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A Study to Test Whether Two Different Doses of Avenciguat Help People With Liver Cirrhosis and High Blood Pressure in the Portal Vein (Main Vessel Going to the Live

Phase 2
Terminated
Conditions
Hypertension, Portal
Interventions
Drug: Avenciguat (BI 685509)
Drug: Placebo matching Avenciguat (BI 685509)
Registration Number
NCT05161481
Lead Sponsor
Boehringer Ingelheim
Brief Summary

This study is open to adults with liver cirrhosis and high blood pressure in the portal vein (main vessel going to the liver). The purpose of this study is to find out whether a medicine called Avenciguat helps people with this condition.

Participants are put into 3 groups randomly, which means by chance. Participants in 2 groups take different doses of Avenciguat as tablets twice a day. Participants in the placebo group take placebo as tablets twice a day. Placebo tablets look like Avenciguat tablets but do not contain any medicine.

Participants are in the study for about 8 months. During this time, they visit the study site about 14 times. At 3 of the visits, the doctors check the pressure in a liver vein. This is done with a catheter (a long thin tube) and gives information about the pressure in the portal vein. The change in blood pressure is then compared between the groups to see whether the treatment works.

The doctors also regularly check participants' health and take note of any unwanted effects.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
80
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Signed and dated written informed consent in accordance with International Council on Harmonisation-Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) and local legislation prior to admission to the trial

  2. Male or female who is ≥ 18 (or who is of legal age in countries where that is greater than 18) and ≤ 75 years old at screening

  3. Clinical signs of Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension (CSPH) as described by either one of the points below. Each trial patient must have a gastroscopy during the screening period or within 6 months prior to screening.

    • documented endoscopic proof of oesophageal varices and / or gastric varices at screening or within 6 months prior to screening
    • documented endoscopic-treated oesophageal varices as preventative treatment
  4. CSPH defined as baseline Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) ≥ 10 mmHg, based on a local interpretation of the pressure tracing

  5. Diagnosis of compensated alcohol-related cirrhosis. Diagnosis must be based on histology (historical data is acceptable) or on clinical evidence of cirrhosis (e.g. platelet count < 150 x 10^9/L [150 x 10^3/µL], nodular liver surface on imaging or splenomegaly)

  6. Abstinence from significant alcohol misuse / abuse for a minimum of 2 months prior to screening, and the ability to abstain from alcohol throughout the trial (both evaluated based on Investigator judgement)

  7. Willing and able to undergo HVPG measurements per protocol (based on Investigator judgement)

  8. If receiving statins must be on a stable dose for at least 3 months prior to screening, with no planned dose change throughout the trial Further inclusion criteria apply.

Exclusion Criteria
  1. Previous clinically significant decompensation events (e.g. ascites [more than perihepatic ascites], Variceal Haemorrhage (VH) and / or apparent Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE))
  2. History of other forms of chronic liver disease (e.g. non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), untreated Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), autoimmune liver disease, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Wilson's disease, haemachromatosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1At) deficiency)
  3. Has received curative anti-viral therapy with direct-acting anti-virals within the last 2 years for HCV, or, if such treatment was > 2 years ago and there is no sustained virological response (SVR) at screening, or, must take curative anti-viral therapy with direct-acting anti-virals throughout the trial
  4. Alcohol-Related Liver Disease (ARLD) without adequate treatment (e.g. lifestyle modification) or with ongoing pathological drinking behaviour (misuse / abuse based on Investigator judgement)
  5. Must take, or wishes to continue the intake of, restricted concomitant therapy or any concomitant therapy considered likely (based on Investigator judgement) to interfere with the safe conduct of the trial
  6. Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) < 100 mmHg and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) < 70 mmHg at screening
  7. Model of End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of > 15 at screening, calculated by the central laboratory
  8. Hepatic impairment defined as a Child-Turcotte-Pugh score ≥ B8 at screening, calculated by the site, using central laboratory results Further exclusion criteria apply.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Avenciguat (BI 685509), dose group 2Avenciguat (BI 685509)-
PlaceboPlacebo matching Avenciguat (BI 685509)Placebo
Avenciguat (BI 685509), dose group 1Avenciguat (BI 685509)-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Percentage change in Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) from baseline (measured in mmHg) after 24 weeks of treatmentat baseline, at week 24
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Response defined as > 10% reduction from baseline HVPG (measured in mmHg) after 8 weeks of treatmentat baseline, at week 8
Occurrence of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 3 (or higher) hypotension or syncope based on Investigator judgement, during the first 8 weeks of the treatment periodup to 8 weeks
Occurrence of discontinuation due to hypotension or syncope during the 24 week treatment periodup to 24 weeks
Response defined as > 10% reduction from baseline HVPG (measured in mmHg) after 24 weeks of treatmentat baseline, at week 24
Occurrence of discontinuation due to hypotension or syncope during the first 8 weeks of the treatment periodup to 8 weeks
Percentage change in HVPG from baseline (measured in mmHg) after 8 weeks of treatmentat baseline, at week 8
Occurrence of one or more decompensation events (i.e. ascites, Variceal Haemorrhage (VH), and/or overt Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE)) during the 24 week treatment periodup to 24 weeks
Occurrence of CTCAE grade 3 (or higher) hypotension or syncope based on Investigator judgement, during the 24 week treatment periodup to 24 weeks

