Rituximab for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (RITS-PS-2019)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study evaluates the addition of rituximab to 12 patients diagnosed with treatment resistant schizophrenia spectrum disorder in an open trial.

Detailed Description
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Immunological factors may be determinants for some psychiatric disorders, thus immunomodulation may be helpful. Rituximab (antibodies against CD20, cluster of differentiation), a standard treatment for multiple sclerosis, is an anti-inflammatory drug, hitherto not tested for psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the psychiatric symptoms of treatment-resistant adult psychiatric patients, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD), are significantly improved after treatment with rituximab. Our purpose is to implement recent insights from Immunopsychiatry to find efficacious, but still tolerable treatment for these patients. This is a single-site, 20-week, open pilot, add-on treatment as usual, trial, where the patients will be followed for 1 year. Rituximab will be administered with one single dose of 1000 mg. Investigators will analyse inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers in relation to the primary outcome, treatment response (defined as clinically relevant reduction in the validated measure PANSS). Other outcomes are much or very much improved on Clinical Global Impression - Improvement scale (CGI-I) and change in Personal and Social Performance Scale measuring overall disability.

Official Title
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Rituximab - Immunotherapy for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder in Adults: An Open Pilot Study

Conditions
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Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders, Treatment-resistant Schizophrenia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Drug: Rituximab


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria (Swedish citizens): patient ages 18 to 40 years a duration of illness exceeding 2 years correspond to Markedly ill, Severely ill or Among the most extremely ill patients on the Clinical Global Impression - Severity scale (CGI-S) Global Assessment of Functioning below 50 Schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). treatment resistance, i.e. failing to remit despite adequate treatments if female and with any risk for pregnancy, willing to use contraceptives if antipsychotic treatment is prescribed the plasma concentrations of the drug must be tested and shown to be within therapeutic interval. subjects should be judged by the investigator to be lucid and oriented to person, place, time, and situation when giving the informed consent. immunoglobulin levels within the normal range Exclusion Criteria: on-going immunomodulatory treatment pregnancy or breast-feeding weight below 40 kg clinically relevant on-going infection chronic infections positive screening test for hepatitis B, C, HIV or tuberculosis any change of psychotropic medication within the previous 4 weeks much or very much improved already at baseline according to CGI-I i.e. scores of 1 or 2 by the clinician severe heart failure (NYHA grade IV) or other severe heart disease or history of cardiac arrhythmia or myocardial infarction unable to make an informed decision to consent to the trial in compulsory treatment treatment with clozapine within the last 2 months previous treatments with immunosuppressive agents malignancy currently or within 2 years prior to inclusion

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 40 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Drug: Rituximab|Infusion|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) | Change in symptoms measured as change in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score from baseline. PANSS measures symptom severity of patients with schizophrenia and is a clinically based interview. PANSS measures positive symptoms (7 items, range 7-49), which refer to e.g. hallucinations and delusions; negative symptoms (e.g. loss of normal functions) (7 items, range 1-7) and general disability (16 Items, range 16 -112) separately. Higher scores denote more symptoms and disability. PANSS total score range from 30-210. At least 40 % reduction in PANSS total score is regarded as response. | week 20 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) | Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) gives a score for disability. The PSP is a 100-point single-item rating scale (range 1-100), subdivided into 10 equal intervals. Lower scores denote lower functioning. The ratings are based mainly on the assessment of patient's functioning in four main areas: 1) socially useful activities; 2) personal and social relationships; 3) self-care; and 4) disturbing and aggressive behaviours. Change in score between enrolment and week 20 will be measured. | week 20 | 
| Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale | CGI-S is a clinician rated measure of overall clinical severity that is rated on a scale between 1 and 7. A person with no clinical complaints or problems will get a score of 1. The score 7 indicates the highest level of severity is phrased as Among the most extremely ill patients. | week 20 | 
| Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) in relation to inflammatory markers | Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I) measures change of symptoms on a 7 point Likert scale. A CGI-I score of 1 or 2 corresponds to be much or very much improved. Change in inflammatory markers in blood (gene expression and proteins) towards normality, in relation to clinical response will be measured. | week 20 | 
| Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I). Proportion of responders. | Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I) measures change of symptoms on a 7 point Likert scale. A CGI-I score of 1 or 2 corresponds to be much or very much improved. Three different informants base their CGI-I evaluations on independent assessments: a) The treating clinician, b) The patient's self-assessment and c) A next of kin. If the mean value of these three is below 2.5 then the patient will be regarded as a responder (representing much or very much improved since baseline). | week 20 | 
| Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I). | Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I) measures change of symptoms on a 7 point Likert scale. A CGI-I score of 1 or 2 corresponds to be much or very much improved. Three different informants base their CGI-I evaluations on independent assessments: a) The treating clinician, b) The patient's self-assessment and c) A next of kin. Range 3-21. A lower score depicts larger improvement. | week 20 | 
| Adverse event: Any Adverse Reactions (AAR). Safety and tolerability of rituximab | Any Adverse reactions (AAR) is a rating scale developed for this study and is not a validated questionnaire. It consists of a list of 26 symptoms. AAR maps adverse events related to rituximab treatment. These items are assessed for severity on a Likert scale (4 levels: none; mild; moderate; severe) and frequency (3 levels: occasionally; daily; several times daily). AAR is assessed by the clinician. An adverse event scale was required as an outcome measure by the Swedish Medical Products Agency. | week 20 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Immunopsychiatry, Schizophrenia spectrum disorder, treatment-resistant