A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Varespladib in Patients Hospitalized With Severe COVID 19 Caused by SARS-CoV-2
Overview
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Intervention
- Varespladib
- Conditions
- Coronavirus Disease 2019
- Sponsor
- Ophirex, Inc.
- Enrollment
- 18
- Locations
- 7
- Primary Endpoint
- Proportion of Participants Alive and Free of Respiratory Failure at Day 28
- Status
- Terminated
- Last Updated
- 11 months ago
Overview
Brief Summary
This is a 2-part, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of oral varespladib, in addition to standard of care, in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Detailed Description
The goals of this 2-part, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study are to define a safe dose for the population and to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of orally dosed varespladib to improve survival without respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), when given in addition to the institutional standard of care therapy. Mortality rates of COVID-19 are strongly linked to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which may be, additionally, correlated with elevations of secretory phospholipase 2 (sPLA2) and widespread loss of functioning lung tissue. Upregulation of sPLA2 is thought to be involved in the dysregulated inflammatory cascade pathways (increased markers of immune activation, also known as cytokine release syndrome) and enzymatic degradation of lung surfactant linked to the development of ARDS. It is believed that treatment with varespladib, a potent inhibitor of sPLA2, might prevent or mitigate progression of pulmonary dysfunction in COVID-19 patients by two mechanisms: suppression of sPLA2-induced inflammation and, uniquely, preservation of pulmonary surfactant by direct inhibition of the enzyme responsible for surfactant phospholipid degradation: sPLA2. Data from previous phase 2 clinical trials of varespladib suggested it had potential to reduce mortality in severely septic patients with ARDS, particularly when treatment was initiated within 18 hours of identification of organ failure. The study will be conducted in two parts. Both parts will be randomized and double-blind. Part 1 will be dose-finding in four parallel treatment groups randomized to treatment with varespladib (at 250 mg once daily \[QD\], twice daily \[BID\], or three times daily \[TID\] \[250, 500, or 750 mg/day\]) or placebo in a 5:5:5:3 ratio. After all participants in Part 1 have completed Day 28, a data safety monitoring board (DSMB) will review the safety results from Part 1, including all available safety data through Day 60, and will recommend the dose regimen to be used in Part 2. Part 2 will randomize an additional 72 participants to the dose regimen selected from Part 1 or placebo in a 1:1 ratio. In both parts of the study, eligible participants will be enrolled and randomized to receive active varespladib or placebo in addition to institutional standard of care for 7 days. Participants will be assessed daily per standard of care while hospitalized and on a regular basis after discharge. The Day 1, 4, 7, 14, and 28 visits will be performed in person (either at the hospital/site or via a home health provider) to assess safety, obtain blood and urine samples for laboratory tests, and obtain clinical outcome data. The Day 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 45, and 60 visits for discharged participants may be conducted by phone or via electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) devices. Efficacy will be assessed by respiratory failure-free survival at Day 28. Safety will be assessed by evaluating adverse events (AEs), vital sign measurements, use of oxygen therapies, changes in levels of biomarkers, clinical laboratory test results, electrocardiograms (ECGs), physical examination findings, and concomitant medications and therapies. A DSMB will evaluate safety data at specified intervals during both parts of the trial. Pharmacokinetic (PK) samples will be drawn from all participants in Part 1 and in a subset of approximately 14 participants in Part 2 in order to enable estimation of PK parameters in approximately 22 participants receiving active treatment with varespladib.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Participant is hospitalized with severe COVID-19 illness, defined in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance for Industry - COVID-19: Developing Drugs and Biological Products for Treatment or Prevention (May 2020):
- •a. Severe illness:
- •i. Symptoms suggestive of severe systemic illness with COVID-19, which could include any symptom of moderate illness or shortness of breath at rest, or respiratory distress
- •ii. Clinical signs indicative of severe systemic illness with COVID-19, such as respiratory rate ≥30 per minute, heart rate ≥125 per minute, SpO₂ ≤93% on room air at sea level or partial pressure of oxygen PaO₂/fraction of inspired oxygen FiO₂ \<
- •Participant has a positive virologic nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) indicating SARS-CoV-2 infection in a sample collected \<72 hours prior to randomization.
- •Participant is between the ages of 18 and 80 years at the time of enrollment.
