A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Potential Role of ACTH Gel in Patients With Scleritis

Status unconfirmed · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Scleritis

In brief

ATLAS study is a clinical trial to evaluate the potential role of subcutaneous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) gel in the management of non-infectious scleritis. Specifically, the ATLAS Study aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability and effect of 2 different dose regimens of ACTH gel administered by subcutaneous (SC) injection in patients with scleritis, over a period of 12 months. Scleritis is an inflammatory disease affecting the sclera (white outer coating of the eye), which causes blurring of vision, redness, tearing and painful ocular inflammatory episodes in one or both eyes. Scleritis may results in vision threatening ocular complications, if left untreated. Treatment of scleritis is usually chronic and requires systemic therapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy. Due to its treatment resistance nature, scleritis remains a therapeutic challenge for many ophthalmologists. H.P. Acthar Gel (ACTH Gel) is a highly purified preparation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in a gel that is designed to provide extended release of the ACTH following injection. It is a FDA approved treatment for flares or on a regular basis (maintenance) in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), infantile spasms, adults with acute relapses or flares of multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with kidney diseases, among other indications. ACTH Gel is also approved for a wide range of allergic and inflammatory diseases of the eye. Given the established role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of scleritis and the anti-inflammatory effects of ACTH Gel treatment by blocking various inflammatory pathways, a beneficial outcome could be anticipated from ACTH Gel treatment in patients with scleritis.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03465111

Run by

Metropolitan Eye Research & Surgery Institute

People needed

30

Starts

2019-01-01

Expected to finish

2024-12-08

Last updated by the study team

2023-10-23

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Adults, age ≥ 18 years;
• Able to give informed consent and attend all study visits;
• Have diagnosis of non-necrotizing scleritis determined by the Investigator to be non-infectious;
• Have active scleirits, defined as:
• Characteristic clinical presentation of active disease: painful inflammation, edema and tenderness to touch radiating to the forehead, the brow, the jaw, or the sinuses. Severity of pain associated with scleritis will be based on pain intensity, NRS scale.
• Scleral inflammation ranging from +1 to +3 as assessed by central reading center based on standardized scleritis grading scale.
• and:
• are receiving no other treatment; or,
• are receiving prednisone (or equivalent dose of another corticosteroid) and/or at least 1 other systemic immunosuppressant;
• Have anterior scleritis.
• Sufficient inflammation to require systemic treatment or long-term regional treatment.
• Subjects whom the investigators feel may only need short-term topical therapy should not be enrolled.
• Best-corrected visual acuity (ETDRS method) of 20/20 to 20/400 in the study eye;
• Best- corrected visual acuity (ETDRS method) of 20/400 or better in the fellow eye
• Must have a chest radiograph within 3 months prior to enrollment with no evidence of malignancy, infection or fibrosis.
• Females of childbearing potential must have a negative urine pregnancy test at screening. In addition, sexually active females of childbearing potential must agree to use TWO of the following adequate forms of contraception while on study medication: oral, injectable, or implantable hormonal contraceptives; tubal ligation; intrauterine device; barrier contraceptive with spermicide; or vasectomized partner.
• Males must agree to use barrier contraception (latex condoms) when engaging in sexual activity while on study medication and for 28 days after taking the last dose of study medication.
• Prior to study screening, potential subjects must have been evaluated and screened for infectious etiologies by the investigators, possibly as part of standard clinical acre; all testing to rule out infectious causes must be performed within 3 months of screening for the ATLAS study.
• Currently active and uncontrolled scleritis, that at the determination of the investigator, requires the initiation of corticosteroid monotherapy (or equivalent), or prednisone therapy and immunomodulatory therapy or injections of corticosteroid (periocular); or scleritis in subjects for whom oral corticosteroid is contraindicated, relatively or absolutely.
• Evidence of active non-infectious scleral inflammation that at the determination of investigator requires therapy. Such evidence can be documented by clinical examination, photography, or ancillary testing (e.g. B-scan ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography). As long as the investigator determines that the degree of inflammation can be monitored for regression or progression, the inflammation criterion can be met.
• Not planning to undergo elective ocular surgery during the first 6 months of the study.
• Subjects who have developed scleritis as ocular manifestation of an underlying systemic disease can be enrolled in the study only if the systemic therapy will not be altered throughout the study span. If at any point during the study, the ongoing systemic therapy needs to be altered (e.g. increase in the dose), the subject will have to exit the study.
• If scleritis is the initial manifestation of an underlying systemic disease, and the subjects need to be started on systemic therapy in the form of corticosteroids or immunomodulatory therapy for the underlying disease, then the subjects will not be eligible to participate in the study.
• Subjects with any or all of the following ocular complications associated with or secondary to scleritis may also be eligible for enrollment:
• Evidence of active anterior uveitis (defined as +1 cells or more in the anterior chamber or evidence of anterior vitreous inflammation on slit-lamp examination at presentation).

You may not qualify if…

• Any significant ocular disease that could compromise vision in the study eye. These include, but are not limited to:
• Diabetic retinopathy: proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) or non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) that compromise the vision.
• Age-related macular degeneration;
• Myopic degeneration with active subfoveal choroidal neovascularization.
• Advanced glaucoma status post trabeculectomy or tube/valve placement
• Any of the following treatments within 90 days prior to Day 0 or anticipated use of any of the following treatments to the study eye:
• Intravitreal injections (including but not limited to steroids or anti-vascular endothelial growth factors);
• Posterior subtenon's steroids.
• Intraocular surgery within 90 days prior to Day 0 in the study eye;
• Capsulotomy within 30 days prior to Day 0 in the study eye;
• Any known ocular surgery (including cataract extraction or capsulotomy) of the study eye anticipated within the first 180 days following Day 0;
• Presence of posterior scleritis as the only type of scleritis (without concurrent presence of any type of anterior scleritis;
• Intraocular pressure ≥25 mmHg in the study eye (glaucoma subjects maintained on no more than 2 topical medications with IOP <25 mmHg are allowed to participate);
• Pupillary dilation inadequate for quality stereoscopic fundus photography in the study eye;
• Media opacity that would limit clinical visualization;
• Presence of any form of ocular malignancy in the study eye, including choroidal melanoma;
• History of herpetic infection in the study eye or adnexa;
• Presence of known active or inactive toxoplasmosis in either eye;
• Presence of ocular or periocular infection in either eye;
• Participation in other investigational drug or device clinical trials within 30 days prior to Day 0, or planning to participate in other investigational drug or device clinical trials within 180 days following Day 0. This includes both ocular and non-ocular clinical trials.
• Major surgery (including joint surgery) within 8 weeks prior to screening or planned major surgery within 6 months following randomization.
• Prior treatment with any cell-depleting therapies, including investigational agents or approved therapies, some examples are CAMPATH, anti-CD4, anti-CD5, anti¬CD3, anti-CD19 and anti- CD20.
• Treatment with intravenous gamma globulin, plasmapheresis or Prosorba column within 6 months of baseline.
• Immunization with a live/attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks prior to baseline.
• Previous treatment with ACTH within 3 months of day 0 of study visit.

Where it is running

• Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University — Palo Alto, California, United States (enrolling)
• Metropolitan Eye Research and Surgery Institute — Palisades Park, New Jersey, United States (enrolling)
• Foresight Studies, LLC — San Antonio, Texas, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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