A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo Controlled, Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Preliminary Effectiveness of 2 Doses of Intradiscal rhGDF-5 (Single Administration) for the Treatment of Early Stage Lumbar Disc Degeneration
Degenerative Disc Disease
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Degenerative Disc Disease
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Persistent low back pain with at least 3 months of non-surgical therapy at one suspected symptomatic lumbar level (L3/L4 to L5/S1) as confirmed using a standardized provocative discography protocol. The required discography protocol will be provided by the sponsor. Subjects with multilevel disease must have a provocative discogram confirming that only 1 level is symptomatic at least 2 weeks prior to administration. Historical provocative discograms may be used for screening purposes, with an expiry of 12 calendar months from the date performed. If the study treatment is not performed within those 12 calendar months, a new discogram will be required.
- Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for low back pain of 30 or greater
- Low Back Pain score greater than or equal to 4 cm as measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at Visit 1 Baseline
Exclusion Criteria:
- Persons unable to have a discogram, CT, or MRI
- Abnormal neurological exam at baseline (e.g., chronic radiculopathy)
- Active radicular pain due to anatomical compression such as stenosis or disc herniation (radicular pain is defined as pain below the knee)
- Extravasation of contrast agent during the discogram, into the epidural space (does not include leakage of contrast agent along the needle track or leakage to the outer annular ring at the posterior longitudinal ligament vicinity)
- Suspected symptomatic facet joints and/or severe facet joint degeneration at the index level or adjacent segments
Sites / Locations
- Hope Research Institute
- The Spine Institute
- Durango Orthopedic Associates/Spine Colorado
- Drug Studies America
- University of Kansas Medical Center
- Hospital for Special Surgery
- University Orthopedics Center
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Spine Team Texas
- Texas Spine & Joint Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Placebo Comparator
Intradiscal rhGDF-5
Water for injection
The API is recombinant human growth and differentiation factor-5 (rhGDF-5), a recombinant version of human GDF-5. GDF-5 is a member of the transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) superfamily and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) subfamily, and is known to influence the growth and differentiation of various tissues, including the intervertebral disc. In vitro experiments have shown that rhGDF-5 can stimulate gene expression and synthesis of the extracellular matrix proteins type II collagen and aggrecan. In vivo experiments in rabbit models of disc degeneration have shown that intradiscal injections of rhGDF-5 can stimulate an increase in disc height and hydration.
Sterile water for injection