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A Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus Capsules and Cyclophosphamide Injection in Treatment of Lupus Nephritis

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
Lupus Nephritis
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT02457221
Lead Sponsor
Astellas Pharma China, Inc.
Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tacrolimus capsules for induction remission in patients with lupus nephritis, and compare the efficacy and safety with Cyclophosphamide injections.

Detailed Description

This is a randomized, open, 1:1 parallel controlled, multi-center, non-inferiority clinical study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
314
Inclusion Criteria
  • 18.5≤Body Mass Index (BMI) <27;
  • Diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus (based on American Rheumatism Association Diagnostic Criteria 1997)
  • Diagnosed as III, IV, V, III + V, IV + V lupus nephritis (according to the LN classification in International Society of Nephrology and Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) 2003) within 24 weeks before enrollment with renal biopsy;
  • 24-hour urine protein ≥ 1.5g, Scr<260umol/L (or 3mg/dL)
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Class II or VI lupus nephritis or renal biopsy chronic index (CI) > 3 or with TMA;
  • Received immunosuppressants (mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), cyclosporine, methotrexate, mechlorethamine, chlorambucil, tripterygium preparations, leflunomide etc.) treatment with a duration of more than one week within 30 days prior to enrollment;
  • Received tacrolimus (except for topical use) or cyclophosphamide treatment within 30 days prior to enrollment;
  • Received a course of methylprednisolone (MP) pulse therapy or gamma globulin treatment or plasma exchange within 30 days prior to enrollment;
  • Patients with history of allergies to tacrolimus, cyclophosphamide or methylprednisolone;
  • Pregnancy, lactation or patient unwilling to take contraceptive measures;
  • Patients with estimated maintenance dialysis for more than eight weeks; or dialysis for more than two weeks prior to entering observation;
  • Patients received kidney transplantation or plan to have kidney transplantation recently;
  • Serum creatinine (Scr) ≥260umol/L (or 3mg/dL) or creatinine clearance rate (Ccr) < 30ml/(min.1.73m2); according to Cockcroft-Gault formula: Ccr (ml/sec) = [(140- age)× Weight (kg)] × K / [72×Scr (umol/L) ×0.6786], Female K = 0.85, Male K = 1.0;
  • Patients suffering from liver dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) more than 3 times the upper limit of normal lab value) or bilirubin more than 3 times the upper limit of normal lab value;
  • Patients diagnosed with diabetes;
  • History of gastrointestinal bleeding or pancreatitis within 3 months;
  • Uncontrollable hyperkalemia after dietary therapy or reduction of potassium treatment (exceed the upper limit of normal lab value);
  • Patients suffering from lupus pneumonia or lung injury;
  • Patients with anemia (hemoglobin <7g/dl) or bone marrow suppression (WBC <3.0×109/L, and/or neutrophils <1.5×109/L, and/or platelets <50×109/L) not secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus;
  • With congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure or other severe cardiovascular diseases;
  • With refractory hypertension (defined as blood pressure still exceeds 180/110 mmHg despite taking three different types of antihypertensive drugs [one of them is diuretic] simultaneously);
  • Patients with recurrent tumors within 5 years;
  • Severe infection that requires intravenous antibiotics within 2 weeks prior to enrollment;
  • Patients with infection of hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus; patients with active tuberculosis; patients with severe immunodeficiency diseases (including active cytomegalovirus infection (positive CMV IgM antibody), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, etc.);
  • Patients with lupus encephalopathy or other life-threatening complication of systemic lupus erythematosus;
  • Patients participated in other clinical trials within three months before enrollment
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Cyclophosphamide groupCyclophosphamide injectionsCyclophosphamide injections + steroid
Cyclophosphamide groupPrednisoneCyclophosphamide injections + steroid
Tacrolimus groupTacrolimus capsulesTacrolimus capsules + steroid
Tacrolimus groupPrednisoneTacrolimus capsules + steroid
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Remission rate (complete remission + partial remission)at 24 weeks

complete remission: urine protein \< 0.5g/24hr, and serum albumin≥3.5g/dl, and stable renal function (Scr increase ≤ 15% baseline value) partial remission: urine protein 0.5-3.5g/24hr (≥ 0.5 g/24hr and \< 3.5 g/24hr), and urine protein decreased by \>50% comparing with the baseline, and serum albumin ≥ 3.0g/dl, and stable renal function (Scr increase ≤ 15% baseline value)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change of SLE-DAI from baselineat Week 4, 12 and 24
Serum albuminat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
CI (Chronic Index)at Week 24
Change of 24-hour urine protein from baselineat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
Change of Serum albumin from baselineat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
Change of Serum creatinine from baselineat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
Percentage of patients converted to other immunosuppressive therapyduring 24 weeks
Percentage of patients with dsDNA and ANA converting from positive to negativeduring 24 weeks

ANA: Antinuclear Antibody

Renal biopsy AI (Active Index)at Week 24
24-hour urine proteinat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
eGFR comparing with baselineat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24

eGFR: Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate

Percentage of patients with serum creatinine rising to two times of the baselineduring 24 weeks
SLE-DAIat Week 4, 12 and 24

SLE-DAI: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Disease Activity Index

Serum creatinineat Day 1, Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
Immune parameters assessed by ESR, C3, C4 and dsDNAat Week 4, 12 and 24

ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, C3, C4: Complement C3, C4, dsDNA: Anti-Double-Stranded DNA Antibodies

Change of immune parameters from baselineat Week 4, 12 and 24
Change of Renal biopsy AI (Active Index) from baselineat Week 24
Change of CI (Chronic Index) from baselineat Week 24

Trial Locations

Locations (35)

Site CN00005

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Dalian, Liaoning, China

Site CN00045

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Liuzhou, Guangxi, China

Site CN00025

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Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Site CN00030

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Beijing, Beijing, China

Site CN00056

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Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Site CN00017

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Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Site CN00023

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Wuhan, Hubei, China

Site CN00012

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Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Site CN00015

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Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Site CN00002

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Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Site CN00010

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Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Site CN00043

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Hefei, Anhui, China

Site CN00041

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Xiamen, Fujian, China

Site CN00034

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Beijing, Beijing, China

Site CN00037

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Nanning, Guangxi, China

Site CN00038

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Nanning, Guangxi, China

Site CN00020

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Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China

Site CN00049

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Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

Site CN00024

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Wuhan, Hubei, China

Site CN00047

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Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China

Site CN00028

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Zhengzhou, Henan, China

Site CN00027

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Changsha, Hunan, China

Site CN00032

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Qingdao, Shandong, China

Site CN00052

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Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

Site CN00019

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Shenyang, Liaoning, China

Site CN00001

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Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Site CN00014

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Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Site CN00050

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Changsha, Hunan, China

Site CN00013

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Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Site CN00026

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Changchun, Jilin, China

Site CN00042

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Changchun, Jilin, China

Site CN00018

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Shenyang, Liaoning, China

Site CN00003

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Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Site CN00021

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Tianjin, Tianjin, China

Site CN00044

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Wulumuqi, Xinjiang, China

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