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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Focused Ultrasound Foundation | OTHER |
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The goal of this study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of IVIg administration in conjunction with primary motor cortex BBB opening using the Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) FUS in adult participants with ALS.
This study is a prospective, single-arm, open-label, multiple-ascending dose (MAD), phase I trial to evaluate safety, feasibility, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of enhanced delivery of IVIg 0.4 or 0.8g/kg to the primary motor cortex in 6 patients with ALS by using a single BBB opening procedure targeting the primary motor cortex in both brain hemispheres. Six participants will be enrolled in two sequential cohorts. The first cohort (n = 3) will receive 0.4g/kg of IVIg divided in two doses, while the second cohort (n = 3) will receive a 0.8g/kg of IVIg divided in two doses. In both cohorts, the second dose of IVIg will be accompanied by a single BBB opening procedure targeting the primary motor cortex in both brain hemispheres with focused ultrasound (FUS) using Next Generation Dome Helmet and intravenous microbubbles (DEFINITY®, Lantheus Medical Imaging Canada, Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada). This FUS procedure will occur during 2 weeks after the first dose administration. Follow-up visits will occur over the span of 24 weeks from the first dose.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intravenous Immunoglobulin Administration using Focused Ultrasound | Experimental | ALS patients will be assigned to receive Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) and DEFINITY® microbubbles. The first three enrolled patients will participate in the first cohort, receiving 0.4g/kg divided in two doses. After a preliminary safety assessment of the first cohort, the next three successfully screened patients will be enrolled in the second cohort, receiving 0.8g/kg divided in two doses. The second IVIg dose in each cohort will be administered in combination with Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) focused ultrasound (FUS) to transiently open the blood-brain barrier and enhance IVIg delivery to the primary motor cortex. |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Next Generation Dome Helmet Focused Ultrasound | Device | Two doses of IVIg will be administered 2 weeks apart. The first dose at Week 0 will be a standalone administration. The second dose at Week 2 will be combined with Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) Focused Ultrasound (FUS) blood brain barrier (BBB) opening. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Safety of IVIg in patients with ALS | This will be assessed up through the incidence of drug-related adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations due to adverse events after Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) administration. | During and after IVIg administration at Week 0 and Week 2 Day 1 until Week 24. |
| Safety of DEFINITY® microbubbles | This will be assessed up through the incidence of drug-related adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations due to adverse events after DEFINITY® infusion during focused ultrasound (FUS) blood brain barrier (BBB) opening. | During and after DEFINITY® administration at Week 2 Day 1 until Week 24. |
| Feasibility of FUS BBB opening in the motor cortex | This will be measured as detectable gadolinium enhancement at the arm, leg and bulbar regions of the motor cortex bilaterally following FUS with posterior normalization. | During and after Week 2 Day 1 FUS BBB opening until Week 24. |
| Safety of FUS BBB opening in the motor cortex | Incidence of BBB opening-related and FUS-related adverse events, serious adverse events, incidence of asymptomatic or symptomatic radiologic complication, such as evidence of bleeding or swelling after FUS, incidence of electrographic complication, such as epileptiform discharges on EEG, or accelerated ALS disease progression, defined as ≥ 6-point decline in the ALSFRS-R scores from Baseline to week 8. | From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid | Change in concentration of serum neurofilaments from Baseline to Week 24 | From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
| Inflammatory markers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacokinetics Outcome - Immunoglobulin G Concentration | Change in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/whole blood ratio of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration. This will serve as a pharmacokinetics outcome of enhanced IVIg delivery to the central nervous system after blood brain barrier opening. | From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
Inclusion Criteria:
Diagnosed with ALS as per the Gold Coast Criteria;
Aged 18 years or older;
Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures;
If taking Riluzole, on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks prior to Baseline;
If taking Edaravone, on a stable dose of one completed cycle prior to Baseline;
Respiratory Function Criterion:
Able to communicate sensations during the Dome FUS procedure.
Qualified fit for the anesthesia by an anesthesiologist, ASA I-III.
Exclusion Criteria:
MRI findings:
More than 30% of the skull area traversed by the sonication pathway is covered by scars, scalp disorders (e.g., eczema), or atrophy of the scalp
Clips or other metallic implanted objects in the skull or the brain, except shunts
Significant cardiac disease or unstable hemodynamic status including:
Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic > 150 and diastolic BP > 100 on medication)
Patients should not take medications known to increase risk of hemorrhage (e.g., aspirin or class I and III anticoagulants) for at least 7 days prior to treatment or lumbar puncture; patients should not take Avastin for 30 days prior to treatment
History of a bleeding disorder, coagulopathy or a history of spontaneous hemorrhage or use of anticoagulants, specifically recent thrombosis or stroke in past 3 months; abnormal coagulation profile (PLT < 100,00/μl), PT (> 14 sec) or PTT (> 36 sec), and INR > 1.3
No more than 1 non-strategic lacune <1.5 cm
Known cerebral or systemic vasculopathy
Significant depression and at potential risk of suicide
Known sensitivity/allergy to gadolinium (an alternative product may be used) and DEFINITY®.
