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Study of Ruxolitinib in the Treatment of Cachexia in Patients With Tumor-Associated Chronic Wasting Diseases.

Primary Purpose

Cancer Cachexia

Status
Terminated
Phase
Phase 2
Locations
Switzerland
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Ruxolitinib
Sponsored by
Kantonsspital Aarau
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Cancer Cachexia

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Definition of cachexia (see Section 11.1) fulfilled
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Confirmed tumor of any site
  • Life expectancy of ≥3 months
  • Subject must be willing to receive transfusion of blood products
  • Patient must give written informed consent
  • Females of childbearing potential (FCBP) must undergo pregnancy testing (serum) and pregnancy result must be negative.*
  • Reliable contraception should be maintained throughout the study and for 28 days after study treatment discontinuation
  • Unless practicing complete abstinence from heterosexual intercourse, sexually active FCBP must agree to use adequate contraceptive methods
  • Males (including those who have had a vasectomy) must use barrier contraception (condoms) when engaging in sexual activity with FCBP. Males must agree not to donate semen or sperm

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or breast feeding females
  • Lack of written informed consent
  • No consent for registration, storage and processing of the individual disease-characteristics and course as well as information of the family physician about study participation.
  • No consent for "Translational Research" and "Biobanking" (see separate documents "Aufbewahrung und Weiterverwendung von biologischem Material und von Daten für die biomedizinische Forschung" und "Biobankreglement" for the RUXexia Trial).
  • Thrombocytopenia < 50 x 10e9/l
  • Peroral intake not possible, in particular by stenosis of the esophagus
  • New started treatment of the tumor (first 3 months of a new treatment). Patients with a new treatment of the cancer disease should delay screening/enrollment until 3 months after start of this treatment.
  • Presence of any medical/psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormalities which may limit full compliance with the study, increase the risk associated with study participation or study drug administration, or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and, in the judgment of the Investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study
  • Patients with a Myeloproliferative Neoplasm
  • Patients receiving any "Prohibited Medications" (see protocol) within 7 days prior to the first dose of study drug
  • Patients with clinically significant bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral infection which require therapy. Patients with acute bacterial infections requiring antibiotic use should delay screening/enrollment until the course of antibiotic therapy has been completed.

Sites / Locations

  • Division of Hematology/Oncolgy, University Clinic of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau AG
  • Division of Hematology/Oncology, Kantonsspital Olten

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm Type

Experimental

Arm Label

Ruxolitinib

Arm Description

Interventional arm

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Body weight

Secondary Outcome Measures

Body weight
Lean Body (muscle) Mass (LBM)
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
Resting energy expenditure (REE)
Indirect calorimetry
Activity Energy Expenditure (AEE)
AEE-Questionnaires
Body mass index (BMI)
Formula BMI = W / H2 (W=body weight in kilograms; H=body height in meters)
Tumor assessment
Clinical and radiological (CT or MRI)
Grip Strength
Grip Strength measured by dynamometer
EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire
Quality of Life
Nutritional history
Nutritional Risk Screening Tool
Number of adverse events
Reporting of adverse events according to the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0
Stair climbing test
Measurement of power and speed on a stair climbing test (Stair climb speed [m/sec]=[height of 12 steps(meters)]/[time (seconds) up the 12 steps]; Stair climb power [watts]=[9.8 m/sec2]*[weight (kg)]*[height of 12 steps(meters)]/[time (seconds) up the 12 steps]).

Full Information

First Posted
February 21, 2014
Last Updated
February 26, 2019
Sponsor
Kantonsspital Aarau
Collaborators
Clinical Trial Unit, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, Novartis
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT02072057
Brief Title
Study of Ruxolitinib in the Treatment of Cachexia in Patients With Tumor-Associated Chronic Wasting Diseases.
Official Title
The RUXexia Trial: An Open-label Phase II Trial of Ruxolitinib in the Treatment of Cachexia in Patients With Tumor-Associated Chronic Wasting Diseases.
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
February 2019
Overall Recruitment Status
Terminated
Why Stopped
Poor recruiting
Study Start Date
April 20, 2014 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
November 30, 2018 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
November 30, 2018 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
Kantonsspital Aarau
Collaborators
Clinical Trial Unit, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, Novartis

