Clinical trial NCT00879034
Conditions: Progeria Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome
Keywords: Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome HGPS Progeria FTI Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor Lonafarnib Zoledronic Acid Pravastatin
Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital
Start date: 2009-03-01; Completion date: 2009-04-01
Enrollment: 5 participants; Allocation: NA; Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP

Brief summary:
This is an open label single arm feasibility trial. A combination of two oral agents (pravastatin and lonafarnib) and one intravenous (IV) agent (zoledronic acid) will be administered at doses and schedule currently applied in pediatrics. These agents all target farnesylation pathways at different points. Our goal is to inhibit farnesylation of abnormal lamin, the disease-causing protein in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome and progeroid laminopathies (henceforth "progeria"). The drugs will include the intravenous bisphosphonate zoledronic acid, oral HMG co-reductase inhibitor pravastatin and the oral farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) lonafarnib (SCH 66336). Patients with genetically confirmed progeria will be eligible for this protocol. Treatment will be initiated for 4 weeks duration and may be extended depending on tolerability. This study will assess the feasibility of this treatment regimen in the first 4 weeks. If tolerated for 4 weeks, patients can be treated with this regimen for up to 6 months.

Detailed description:
Progerias are rare "premature aging" diseases in which children die of severe atherosclerosis leading to strokes and heart attacks. It is a multisystem disease with objective clinical markers for disease progression. These include abnormalities in growth and body composition, bone mineral density, join function, endocrine function, alopecia, and vascular disease. There is currently no therapy proven effective for any of the progressive and deleterious aspects of this disorder.

Progeria is caused by a gene defect in the gene LMNA, coding for the nuclear protein lamin A. Lamin A is normally expressed by most differentiated cells, and requires posttranslational farnesylation to incorporate into the nuclear membrane. This trial proposes to use three agents (zoledronic acid, pravastatin, and lonafarnib) to inhibit farnesylation of abnormal lamin, the disease causing protein in Progeria. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of administering intravenous zoledronic acid, oral pravastatin and oral lonafarnib, to patients wtih Progeria for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Arms: arm 1: Lonafarnib;Zoledronic acid;Pravastatin
Interventions: intervention 1: Lonafarnib intervention 2: Zoledronic Acid intervention 3: Pravastatin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Lonafarnib capsules are to be orally administered twice per day approximately every 12 hours. Lonafarnib dosing will begin at 150 mg/m2 by mouth twice daily. Dose levels are 150, 115, 90 and 70 mg/m2. Patients experiencing significant drug related grade 3 or 4 toxicity and not responding to therapy interruption or supportive care measures will be dose reduced by one dose level. intervention 2: Zoledronic acid will be administered intravenously at week one of this treatment trial. Week one administration will consist of one infusion over a 30 minute period, 0.0125 mg/kg body weight. intervention 3: Pravastatin will begin at 5 mg by mouth once daily for children weighing less than 10 kg, and 10 mg by mouth once daily for children weighing 10 kg or greater.

Protocol documents: