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Calcineurin Inhibitor in NEuRoloGically Deceased Donors to Decrease Kidney delaYed Graft Function (CINERGY)

Phase 2
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Organ Transplant Failure or Rejection
Ischemic Reperfusion Injury
Brain Death
Interventions
Drug: Placebo
Registration Number
NCT05148715
Lead Sponsor
Université de Sherbrooke
Brief Summary

The investigators hypothesize that preconditioning neurologically deceased organ donors with the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus will improve short and long-term transplant survival without causing harm. Organ donors will be randomized to receive either 0.02 mg/kg ideal body weight (IBW) of tacrolimus single infusion or placebo before organ recovery. All corresponding recipients are enrolled and data is collected up to 7 days post-transplant to determine graft function and at 1 year to collect outcomes of vital status, re-transplantation and dialysis. The CINERGY Pilot Trial assesses feasibility for the main trial.

Detailed Description

Background: Organ donation saves lives, and improves quality of life for thousands of people. But organ donation falls short of expectations for some patients who suffer early graft loss. During organ donation surgery, the supply of blood with oxygen and nutrients is suspended. When restored during transplant surgery, a cascade of inflammation perturbs the newly transplanted organ -causing ischemia-reperfusion injury. When severe, it can hinder transplant function in the early post-operative period, lead to profound critical illness, increase the risks of transplant rejection and chronic disease, and reduce the transplant lifespan. Administration of tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, to neurologically deceased donors may reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury in transplant recipients.

Objectives: The CINERGY Pilot Trial will test the feasibility of comparing tacrolimus to placebo for the prevention of delayed graft function in kidney recipients and establish the foundation for a large, multi-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: 90 neurologically deceased kidney donors will be randomized to either tacrolimus (0.02 mg/kg) or the corresponding placebo 4-8 hours before organ recovery. To be included in the CINERGY Pilot RCT, donors will need to meet inclusion criteria. All corresponding recipients are enrolled and their data is collected in the first 7 days and at 12 months after transplantation.

Outcomes: Feasibility: Donor accrual rate and consent rate of organ recipients. Safety: acute kidney injury, hyperkalemia and anaphylaxis in donors and recipients. Clinical: graft function within 7 days in all recipients, vital status, re-transplantation and need for dialysis at 12 months.

Relevance: This pilot study will inform the feasibility and design of a larger trial. Moreover, the CINERGY Pilot RCT will pave the way for future trials linking organ donation and transplantation across Canada.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
414
Inclusion Criteria
  • ≥18 years of age;
  • Neurologically deceased;
  • Consent for deceased organ donation;
  • All organ recipients have been identified;
  • ≥ 1 kidney allocated to a recipient.

Donor

Exclusion Criteria
  • Known hypersensitivity to tacrolimus or polyoxyl 60 hydrogenated castor oil;
  • One or more organs allocated to a non-participating transplant program;
  • Unlikely access to study drug (e.g., due to supply issues, or pharmacist availability);
  • One or more organ recipients has not agreed to receive an organ from a donor participating in the study;
  • One or more organs are allocated to a recipient under the age of 18;
  • A transplant physician has judged that donor tacrolimus will be unsuitable for an intended recipient.

Recipient Inclusion Criteria

  • Organ/Transplant graft originated from a donor enrolled in this study.

No exclusion criteria.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
PlaceboPlacebo0.9% sodium chloride 4-8 hours before organ recovery
TacrolimusTacrolimusTacrolimus 0.02 mg/kg ideal body weight 4-8 hours before organ recovery
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Organ donor accrual rates6 to 12 months after the beginning of the trial

One primary objective of this pilot study is to determine if a national multi-centre placebo randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be feasible with respect to: organ donor accrual.

Recipient consent rate6 to 12 months after the beginning of the trial

Another primary objective of this pilot study is to determine if a national multi-centre placebo controlled RCT will be feasible with respect to the consent rates of organ recipients. Recipient consent rates will be assessed during analysis, analyzing the rate and reasons for non-enrolment.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Unexpected adverse eventsWithin 7 days post transplant

In donors and recipients, unexpected adverse events as identified by clinical staff will be reported and analyzed.

Recipient serum tacrolimus levelsWithin 7 days post transplant

Clinical research staff will abstract routine serum tacrolimus levels (when measured) from hospital records over the first 7 days, along with local thresholds for toxic level.

Recipient survival12 months post transplant

Recipient death

Percentage of lungs recipients with severe primary graft dysfunctionWithin 3 days post transplant

PaO2/FiO2 ratio \<200 and diffuse infiltration/pulmonary edema on chest radiograph

Percentage of donors with cardiac arrhythmia associated with tacrolimus infusionWithin 4 hours after the initiation of study drug infusion

Cardiac arrhythmias defined as new onset of atrial fibrillation or flutter, ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation

Percentage of liver recipients with early graft functionWithin 7 days post transplant

At least ≥ 1 of the following criteria: Bilirubin ≥ 10 mg/dL , International normalized ratio (INR) ≥ 1.6 AST or ALT level \> 2000 IU/

Correlation between two methods for obtaining survival status12 months post transplant

We will compare 2 methods (Hospital records, Canadian Institute for Health Information) for obtaining recipient survival at 12 months post-transplant.

Percentage of recipients with hyperkalemiaWithin 7 days post transplant

Hyperkalemia defined as a potassium level \> 5 mmol/L

Percentage of recipients with anaphylaxisWithin 7 days post transplant

Anaphylaxis defined as per The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Graft survival12 months post transplant

Need to be re-transplanted or to be on the re-transplant list.

Recipients requiring dialysis12 months post transplant

Recipient requirement for dialysis at 12 months

Percentage of donors with acute kidney injury (AKI)Within 4 hours after the end of the study drug infusion

AKI defined as defined as Kidney disease: Improving global outcome (KDIGO) stage II (or more): serum creatinine ≥ 2.0 times baseline OR a urine output \<0.5mL/kg/h for ≥12 hours

Percentage of donors with hyperkalemiaWithin 4 hours after the end of the study drug infusion

Hyperkalemia defined as a potassium level \> 5 mmol/L

Percentage of donors hypertension during tacrolimus infusionWithin 4 hours after the initiation of study drug infusion

Hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mmHg or mean arterial pressure ≥ 90 mmHg for \> 15 minutes)

Percentage of donors with anaphylaxisWithin 4 hours after the initiation of study drug infusion

Anaphylaxis defined as per The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Percentage of recipients with acute kidney injuryWithin 7 days post transplant

AKI defined as defined as KDIGO stage II or more: serum creatinine ≥ 2.0 times baseline OR a urine output \<0.5mL/kg/h for ≥12 hours

Percentage of heart recipients with severe primary graft dysfunctionWithin 1 days post transplant

Dependence on mechanical support

Percentage of kidney recipients with delayed graft functionWithin 7 days post transplant

Requirement of ≥ 1 hemodialysis session

Percentage of pancreas recipients with delayed graft functionAt hospital discharge, an average of 7 days

Requirement of ≥1 exogenous insulin at hospital discharge

Trial Locations

Locations (9)

L'Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal

🇨🇦

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont

🇨🇦

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montréal

🇨🇦

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM)

🇨🇦

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec- Université Laval

🇨🇦

Quebec city, Quebec, Canada

Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ)

🇨🇦

Québec City, Quebec, Canada

Centre de recherche CHUS

🇨🇦

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

Vancouver General Hospital

🇨🇦

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

St. Paul's Hospital

🇨🇦

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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