Intranasal Insulin for Improving Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis

Phase 1

Completed

Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting
Multiple Sclerosis, Secondary Progressive
Multiple Sclerosis, Primary Progressive

Interventions: Drug: Insulin
Drug: Placebo (Sterile diluent)

Registration Number: NCT02988401

Lead Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University

Brief Summary: This study will evaluate if giving insulin that is administered in the nostrils (intranasal) is safe and tolerable for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is also being done to evaluate if intranasal insulin improves cognitive function in people with MS and to evaluate how it might be working.

Detailed Description: Cognitive impairment is common in and devastating to people with MS. MS is a common, chronic, central nervous system (CNS) disease characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and neurodegeneration. One of the most devastating symptoms of this disease is impaired cognitive function, which is common and present in over 60% of individuals with MS. MS-related cognitive impairment is associated with lowered quality of life and reduced functional capacity, including loss of employment, impaired social relationships, compromised driving safety, and poor adherence to treatment. Impaired cognitive functioning has been observed early in the disease, sometimes even before diagnosis, and cognitive function has been shown to decline longitudinally, both over the short- and long-term. Several cognitive domains are impacted in people with MS, including attention, memory, executive functioning, and especially processing speed.

To date, multiple pharmacologic interventions have been assessed with disappointing results. There was no significant difference between treatment and placebo for cognition in randomized control trials of donepezil, aminopyridines, gingko biloba, and memantine. Psychostimulants demonstrated some efficacy, but only in secondary outcome measures. Behavioral interventions show promise but are understudied. Furthermore, cognitive rehabilitation is often time consuming, costly, and not universally available. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify or develop novel therapies that can help improve cognitive function in MS.

Intranasal insulin is extremely safe and tolerable in other populations, allowing for concentrated delivery to the nervous system. An intranasal delivery system provides a non-invasive way to bypass the blood-brain barrier and allow rapid delivery of a medication to the CNS via the olfactory and trigeminal perivascular channels.The main advantage of the delivery system is reducing systemic side effects via limiting a medication's exposure to peripheral organs and tissues.

Insulin administration has been shown to improve memory and learning in healthy people and in those with neurodegenerative diseases. Intranasal insulin has been shown to have neuroprotective and restorative effects in several human clinical trials. Overall, findings suggest that intranasal insulin not only affects cognitive function acutely, but that over time, there may be associated structural changes that lead to a more permanent treatment benefit. Cognitive dysfunction is very common in MS and can be devastating, therefore a treatment intervention (i.e., intranasal insulin) can help both acutely and longitudinally.

The primary aim of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of intranasal insulin in people with MS. The secondary aim is to evaluate if intranasal insulin improves learning and memory in people with MS. The third aim is to evaluate the impact of intranasal insulin on measures of oxidative stress, axonal injury, cellular stress, and energy metabolism in MS.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 105

Inclusion Criteria

Meets 2010 criteria for MS
No relapse in past 3 months
At least mild cognitive impairment (based off of SDMT/PST score)
Capacity to learn and self-administer intranasal insulin/placebo, or presence of a caregiver with such capacity who is willing to do it for the duration of the trial
Untreated/on the same MS therapy for at least 6 months, with no anticipated change in the next year
Willing to prevent pregnancy during study if female of childbearing potential

Exclusion Criteria

Current, active major depression
No tricyclic antidepressant or anticonvulsant (except carbamazepine, pregabalin or gabapentin) use within 6 weeks of screening; if on oxybutynin or tolterodine, on stable dose for > 6 months without plans for changing dose in next year
If taking selective serotonin (± norepinephrine) reuptake inhibitors, pregabalin, gabapentin, sympathomimetic, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, antipsychotic, amantadine, cholinesterase inhibitor, memantine, modafanil, armodafinil, or evening short-acting benzodiazepines, on stable dose for 6 weeks or greater
Pregnant or nursing
THC; illicit drug or alcohol abuse in past 3 months
History of diabetes mellitus or insulin resistance
Active liver disease, stage IV/V kidney disease or severe metabolic derangements
CNS disorder other than MS or headache

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intranasal insulin 20 international units	Insulin	Subjects will administer 20 I.U. of insulin in the nostrils using a ViaNaseTM controlled particle dispersion nasal device two times/day (BID) for 24 weeks.
Intranasal insulin 10 international units	Insulin	Subjects will administer 10 I.U. of insulin in the nostrils using a ViaNaseTM controlled particle dispersion nasal device two times/day (BID) for 24 weeks.
Intranasal saline	Placebo (Sterile diluent)	Subjects will administer a sterile diluent containing inactive ingredients in the nostrils using a ViaNaseTM controlled particle dispersion nasal device two times/day (BID) for 24 weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)	Up to week 24 visit	This task will be performed at five study visits. The SDMT is one of the most commonly used tests to assess processing speed in the MS population and is included in the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in MS (MACFIMS). Higher scores reflect a better outcome (range 0 to 110). In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the primary analyses include the SDMTs acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the SDMT.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Participants With Adverse Events Leading to Study Discontinuation	Up to week 24 visit	An adverse event will be defined as any occurrence or worsening of an undesirable or unintended sign, symptom (or abnormal laboratory test), or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product or intervention, whether or not it is considered related to the product/intervention. We report overall adverse events in the relevant section. Here, we report adverse events that led to study discontinuation.
Fingerstick Blood Glucose (Subset)	At the baseline visit, monitored twice within the 90 minutes following the first dose administration of study drug	Fingerstick blood glucose levels were monitored twice within the 90 minutes following the first dose administration of study drug for the first 15 participants.
Change From Baseline in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT)	Up to week 24 visit	This test measures phonemic fluency. The test scores the number of words a participant can provide that begin with a specified letter within one minute, such that scores range from zero (worst) to an infinite number (better). Total score is sum of three 60-second trials. In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the primary analyses include the COWAT scores acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the score.
Change From Baseline in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II)	Up to week 24 visit	This is a verbal learning and memory test. Scores range from zero to 16; a higher number is better. In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the primary analyses include the CVLT-II scores acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the score.
Change From Baseline in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - Revised (BVMT-R) Delayed Recall	Up to week 24 visit	This is a visual, nonverbal test of learning and memory. Scores range from zero to 12; higher is better. In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the analyses include the BVMT-R delayed recall scores acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the score.
Change in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the Rao-version of the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT)	Up to week 24 visit	The Rao-version of the PASAT evaluates processing speed, working memory, and basic addition skills. Scores range from zero to 60; higher is better. Herein we present 3-second PASAT results ("PASAT-3"). In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the analyses include PASAT-3 scores acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the SDMT.
Change From Baseline in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the Judgement of Line Orientation Test (JLO)	Up to week 24 visit	Judgment of Line Orientation Test measures a person's ability to match the angle and orientation of lines in space. Scores range from zero to 30; higher is better. In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the analyses include JLO data acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the score.
Change From Baseline in Cognitive Function as Assessed by the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Sorting Test	Up to week 24 visit	This test measures executive functioning, concept formation, and cognitive flexibility. Scores range from zero to 16; higher is better. In order to account for all contributed data (even for those who did not complete the study but contributed some post-randomization data in the active study phase), the analyses include DKEFS correct sort scores acquired within the active treatment phase (from baseline to week 24 visit). We then calculated and report the average change per week in the score.