4. Oversight

Data Monitoring Committee
Yes

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects and safety of Ruxolitinib, a Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor for the treatment of tumor-associated cachexia in chronic wasting diseases.
Detailed Description
Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by tissue wasting, loss of body weight, particularly of lean body (muscle) mass (LBM) and to a lesser extent adipose tissue, metabolic alterations, fatigue, reduced performance status, and very often accompanied by anorexia leading to a reduced food intake. Cachexia accompanies the end stage of many chronic diseases and especially cancer and therefore is also termed "cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome" (CACS). Clinically, cachexia is defined as an unintentional 5% resp. 10% loss of body weight over a 6-month resp. 12-month period that is directly associated with an underlying disease. The progressive loss of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle despite adequate feeding results in weakness, reduced ambulation, diminished quality of life, poor response to therapy, and often death due to respiratory failure or infection. At the time of cancer diagnosis, 80% of patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers and 60% of patients with lung cancer have already had substantial weight loss. Currently, there are no approved effective treatments for the treatment of cachexia. Understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for muscle wasting is necessary to develop targeted therapies that play a central role in signal transduction initiated by cytokines (e.g., interleukin and interferon signaling), growth factors, and hormones for these most vulnerable patients. Key features of CACS are increased resting energy expenditure (REE), increased levels of circulating factors produced by the host immune system in response to the tumor, such as proinflammatory cytokines, or by the tumor itself, such as proteolysis-inducing factor. Inflammation is a unifying mechanism for the entire cluster of sickness behaviours (asthenia, increased slow-wave sleep, mood alteration, lethargy, depression, anorexia, fever, anhedonia, cognitive impairment, hyperalgesia and decreased social interaction), including lipolysis and muscle proteolysis. Inflammation is generated in the brain, by the tumor, by tissues in the locale of the tumor and by a diversity of host cells including skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, cells of the immune system, and liver. The specific identity of the inflammation mediators participating in cancer cachexia is emerging. Both host and tumor-derived factors have been shown experimentally to contribute to muscle wasting. There is evidence that a chronic, low-grade, tumor-induced activation of the host immune system, which shares numerous characteristics with the "acute-phase response" found after major traumatic events, septic shock or chronic inflammatory diseases with an excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines, is involved in CACS. Proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-a) play a central role in the pathophysiology of CACS, although the mechanisms by which they might induce muscle wasting are unknown. A goal of anorexia-cachexia therapy is to interfere with these responses to inflammation and so to restore positive energy balance and to promote the gain of skeletal muscle mass. Understanding the specific management of the initiating inflammatory pathways is crucial to that end. Recently a study reported that a "Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT)" protein (STAT3) activation is a common feature of muscle wasting, activated in muscle by IL-6 in vivo and in vitro, by different types of cancer, and by sterile sepsis. Moreover, STAT3 activation is necessary and sufficient for causing muscle wasting. Conversely, the same authors showed that inhibiting STAT3 pharmacologically with Janus kinase (JAK) or STAT3 inhibitors or genetically reduced muscle atrophy downstream of IL-6 or cancer. Epidemiological studies suggest that as many as 25% of all cancers may be due to chronic inflammation. The connection between inflammation and cancer consists of an extrinsic pathway, driven by inflammatory conditions that increase cancer risk, and an intrinsic pathway, driven by oncogenic alterations that result in creation of an inflammatory microenvironment that resolves in neoplasias. Immune cells play key roles in connecting inflammation and cancer by producing various growth or angiogenic factors, proteinases, chemokines, and cytokines that create a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment. This milieu stimulates cell migration, proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis, and facilitates the subversion of adaptive immunity, thus favoring cancer progression. These theoretical considerations as well as pharmacological results and data from animal models indicated that the JAK/STAT pathway is a primary mediator of muscle wasting in cancer cachexia and other conditions of high IL-6 family signaling. Thus JAK/STAT pathway could represent a novel therapeutic target for the preservation of skeletal muscle in cachexia. On the basis of this rationale, we want to carry out an open label phase II study with the aim of testing the efficacy and safety of a treatment based on a pharmacologic inhibition of the JAK/STAT3 pathway with Ruxolitinib in patients with CACS. Ruxolitinib represents a novel orally bioavailable, potent, and selective inhibitor of JAK1 and JAK2 developed primarily for the treatment of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs). A key feature of MPNs is the dysregulation of JAK/STAT signaling.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Cancer Cachexia

