® infusion during focused ultrasound (FUS) blood brain barrier (BBB) opening.
Time frame: During and after DEFINITY® administration at Week 2 Day 1 until Week 24.
Feasibility of FUS BBB opening in the motor cortex
This will be measured as detectable gadolinium enhancement at the arm, leg and bulbar regions of the motor cortex bilaterally following FUS with posterior normalization.
Time frame: During and after Week 2 Day 1 FUS BBB opening until Week 24.
Safety of FUS BBB opening in the motor cortex
Incidence of BBB opening-related and FUS-related adverse events, serious adverse events, incidence of asymptomatic or symptomatic radiologic complication, such as evidence of bleeding or swelling after FUS, incidence of electrographic complication, such as epileptiform discharges on EEG, or accelerated ALS disease progression, defined as ≥ 6-point decline in the ALSFRS-R scores from Baseline to week 8.
Time frame: From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24.
Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid
Change in concentration of serum neurofilaments from Baseline to Week 24
Time frame: From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24.
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DEFINITY® Perflutren Injectable Microbubbles is an ultrasound contrast imaging agent that will be used for blood brain barrier opening during focused ultrasound. These microbubbles will be injected during the focused ultrasound procedure on the day of the second IVIg dose.
Inflammatory markers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid
Change in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood inflammatory markers, including but not limited to TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, CHIT1, CHI3L1, CHI3L2, TGF-β, IL-10, and CRP
Time frame: From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24.