An Open Label Study of the Effects of Eculizumab in Neuromyelitis Optica

Phase 1

Completed

Conditions: Neuromyelitis Optica
Devic's Disease

Interventions: Drug: Eculizumab

Registration Number: NCT00904826

Lead Sponsor: Mayo Clinic

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine if the drug eculizumab reduces the attack rate and improves outcome in patients with neuromyelitis optica.

Detailed Description: It has been shown in some scientific studies that the the antibody marker specific for neuromyelitis optica (NMO), known as NMO-Immunoglobulin G (IgG), causes inflammation in brain tissues by activating a substance called complement. Complement can greatly increase the immune attack in the optic nerves (causing optic neuritis (ON)), spinal cords (causing transverse myelitis (TM)) and brains of patients with NMO. Eculizumab has already been shown to be effective in a rare blood disorder known as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Attacks of PNH are also mediated through complement. Therefore, the investigators of this study are investigating whether by 'turning off' complement in NMO, further attacks of NMO can be prevented.

The primary (most important) objectives of this study are to determine:

Whether Eculizumab reduces relapse frequency in patients with relapsing NMO. The number of attacks during the one year treatment period will be compared to the number of attacks that occurred prior to initiation of eculizumab treatment. For patients with more than 2 year disease duration, the average number of attacks in the preceding 2 years will be calculated. For patients with less than 2 years disease duration the number of attacks in the preceding year will be used.

The safety profile of eculizumab in patients with NMO.

The secondary objectives are to determine:

Whether eculizumab maintains or improves walking, visual function and quality of life as measured by a variety of established disability scales. We will also assess the severity of an individual attack and the degree of recovery.

How the drug behaves in the patient's blood (called pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics).

Depending on our preliminary investigations we may evaluate patient cerebrospinal fluid in the laboratory to see how effective eculizumab is at getting into the cerebrospinal fluid from the blood stream, and to see if the drug reverses the biological effects of the NMO-IgG antibody.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 14

Inclusion Criteria

Diagnosis of NMO, as defined by 2006 criteria OR NMO seropositive spectrum disorder (Recurrent ON or longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM)). All patients must be NMO-IgG seropositive.
Clinical evidence of at least 2 relapses in last 6 months or 3 relapses in the last 12 months (with at least 1 relapse occurring in the preceding 6 months).
Age ≥18 years
Corrected visual acuity 20/100 or better in at least one eye. If fails item # 4 then entry allowed but only if last attack was myelitis and only attacks of myelitis are considered as outcome measurement.
Ambulatory (with or without walker). If fails item # 5 then entry allowed but only if last attack was ON and only attacks of ON are considered as outcome measurement.
Provision of written informed consent (see attached) to participate in the study.
N. meningitidis vaccination at least 14 days prior to receiving the first eculizumab infusion. If patient in midst of an acute relapse, then relapse will be treated with standard therapy and vaccination given only after a minimum of 4 weeks post attack onset.

Exclusion Criteria

Candidates will be excluded from study entry if any of the following criteria are met at the time of randomization:

Progressive neurological deterioration unrelated to relapses of ON or myelitis.
Pregnant, breastfeeding, or intending to conceive during the course of the study
Patients will not participate in any other clinical therapeutic study or will not have participated in any other experimental treatment study within 30 days of screening
Patients with a history of splenectomy, because of a potential increased risk of developing meningococcal infection.

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Eculizumab	Eculizumab	The patient will receive eculizumab at a dose of 600mg intravenously (an infusion given into the vein) each week for 4 weeks, then 900mg intravenously at the fifth week, then 900mg every 2 weeks for 48 weeks. Subjects will receive therapy for a total of 12 months.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Median Number of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Attacks Per Year	baseline, after 12 months of treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number Subjects Experiencing an NMO Attack in 12 Months of Eculizumab Treatment	12 months
Change in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDDS) Score	baseline, 12 months	The EDSS is an ordinal clinical rating scale ranging from 0 (normal neurologic examination) to 10 (death) in half-point increments.
Percentage Hemolysis	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months	Percentage of hemolysis is a measure of complement activity. Less than 20% lysis is deemed to be complete complement inhibition.
Mean Complement Protein 5 (C5) Concentration in CSF	baseline, 3 months
Number of Subjects With Change in Visual Acuity in at Least One Eye by at Least One Point	12 months	Visual acuity was measured using the the Visual Acuity subscale of the Opticospinal Impairment Score (OSIS) for Exacerbations. This subscale ranges from 0 (normal) to 8 (no light perception).
Number of Subjects With Change in Ambulation by at Least 1 Point	12 months	Ambulation was measured by the Hauser Ambulation Index, which ranges from 0 (asymptomatic; fully active) to 9 (restricted to wheelchair; unable to transfer self independently.)
Mean Serum Concentration of Eculizumab	6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months
Mean Eculizumab Concentration in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)	3 months