- •Participant provides informed consent prior to initiation of any study procedures.
- •Participant agrees to not participate in another clinical trial for the treatment of COVID 19 or SARS-CoV-2 through Day
- •Participant has adequate hematologic status (in the absence of transfusion and growth factor support for at least 28 days), defined as follows:
- •Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1.5 × 10⁹/L
Exclusion Criteria
- •Participant has mild, moderate, or critical COVID-19 defined in accordance with the FDA Guidance for Industry:
- •a. Mild COVID-19:
- •i. Symptoms of mild illness with COVID-19 that could include fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, headache, muscle pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, without shortness of breath or dyspnea
- •ii. No clinical signs indicative of moderate, severe, or critical severity
- •b. Moderate COVID-19:
- •i. Symptoms of moderate illness with COVID-19, which could include any symptom of mild illness (fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, headache, muscle pain, gastrointestinal symptoms) or shortness of breath with exertion
- •ii. Clinical signs suggestive of moderate illness with COVID-19, such as respiratory rate ≥20 breaths per minute, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) \>93% on room air at sea level, heart rate ≥90 beats per minute
- •iii. No clinical signs indicative of severe or critical illness
- •c. Critical COVID-19:
- •i. Respiratory failure defined based on resource utilization requiring at least one of the following:
Arms & Interventions
Varespladib: 250 mg QD + Placebo + placebo
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 250 mg varespladib in the morning. In order to maintain the blind, they will also take 1 placebo tablet in the afternoon and 1 placebo tablet in the evening.
Intervention: Varespladib
Varespladib: 250 mg QD + Placebo + placebo
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 250 mg varespladib in the morning. In order to maintain the blind, they will also take 1 placebo tablet in the afternoon and 1 placebo tablet in the evening.
Intervention: Placebo
Varespladib: 250 mg BID + placebo
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 250 mg varespladib in the morning and in the evening. In order to maintain the blind, they will also take 1 placebo tablet in the afternoon.
Intervention: Varespladib
Varespladib: 250 mg BID + placebo
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 250 mg varespladib in the morning and in the evening. In order to maintain the blind, they will also take 1 placebo tablet in the afternoon.
Intervention: Placebo
Varespladib: 250 mg TID
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 250 mg varespladib in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.
Intervention: Varespladib
Placebo
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 1 placebo tablet in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.
Intervention: Placebo
Varespladib: 250mg BID (Part 2 of trial)
Dose chosen for Part 2 was twice a day dosing. For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 250 mg varespladib in the morning, and in the evening.
Intervention: Varespladib
Placebo (Part 2 of trial)
For 7 days, and in addition to institutional standard of care, participants will take 1 placebo tablet in the morning, and in the afternoon.
Intervention: Placebo
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Proportion of Participants Alive and Free of Respiratory Failure at Day 28
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
The proportion of respiratory failure-free surviving participants in each Part 2 treatment group at Day 28 will be analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel stratum-weighted estimator with treatment as a factor. Respiratory failure is defined based on resource utilization requiring at least one of the following: * Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation * Oxygen delivered by high-flow nasal cannula (\[HFNC\] heated, humidified, oxygen delivered via reinforced nasal cannula at flow rates \>20 L/min with fraction of delivered oxygen ≥0.5) * Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation * ECMO, or * Clinical diagnosis of respiratory failure (i.e., clinical need for one of the preceding therapies, but preceding therapies not able to be administered in setting because of resource limitation)
Secondary Outcomes
- Proportion of Subjects Using HFNC Within the First 28 Days After Randomization(From randomization through Day 28)
- Proportion of Subjects Using Noninvasive Respiratory Support Within the First 28 Days After Randomization(From randomization through Day 28)
- Proportion of Subjects Using Mechanical Ventilation Within the First 28 Days After Randomization(From randomization through Day 28)
- Number of Days of Oxygen Support Through Day 28 After Randomization(From randomization through Day 28)
- Proportion of Participants Remaining Free of Mechanical Ventilation or ECMO Throughout the 28 Days After Randomization(From randomization through Day 28)
- Proportion of Subjects With All-cause Mortality Through Day 60(From randomization through Day 60)
- Number of Participants With Change in Body Temperature(From providing informed consent through Day 60)