Trial Locations

Locations (45)

Kitasato University Hospital

🇯🇵

Kanagawa, Sagamihara, Japan

Yokohama City University Hospital

🇯🇵

Kanagawa, Yokohama, Japan

National Hospital Organization Yokohama Medical Center

🇯🇵

Kanagawa, Yokohama, Japan

Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital

🇯🇵

Osaka, Osaka, Japan

Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital Bucheon

🇰🇷

Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, Republic of

Yonsei University Wonju Severance Christian Hospital

🇰🇷

Wonju-si, Gangwon State, Korea, Republic of

Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC)

🇳🇱

Leiden, Netherlands

ULS de Santa Maria, E.P.E

🇵🇹

Lisboa, Portugal

Regional Institute of Gastroenterology Hepatology "Prof. Dr. O. Fodor"

🇷🇴

Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Singapore General Hospital

🇸🇬

Singapore, Singapore

Hospital Vall d'Hebron-Barcelona-47683

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

Hospital Ramón y Cajal

🇪🇸

Madrid, Spain

Hospital Puerta de Hierro

🇪🇸

Majadahonda, Spain

Ospedale Regionale di Lugano

🇨🇭

Viganello, Switzerland

Taipei Veterans General Hospital

🇨🇳

Taipei, Taiwan

St Mary's Hospital

🇬🇧

London, United Kingdom

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

🇬🇧

Birmingham, United Kingdom

California Liver Research Institute

🇺🇸

Pasadena, California, United States

Inland Empire Clinical Trials, LLC

🇺🇸

Rialto, California, United States

Floridian Clinical Research-Miami Lakes-68368

🇺🇸

Miami Lakes, Florida, United States

Northwell Health Center for Liver Disease

🇺🇸

Manhasset, New York, United States

Medical University of South Carolina

🇺🇸

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

American Research Corporation at the Texas Liver Institute

🇺🇸

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires

🇦🇷

Caba, Argentina

Medical University of Innsbruck

🇦🇹

Innsbruck, Austria

AKH - Medical University of Vienna

🇦🇹

Wien, Austria

Edegem - UNIV UZ Antwerpen

🇧🇪

Edegem, Belgium

Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM)

🇨🇦

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Beijing Friendship Hospital

🇨🇳

Beijing, China

Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University

🇨🇳

Beijing, China

NanFang Hosptial

🇨🇳

Guangzhou, China

The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University

🇨🇳

Hangzhou, China

University Hospital Dubrava

🇭🇷

Zagreb, Croatia

Hvidovre Hospital

🇩🇰

Hvidovre, Denmark

HOP d'Angers

🇫🇷

Angers, France

HOP Rangueil

🇫🇷

Toulouse, France

Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

🇩🇪

Mainz, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Münster

🇩🇪

Münster, Germany

St. Josefs-Hospital, Wiesbaden

🇩🇪

Wiesbaden, Germany

Western Galilee Hospital

🇮🇱

Nahariya, Israel

ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda

🇮🇹

Milano, Italy

Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico di Modena

🇮🇹

Modena, Italy

A.O. Univ. Policlinico "Paolo Giaccone"

🇮🇹

Palermo, Italy

Poli Univ A. Gemelli

🇮🇹

Roma, Italy

Shin-yurigaoka General Hospital

🇯🇵

Kanagawa, Kawasaki, Japan

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