Safety and Efficacy Study of Phenoptin in Subjects With Hyperphenylalaninemia Due to BH4 Deficiency

Phase 2

Completed

Conditions: Tetrahydrobiopterin Deficiencies
Hyperphenylalaninemia, Non-Phenylketonuric

Interventions: Drug: Phenoptin

Registration Number: NCT00355264

Lead Sponsor: BioMarin Pharmaceutical

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ability of Phenoptin to control blood phenylalanine levels in subjects who have hyperphenylalaninemia due to a primary BH4 deficiency and to evaluate the safety of Phenoptin in this population. Some subjects were receiving non-registered formulations of BH4 at enrollment and this treatment was suspended after Part 1 and within one day the subjects started Phenoptin at approximately the same dose.

Detailed Description: Within 4 weeks of completing screening assessments to determine eligibility, subjects will be enrolled in the study. The study will be conducted in two parts.

Part 1: After screening, all subjects will be followed for two weeks without modification of their baseline medical or dietary care.

Part 2: Beginning at Week 2, subjects who were receiving non-registered formulations of BH4 at enrollment will suspend this treatment and within one day will start Phenoptin at approximately the same dose of the non-registered BH4 formulation. Subjects not receiving BH4 at enrollment will begin treatment with Phenoptin at approximately 5 mg/kg/day, given orally, prior to meals.

At the discretion of the Investigator, the Phenoptin dose may be adjusted up or down at the Week 6 visit to control blood Phe levels (\<360 µmol/L), or to optimize the clinical effect. The maximum dose allowed will be approximately 20 mg/kg/day. All subjects will receive Phenoptin for a total of 8 weeks. Subjects will be instructed to continue their usual diet without modification. Study visits will occur every other week.

Tyrosine, biopterin and neopterin will be analyzed at the following visits: Week 0 (enrollment), Week 2 (prior to dosing with Phenoptin), Week 8 (after 6 weeks of treatment with Phenoptin) and Week 10 (after 8 weeks of treatment with Phenoptin).During each visit, blood Phe level will be measured (2.5-5 hours after a meal), and safety evaluations will be performed. Safety will be assessed by monitoring adverse events and vital signs, performing physical examinations, assessing signs and symptoms of primary BH4 deficiency (i.e., neurological symptoms such as seizures, changes in muscle tone, weakness, etc.) and clinical laboratory tests (chemistry, hematology and urinalysis).

Extension: Upon completion of 8 weeks of treatment (i.e., at the Week 10 visit), subjects will be offered the option to continue treatment with Phenoptin in an extension of this study. Participation in the study extension will continue until one of the following occurs:

1. the subject withdraws consent and discontinues from the study,

2. the subject is discontinued from the study at the discretion of the investigator,

3. the study drug is available through the appropriate marketing approval, or

4. the study is terminated.

During the extension period, study drug will be dispensed to subjects monthly, and study visits will be required every 3 months. The Phenoptin dose may be adjusted at any visit during the study extension at the discretion of the Investigator. The maximum dose allowed will be approximately 20 mg/kg/day.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 12

Inclusion Criteria

Documented history of blood Phe level > 180 µmol/L on at least one occasion
Established diagnosis of hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) due to primary BH4 deficiency with a documented defect in biopterin metabolism with blood or urine tests
Willing and able to provide written informed consent or, in the case of subjects under the age of 18 years, provide written assent (if required) and written informed consent by a parent or legal guardian
Negative urine pregnancy test at screening for females of child-bearing potential
Male and female subjects of childbearing potential (if sexually active and non-sterile) must be using acceptable birth control measures and be willing to continue to use acceptable birth control measures, as determined by the Investigator, and be willing to continue to use acceptable birth control measures while participating in the study
Willing and able to comply with all study procedures
Able to take medication orally

Exclusion Criteria

Perceived to be unreliable or unavailable for study participation or, if under the age of 18 years, have parents or legal guardians who are perceived to be unreliable or unavailable
Use of any investigational agent (other than BH4) within 30 days prior to screening, or requirement for any investigational agent or vaccine prior to completion of all scheduled study assessments
Positive urine pregnancy test at screening (non-sterile females of child bearing potential only), already known to be pregnant or breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy in self or partner during the study
Female subjects of childbearing potential not using an effective method of birth control, as determined by the PI, or unwilling to continue to use acceptable birth control measures.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 2 times the upper limit of normal (i.e., Grade 1 or higher based on World Health Organization Toxicity Criteria) at screening
Concurrent disease or condition that would interfere with study participation or safety (e.g., seizure disorder, oral steroid-dependent asthma or other condition requiring oral or parenteral corticosteroid administration, insulin-dependent diabetes, or organ transplantation)
Serious neuropsychiatric illness (e.g., major depression) not currently under medical control
Requirement for concomitant treatment with any drug known to inhibit folate synthesis (e.g., methotrexate)
Clinical diagnosis of phenylketonuria (PKU) due to phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency
Any condition that, in the view of the PI, renders the subject at high risk from treatment compliance and/or completing the study

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Single Arm on Active Drug	Phenoptin	5mg/kg/day orally, dose may be adjusted to between 5-20 mg/kg/day by investigator at week 6 to control blood Phe levels Outcomes were also evaluated by the subject's type of BH4 deficiency either defects in the genes encoding the enzymes involved in biosynthesis or defects in the genes encoding the enzymes involved in recycling.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Blood Phenylalanine(Phe) Levels Measured at Specified Timepoints	At Baseline, Week 4 through Extension Week 130	Baseline blood phenylalanine(Phe) value is the latest measurement taken prior to initiation of Phenoptin treatment. The ideal range for blood Phe levels is approximately 120-360 µmol/L.
Percentage of Subjects With Blood Phenylalanine (Last Observation Carried Forward) < 360 μmol/L	At Baseline, Week 4 through Extension Week 130	Baseline blood phenylalanine(Phe) value is the latest measurement taken prior to initiation of Phenoptin treatment. The objective of this outcome was to compare to Phe levels achieved using previous treatment regimens.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Subjects Experiencing Adverse Events(AEs)	Up to 35 Months	Intensity was determined by the Investigator. For symptomatic AEs the following definitions were applied. Mild = AE did not limit usual activities. Moderate = AE resulted in some limitation of usual activities. Severe = AE resulted in an inability to carry out usual activities. A treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAE) is any Adverse Events that newly appeared, increased in frequency or worsened in severity following initiation of study drug administration. Serious AE (SAE) resulted in death, was life-threatening, required in patient hospitalization or prolongation of an existing hospitalization, resulted in persistent or significant disability or incapacity, is a congenital anomaly or birth defect; or was an important medical event.