Any contraindications to MRI scanning, including:
Any contraindication to lumbar puncture for collection of cerebral spinal fluid, including:
a. Intracranial hypotension
Untreated, uncontrolled sleep apnea
Impaired renal function with estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73m2 or on dialysis.
IVIg use in the previous 6 months.
Live viral vaccination within the 30 days before study entry
Currently, or in the last 3 months participated in a clinical trial delivering an investigational product or non-approved use of a drug or device or in any other type of medical research.
Respiratory: chronic pulmonary disorders e.g. severe emphysema, pulmonary vasculitis, or other causes of reduced pulmonary vascular cross-sectional area, patients with a history of drug allergies, uncontrolled asthma or hay fever, and multiple allergies where the benefit/risk of administering DEFINITY® is considered unfavorable by the study physicians in relation to the product monograph for DEFINITY®.
Motor cortex atrophy deemed severe enough to limit targeting
Previous major allergic or anaphylactic reaction to IVIg
Known IgA deficiency with anti-IgA.
Known frontotemporal dementia;
Definitely or possibly pregnant (if applicable);
Known auto-immune condition with or without neurological manifestations (e.g., multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), Rheumatoid arthritis).
Current, planned or previous use of oral, intramuscular or intravenous steroid drugs (such as prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone, methylprednisolone, oxandrolone, and others), immunosuppressant drugs (azathioprine, mycophenolate, tacrolimus, sirolimus, cyclophosphamide, and others) or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, and others) in the past 30 days;
Other unspecified reasons that, in the opinion of the Investigator or the Sponsor, make the participant unsuitable for enrollment
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nir Lipsman, MD, PhD, FRCPC | Contact | (416) 480-6100 | 687561 | alsresearch@sunnybrook.ca |
| Caroline Giuricich, MSc | Contact | (416) 480-6100 | 687561 | caroline.giuricich@sri.utoronto.ca |
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| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre | Recruiting | Toronto | Ontario | M4N 3M5 | Canada |
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The first cohort (n = 3) will receive 0.4g/kg of IVIg, divided into two 0.2g/kg doses. After a preliminary safety and tolerability assessment of the first cohort, patients will be enrolled to the second cohort (n = 3). It will follow the same design but with 0.8g/kg divided into two 0.4g/kg doses.
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|
| Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), 10% solution for infusion | Drug | Two doses of IVIg will be administered 2 weeks apart. The first dose at Week 0 will be a standalone administration. The second dose at Week 2 will be combined with Next Generation Dome Helmet (NGDH) Focused Ultrasound (FUS) blood brain barrier (BBB) opening. Cohort I will receive 0.2g/kg of IVIg at each dose. Cohort II will receive 0.4g/kg of IVIg at each dose. Privigen® IVIg comes in vials containing 10% active ingredient. It is supplied in 2.5 g (25 mL bottle), 5 g (50 mL bottle), 10 g (100 mL bottle), 20 g (200 mL bottle) or 40 g (400 mL bottle). The IVIg dose will be determined based on the patient's ideal body weight. |
|
| Definity® Vial for (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) Injectable Suspension | Drug | DEFINITY® Perflutren Injectable Microbubbles is an ultrasound contrast imaging agent that will be used for blood brain barrier opening during focused ultrasound. These microbubbles will be injected during the focused ultrasound procedure on the day of the second IVIg dose. |
|
Change in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood inflammatory markers, including but not limited to TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, CHIT1, CHI3L1, CHI3L2, TGF-β, IL-10, and CRP |
| From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
| Exploratory Outcomes - ALSFRS-R scores |
A ≥ 4-point increase in the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) scores or significant clinical improvement at week 8. |
| From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
| Exploratory Outcomes - Changes in levels of cerebral chemicals measured using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy | Changes in cerebral chemicals through Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). These include N-acetylaspartate (NAA), total choline (Cho), total creatine (Cr), myo-inositol (Ino), Glutamate (Glu), and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). All measurements use the same units. | From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
| Pharmacokinetics Outcome - Neurofilament light chain levels | Change in cerebrospinal fluid and blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) post Next Generation Dome Helmet Focused Ultrasound (FUS) procedure, from week 2 to 24. This will serve as a pharmacokinetic outcome of NfL behavior post FUS procedure. | From up to 30 days before Week 0 to Week 24. |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000690 | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis |
| D016472 | Motor Neuron Disease |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D013118 | Spinal Cord Diseases |
| D002493 | Central Nervous System Diseases |
| D009422 | Nervous System Diseases |
| D019636 | Neurodegenerative Diseases |
| D057177 | TDP-43 Proteinopathies |
| D009468 | Neuromuscular Diseases |
| D057165 | Proteostasis Deficiencies |
| D008659 | Metabolic Diseases |
| D009750 | Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D016756 | Immunoglobulins, Intravenous |
| D012996 | Solutions |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D007074 | Immunoglobulin G |
| D007132 | Immunoglobulin Isotypes |
| D000906 | Antibodies |
| D007136 | Immunoglobulins |
| D007162 | Immunoproteins |
| D001798 | Blood Proteins |
| D011506 | Proteins |
| D000602 | Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins |
| D012712 | Serum Globulins |
| D005916 | Globulins |
| D004364 | Pharmaceutical Preparations |
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