A Pilot Study of the Thrombopoietin-Receptor Agonist Eltrombopag in Refractory Aplastic Anemia Patients

Completed · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Anemia, Aplastic, Anemia, Hypoplastic, Thrombocytopenia

In brief

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a life-threatening blood disease which can be effectively treated with immunosuppressive drug regimens or allogeneic stem cell transplantation. However, 20-40% of patients without transplant options do not respond to immunosuppressive therapies, and have persistent severe cytopenias, requiring regular platelet transfusions, which are expensive and inconvenient, and are a risk for further serious bleeding complications. Thrombopoietin (TPO) is the principal endogenous regulator of platelet production and also stimulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. A small molecule oral TPO-agonist, eltrombopag has been shown to increase platelets in healthy subjects and in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and received FDA approval in 2008 for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in ITP. This Phase 2, non-randomized pilot study of eltrombopag in aplastic anemia patients with immunosuppressive therapy refractory thrombocytopenia will test the safety and potential efficacy of eltrombopag treatment patients with refractory thrombocytopenia following immunosuppression for aplastic anemia. Subjects will initiate study medication at an oral dose of 50 mg/day, which will be increased up to 150 mg/day as clinically indicated to the lowest dose that maintains a stable platelet count 20,000/(micro)L above baseline while maximizing tolerability. Response will be assessed at 3-4 months. Platelet response is defined as platelet count increases to 20,000/L above baseline at three months. or stable platelet counts with transfusion independence for a minimum of 8 weeks. Erythroid response for subjects with a pretreatment hemoglobin of less than 9 g/dL will be defined as an increase in hemoglobin by greater than or equal to 1.5g/dL without packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion support, or a reduction in the units of transfusions by an absolute number of at least 4 PRBC transfusions for eight consecutive weeks compared with the pretreatment transfusion number in the previous 8 weeks. Neutrophil response will be defined in those with a pretreatment absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of less than 0.5 times 10(9)/L as at least a 100 percent increase or an absolute increase greater than 0.5 times 10(9)/L. Subjects with response at 3-4 months may continue study medication (extended access) until they meet an off study criteria. The primary objective is to assess the safety and efficacy of the oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-R agonist) eltrombopag in aplastic anemia patients with immunosuppressive-therapy refractory thrombocytopenia. Secondary objectives include the analysis of the incidence and severity of bleeding episodes, and the impact on quality of life.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT00922883
Run by: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
People needed: 43
Starts: 2009-05-29
Expected to finish: 2018-04-24
Last updated by the study team: 2020-10-20

Who can join

Age: 12 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may not qualify if…

Diagnosis of Fanconi anemia
Infection not adequately responding to appropriate therapy
Patients with a PNH clone size in neutrophils of greater than or equal to 50%
HIV positivity
Creatinine > 2.5
Bilirubin > 2.0
SGOT or SGPT > 5 times the upper limit of normal
Hypersensitivity to eltrombopag or its components
Female subjects who are nursing or pregnant or are unwilling to take oral contraceptives or refrain from pregnancy if of childbearing potential
History of malignancy other than localized tumors diagnosed more than one year previously and treated surgically with curative intent (for instance squamous cell or other skin cancers, stage 1 breast cancer, cervical carcinoma in situ, etc)
Unable to understand the investigational nature of the study or give informed consent
History of congestive heart failure arrhythmia requiring chronic treatment, arterial or venous thrombosis (not excluding line thrombosis) within the last 1 year, or myocardial infarction within 3 months before enrollment
ECOG Performance Status of 3 or greater
Treatment with horse or rabbit ATG or Campath within 6 months of study entry. Concurrent stable treatment with cyclosporine or G-CSF is permitted.

Where it is running

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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