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Table 3 Phase 3 clinical trials in ALS with a medical product targeting (neuro)inflammation

From: Blood-based biomarkers of inflammation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Intervention, Sponsor or Collaborators, Phase

Target or Mechanism of Action and Protocol

Outcome Measures

Pharmacodynamic Biomarker

Study results

Reference Clinical Trial ID

Drug: minocyclineSponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Phase: 3

- anti-inflammatory

- daily dose for 9 months

- change in function as detected by the ALSFRS-R

- changes in manual muscle testing (MMT), forced vital capacity (FVC, percent predicted), quality of life (QOL) and survival

none listed or described

- ALSFRS-R score deterioration was faster

- (non-significant tendencies towards faster decline in FVC and MMT score, and greater mortality during the 9-month treatment phase

- Quality-of-life scores did not differ between the treatment groups.

- Non-serious gastrointestinal and neurological adverse events were more common in the minocycline group than in the placebo group, but these events were not significantly related to the decline in ALSFRS-R score.

Gordon et al., 2007 [3]NCT00047723

Drug: Granulocyte Colony Stimulating FactorSponsor: Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Phase: 2/3

- G-CSF administered per subcutaneous injection

- 5 days treatment with 3 month follow-up

- patient’s function

- mobilizing bone marrow stem cells- amplitude of compound muscle action potential in ulnar and peroneal nerve- quality of life- muscle power

mobilizing bone marrow stem cells:

- cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34)

- white blood cell (WBC) counting

- no significant effect

Amirzagar et al., 2015 [4] NCT01825551

Drug: MediCabilis CBD Oil

Sponsor: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, BOD Australia

Phase: 3

- anti-inflammatory

- treatment for 6 months

- difference in mean ALSFRS-R

- difference in mean Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

- nature and number of adverse events

- difference in mean Numeric Rating Scale for spasticity

- difference in mean Numeric Rating Scale for pain total score

- difference in mean Percentage of Total Weight Loss score

- difference in mean ALS Specific Quality of Life- Revised

none listed

- not available yet (recruiting)

Urbi et al., 2019 [5] NCT03690791

Drug: Masitinib (4.5/3.0)Sponsor: AB Science

Phase: 2/3

- microglia & mast cells through c-kit

- 48 weeks

- change in ALSFRS-R

- change of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)

- progression Free Survival

- overall Survival

none listed or described

- “Normal progressor” subpopulation received a benefit from the drug on the ΔALSFRS-R and on the ALSAQ-40, FVC, and time-to-event analysis.

- No differences were detected in the full sample (“Normal and Fast Progressor”).

Mora et al., 2020 [6] NCT02588677

Drug: Masitinib (6.0/4.5)

Sponsor: AB Science

Phase: 3

- microglia & mast cells through c-kit

- 48 weeks

- ALSFRS-R

- ALSAQ-40

- progression free survival

- FVC

- HHD

none listed

- not available yet (recruiting)

NCT03127267

Drug: ZilucoplanSponsor: Ra Pharmaceuticals

Phase: 2/3

- complement C5 inhibitor

- 24 weeks

- disease progression

- respiratory function

- muscle strength

- survival

none listed

- not available yet (recruiting)

NCT04436497

Drug: VerdiperstatSponsor: Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Phase: 2/3

- myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme inhibitor

- 24 weeks

- disease progression

- respiratory function

- muscle strength

- survival

none listed

- not available yet (recruiting)

NCT04436510

Drug: MN-166 (Ibudilast)Sponsor: MediciNova

Phase: 2/3

- phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE4)

- 52 weeks of treatment

- change from baseline in ALSFRS-R score at Month 12

- survival time

- mean change of muscle strength measured by hand-held dynamometry

- mean change from baseline on quality of life by ALSAQ-5

- mean change from baseline of functional activity by ALSFRS-R

- responders, measured in percent of subjects overall, whose ALSFRS-R total score was stable or improved

- time to survival

- number of Participants with Treatment-Related Adverse Events

- changes from Baseline in Laboratory Values

not specified (laboratory values)

- not available yet (recruiting)

NCT04057898

Biological: LenzumestrocelSponsor: Corestem, Inc.

Phase: 3

- intrathecal autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells injections to minimize pro-inflammatory cytokines

- Study drug injections twice in a 26-day interval followed by repeated three times study drug injections every three months.

- joint rank scores (CAFS, Combined Assessment of Functional and Survival)

- ALSFRS-R score

- time to event

- Slow Vital Capacity (SVC)

Exploratory investigation of biological markers in plasma, blood and CSF. Comparison of change before and after treatment. Measurement cytokines: TGF-β1, IL-10, IL-6, TNF, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-1RA, MIP-1β, RANTES and IP-10 etc.

- not available yet (recruiting)

NCT04745299

Biological: RavulizumabSponsor: Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Phase: 3

- complement inhibitor

- 50 weeks

- change From Baseline ALSFRS-R Total Score

- time To Ventilator Assistance-free Survival

- change From Baseline In Slow Vital Capacity

- incidence Of Treatment-emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), Treatment-emergent Serious Adverse Events, And TEAEs Leading To Study Drug Discontinuation

- change From Baseline In Muscle Strength As Assessed By Handheld Dynamometry

- change From Baseline In Serum Neurofilament Light Chain

none listed

- not available yet (recruiting)

NCT04248465

  1. ALSAQ-5 five item ALS assessment questionnaire, ALSAQ-40 forty item ALS assessment questionnaire, ALSFRS-R ALS functional rating scale revised, CAFS Combined Assessment of Functional and Survival, CD34 cluster of differentiation 34, c-kit tyrosine-protein kinase Kit, CSF cerebral spinal fluid, FVC forced vital capacity, HHD hand-held dynamometry, IL interleukin, IL-1RA interleukin 1 receptor agonist, IP-10 Interferon gamma-induced protein 10, MCP-1 Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1, MIP-1β Macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta, MMT manual muscle testing, MPO myeloperoxidase, NINDS National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, PDE4 phosphodiesterase inhibitor 4, QOL quality of life, RANTES Regulated upon Activation, Normal T Cell Expressed and Presumably Secreted, SVC Slow Vital Capacity, TEAEs Treatment-emergent Adverse Events, TGF-β1 tumor growth factor beta 1, TNF tumor necrosis factor, WBC white blood cell