Phase II Study of Arginine Butyrate With or Without Epoetin Alfa in Patients With Thalassemia Intermedia
- Conditions
- Beta-Thalassemia
- Registration Number
- NCT00006136
- Lead Sponsor
- Boston University
- Brief Summary
OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether arginine butyrate with or without epoetin alfa can stimulate gamma-globin chain production to a degree that decreases anemia and results in hematologic improvement in patients with thalassemia intermedia.
II. Determine whether a proportional increase in gamma-globin synthesis and mRNA and an improvement in nonalfa and alfaglobin chain imbalance by at least 10% over baseline correlate with improved hematologic response in these patients when treated with this regimen.
III. Determine whether a decrease in hemolysis, as assayed by a decrease in LDH, compared to baseline levels correlates with improved hematologic response in these patients when treated with this regimen.
IV. Determine whether any particular genotypes are more responsive than others to this therapy in these patients.
V. Determine whether baseline epoetin alfa levels, gender, and/or baseline reticulocyte counts (or percent circulating nucleated erythroblasts) correlate with improved hematologic response in these patients when treated with this regimen.
- Detailed Description
PROTOCOL OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive arginine butyrate IV over 6-14 hours on days 1-5 of weeks 1-4 and 7-10. Patients then receive maintenance arginine butyrate IV over 6-14 hours on days 1-4 of weeks 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25.
Patients who have no medical contraindications (e.g., paraspinal extramedullary hematopoiesis, hypertension, or poorly controlled congestive heart failure) may continue therapy. Patients receive arginine butyrate IV over 6-14 hours on days 1-4 of weeks 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39 and epoetin alfa intramuscularly (IM) or subcutaneously (SC) three times weekly on weeks 27-40.
Patients may continue to receive epoetin alfa IM or SC alone three times weekly on weeks 41-52. Patients with severe anemia (hemoglobin less than 7 g/dL) may receive epoetin alfa alone on weeks 1-12 before arginine butyrate induction therapy.
Patients who complete therapy at week 26 are followed every 2 weeks for 2 months. Patients who complete therapy at week 40 are followed monthly for 2 months.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 15
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (7)
University College London
🇬🇧London, England, United Kingdom
Children's Hospital of Oakland
🇺🇸Oakland, California, United States
Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center
🇺🇸New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Clinical Hematology Branch
🇺🇸Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States
Boston University School of Medicine
🇺🇸Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Cancer Research Center
🇺🇸Boston, Massachusetts, United States