The Effect of Sorafenib on Portal Pressure
- Conditions
- Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension
- Interventions
- Drug: Placebo
- Registration Number
- NCT01714609
- Lead Sponsor
- Yale University
- Brief Summary
Sorafenib is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of unresectable (can not operate) liver cancer and for renal cell carcinoma. Sorafenib is a drug that inhibits the growth of cancer cells and prevents the formation of new blood vessels that would otherwise help the cancer spread.
Studies in experimental animals have shown that sorafenib may also lower portal vein pressure (the pressure of the blood passing from the intestine through the liver.) This study seeks to determine if sorafenib lowers the blood pressure in liver blood vessels (portal vein pressure) in patients with cirrhosis who have high portal vein pressure. The study will also obtain information whether sorafenib is safe in this patient population.
Half of the patients will be given sorafenib and half will be given a placebo (a pill without any medicine in it.) This allows a comparison of the reactions of people who take sorafenib to those who do not.
- Detailed Description
This is a pilot proof-of-concept study that investigates the effect of sorafenib on portal pressure, as determined by the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), in patients with liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that has successfully responded to radiofrequency ablation and/or transarterial chemoembolization, and have obtained a complete response.
The primary end-point of the study is the change in HVPG observed from baseline to three months after starting treatment with sorafenib. Secondary end-point is safety of sorafenib.
The trial is structured as a randomized double blind placebo controlled study. After a three-month period of therapy with sorafenib or placebo (double-blind phase), patients will be given open-label sorafenib for an additional 3-month period (open-label phase). A total of 44 patients will be randomized (in the initial phase) on a 1:1 ratio to sorafenib or placebo. Patients will be followed monthly and HCC follow-up will be according to standards of care. The study will be sponsored by Onyx, who will also provide the treatment medication (sorafenib and placebo)
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 10
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Sorafenib Sorafenib Subjects randomized to Sorafenib will take Sorafenib 400 mg by mouth twice daily. Placebo Placebo Subjects randomized to placebo will take two tablets of placebo by mouth twice daily.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Patients With Change in HVPG From Baseline Three Months Number of participants with a decrease in HPVG that was \> 10% of baseline
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (6)
Brigham & Womens
🇺🇸Boston, Massachusetts, United States
VA Medical Center West Haven
🇺🇸West Haven, Connecticut, United States
New York University Langone Medical Center
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
🇺🇸Houston, Texas, United States
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
🇺🇸Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Yale Cancer Center
🇺🇸New Haven, Connecticut, United States