MedPath

Inhaled ZYESAMI (Aviptadil Acetate) for Treatment of Severe COVID-19

Phase 3
Withdrawn
Conditions
SARS-CoV 2
COVID
ARDS
Acute Lung Injury/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
ALI
Dyspnea
Interventions
Drug: ZYESAMI™ (aviptadil acetate)
Drug: Placebo
Device: Nebulized administration of ZYESAMI™ or Placebo
Registration Number
NCT05137795
Lead Sponsor
APR Applied Pharma Research s.a.
Brief Summary

Brief Summary:

SARS-CoV-2 virus infection is known to cause Lung Injury that begins as dyspnea and exercise intolerance, but may rapidly progress to Critical COVID-19 with Respiratory Failure and the need for noninvasive or mechanical ventilation. Mortality rates as high as 80% have been reported among those who require mechanical ventilation, despite best available intensive care.

Patients with severe COVID-19 by FDA definition who have not developed respiratory failure be treated with nebulized ZYESAMI™ (aviptadil acetate, a synthetic version of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP)) 100 μg 3x daily plus Standard of Care vs. placebo + Standard of Care using an FDA 501(k) cleared mesh nebulizer.

The primary outcome will be progression in severity of COVID-19 (i.e. critical OR severe progressing to critical) over 28 days. Secondary outcomes will include blood oxygenation as measured by pulse oximetry, dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and levels of TNFα IL-6 and other cytokines.

Detailed Description

Detailed Description:

Attack of the Alveolar Type II (ATII) cell via its ACE2 surface receptor by the SARS-CoV-2 virus leads to respiratory failure, morbidity, and frequently mortality in COVID-19. There is no approved treatment that specifically targets the pulmonary injury. Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) is known to target the VPAC1 receptor of the ATII cell and to protect that cell against all manner of injuries, including smoke inhalation, exposure to stomach acid, and exposure to infectious agents. VIP prevents apoptosis, blocks cytokines, lowers TNFα levels, reverses CD4/CD8 ratio, and reduces cough and dyspnea in nonclinical and clinical studies. Aviptadil acetate, a synthetic form of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) has been awarded FDA Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of ARDS and Pulmonary Hypertension and EMEA Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of ARDS and Sarcoid. ZYESAMI™ (Aviptadil) has been granted FDA Fast Track Designation for the treatment of ARDS/Acute Lung Injury in COVID-19.

The objective of this study is to identify patients severe COVID-19 who have not yet developed respiratory failure and to treat them with inhaled ZYESAMI™ in the hope of preventing progression to Critical COVID-19 with Respiratory Failure.

Nonclinical studies demonstrate that VIP is 70% concentrated in the lung, where it binds primarily to ATII cells. VIP prevents NMDA-induced caspase-3 activation in the lung, inhibits IL6 and TNFα production, protects against HCl-induced pulmonary edema, These and other effects have been observed in numerous animal model systems of lung injury in mice, rats, guinea pigs, sheep, swine, and dogs. In these models, Aviptadil restores barrier function at the endothelial/alveolar interface and thereby protects the lung and other organs from failure.

Both intravenous and inhalation preclinical toxicology and safety pharmacology have been performed in four species, with a six-month trial of inhaled Aviptadil in primates.

Aviptadil is approved for human use in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in Scandinavia and several European countries in co-formulation with phentolamine and has a demonstrated phase 2 safety in trials for Sarcoid, Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Bronchospasm. No adverse safety signals were seen in a phase I trial IV Aviptadil in ARDS. In that phase I trial, 8 patients with severe ARDS on mechanical ventilation were treated with ascending doses of VIP. Seven of the 8 patients were successfully extubated and were alive at the five-day timepoint. Six left the hospital and one died of an unrelated cardiac event.

A 60-day phase 2b/3 trial of IV Aviptadil (NCT 04311697) has recently completed enrollment and 28-day top-line safety data have been reported. No unanticipated serious adverse events were reported. The only adverse event that was statistically more frequent in Aviptadil-treated participants than among placebo-treated participants was mild to moderate diarrhea, which has not been reported as a frequent side-effect of inhaled Aviptadil (30% vs 1.5%; p\< .001). Systemic hypotension was seen in both Aviptadil-treated and placebo-treated participants (25% vs 18.5%; P=NS).

Five GCP phase 2 trials of Aviptadil were conducted under European regulatory authority. Non GCP healthy volunteer studies have shown that i.v. infusion of Aviptadil is well tolerated with few adverse effects including alterations in blood pressure, heart rate, or ECG. In addition to published studies of human use, Aviptadil has been used on a compounded basis in certain ICUs for many years in the belief that it preserves life and restores function in pulmonary hypertension, ARDS, and Acute Lung Injury (ALI).

In this study, patients with severe COVID-19 by FDA definition who have not developed respiratory failure will be treated with nebulized ZYESAMI™ 100 μg in 1 cc normal saline 3x daily plus Standard of Care vs. placebo + Standard of Care using an FDA 501(k) cleared mesh nebulizer.

The primary outcome will be progression to in severity of COVID-19 (i.e. critical OR severe progressing to critical) over 28 days. Secondary outcomes will include blood oxygenation as measured by pulse oximetry, dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and levels of TNFα IL-6 and other cytokines.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
WITHDRAWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
Not specified
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Severe COVID-19 ZYESAMI™ZYESAMI™ (aviptadil acetate)Patients with Severe COVID-19 to be treated with inhaled ZYESAMI™ (aviptadil) by mesh nebulizer 100μg 3x daily
Severe COVID-19 ZYESAMI™Nebulized administration of ZYESAMI™ or PlaceboPatients with Severe COVID-19 to be treated with inhaled ZYESAMI™ (aviptadil) by mesh nebulizer 100μg 3x daily
Severe COVID-19 PlaceboPlaceboPatients with Severe COVID-19 to be treated with inhaled placebo 3x daily
Severe COVID-19 PlaceboNebulized administration of ZYESAMI™ or PlaceboPatients with Severe COVID-19 to be treated with inhaled placebo 3x daily
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Progression to Respiratory Failure28 days

Progression to Respiratory Failure is defined as the need for mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation or high flow nasal oxygen

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Blood oxygenation28 days

Blood PO2 as measured by pulse oximetry

RPD Dyspnea Scale28 days

0 = no shortness of breath at all 0.5 = very, very slight shortness of breath

1. = very mild shortness of breath

2. = mild shortness of breath

3. = moderate shortness of breath or breathing difficulty

4. = somewhat severe shortness of breath

5. = strong or hard breathing

7 = severe shortness of breath or very hard breathing 8 9 = extremely severe shortness of breath 10 = shortness of breath so severe you need to stop the exercise or activity

Distance walked in six minutes28 days

Distance walked in six minutes

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