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 2
Interventional Study Model
Single Group Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
N/A
Enrollment
8 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Ruxolitinib
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Interventional arm
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Ruxolitinib
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Body weight
Time Frame
3 months
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Body weight
Time Frame
Baseline. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 months
Title
Lean Body (muscle) Mass (LBM)
Description
Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
Time Frame
Baseline. 3, 6, and 12 months
Title
Resting energy expenditure (REE)
Description
Indirect calorimetry
Time Frame
Baseline. 3, 6, and 12 months
Title
Activity Energy Expenditure (AEE)
Description
AEE-Questionnaires
Time Frame
Baseline. 3, 6, and 12 months
Title
Body mass index (BMI)
Description
Formula BMI = W / H2 (W=body weight in kilograms; H=body height in meters)
Time Frame
Baseline. 3, 6, and 12 months
Title
Tumor assessment
Description
Clinical and radiological (CT or MRI)
Time Frame
Baseline. 6, and 12 months
Title
Grip Strength
Description
Grip Strength measured by dynamometer
Time Frame
Baseline. 3, 6, and 12 months
Title
EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire
Description
Quality of Life
Time Frame
Baseline. 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
Title
Nutritional history
Description
Nutritional Risk Screening Tool
Time Frame
Baseline. After 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 months
Title
Number of adverse events
Description
Reporting of adverse events according to the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0
Time Frame
Up to 24 months
Title
Stair climbing test
Description
Measurement of power and speed on a stair climbing test (Stair climb speed [m/sec]=[height of 12 steps(meters)]/[time (seconds) up the 12 steps]; Stair climb power [watts]=[9.8 m/sec2]*[weight (kg)]*[height of 12 steps(meters)]/[time (seconds) up the 12 steps]).
Time Frame
Baseline. 3, 6, and 12 months
Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures:
Title
Cytokines levels
Description
Multiplex-assays for proinflammatory cytokines
Time Frame
Baseline. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 12 months
Title
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels
Description
Free oxygen radical monitor (FORM) with proper kits (FORMOX with FORT and FORD analysis kits, Callegari 1930 S.P.A., Parma, Italy).
Time Frame
Baseline. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 12 months
Title
JAK/STAT pathway activation
Description
FACS analysis
Time Frame
Baseline. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 12 months
Title
microRNA
Description
PCR-assays for microRNA
Time Frame
Baseline. 12 Months

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Definition of cachexia (see Section 11.1) fulfilled Age ≥ 18 years Confirmed tumor of any site Life expectancy of ≥3 months Subject must be willing to receive transfusion of blood products Patient must give written informed consent Females of childbearing potential (FCBP) must undergo pregnancy testing (serum) and pregnancy result must be negative.* Reliable contraception should be maintained throughout the study and for 28 days after study treatment discontinuation Unless practicing complete abstinence from heterosexual intercourse, sexually active FCBP must agree to use adequate contraceptive methods Males (including those who have had a vasectomy) must use barrier contraception (condoms) when engaging in sexual activity with FCBP. Males must agree not to donate semen or sperm Exclusion Criteria: Pregnant or breast feeding females Lack of written informed consent No consent for registration, storage and processing of the individual disease-characteristics and course as well as information of the family physician about study participation. No consent for "Translational Research" and "Biobanking" (see separate documents "Aufbewahrung und Weiterverwendung von biologischem Material und von Daten für die biomedizinische Forschung" und "Biobankreglement" for the RUXexia Trial). Thrombocytopenia < 50 x 10e9/l Peroral intake not possible, in particular by stenosis of the esophagus New started treatment of the tumor (first 3 months of a new treatment). Patients with a new treatment of the cancer disease should delay screening/enrollment until 3 months after start of this treatment. Presence of any medical/psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormalities which may limit full compliance with the study, increase the risk associated with study participation or study drug administration, or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and, in the judgment of the Investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study Patients with a Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Patients receiving any "Prohibited Medications" (see protocol) within 7 days prior to the first dose of study drug Patients with clinically significant bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral infection which require therapy. Patients with acute bacterial infections requiring antibiotic use should delay screening/enrollment until the course of antibiotic therapy has been completed.
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Nathan Cantoni, MD
Organizational Affiliation
Division of Hematology/Oncology, University Clinic of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, CH-5001 Aarau, Switzerland
Official's Role
Study Chair
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Mario Bargetzi, MD
Organizational Affiliation
Division of Hematology/Oncology, University Clinic of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, CH-5001 Aarau, Switzerland
Official's Role
Study Chair
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Division of Hematology/Oncolgy, University Clinic of Medicine, Kantonsspital Aarau AG
City
Aarau
State/Province
AG
ZIP/Postal Code
5001
Country
Switzerland
Facility Name
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Kantonsspital Olten
City
Olten
State/Province
SO
ZIP/Postal Code
4600
Country
Switzerland

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Learn more about this trial

Study of Ruxolitinib in the Treatment of Cachexia in Patients With Tumor-Associated Chronic Wasting Diseases.

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