Clinical trial NCT02167217: Historically Controlled Trial of Corticosteroids in Young Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Official title: Phase 2 Historically Controlled Trial of Corticosteroids in Young Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Keywords: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Corticosteroids
Infants
Young Children
Toddlers
Lead sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Nationwide Children's Hospital
name: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
name: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
name: University of California, Davis
name: Nemours Children's Hospital
First posted: 2014-06-19
Enrollment: 25
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 1
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: While it has been known for many years that corticosteroid use benefits boys with Duchenne Muscular dystrophy (DMD), most clinicians do not consider treating until after age 3 or 4 years of age. The primary reason for the delay is that daily corticosteroid use has many side effects including short stature, obesity, and osteoporosis. A recent randomized blinded study of weekend oral corticosteroid use over one year showed equal improvement in strength with fewer side effects, particularly as related to growth and cushingoid changes. The investigators will test the efficacy of oral weekend corticosteroid use in infants and young boys with DMD who are under age 30 months. The investigators have demonstrated that the Bayley-III Scales of Infant development shows that infants and young boys in this age group who are untreated decline in abilities when compared to their peers. Here, in this Phase 2 historically controlled trial, the investigators will use these two measures and treat boys at five Muscular Dystrophy Association-DMD centers

Detailed description: Objective. Determine if twice-weekly high dose oral prednisone improves gross motor development in infants and young boys with DMD. The investigators will perform a phase 2 historically controlled trial of oral twice-weekly prednisone (5mg/kg/dose on two consecutive days) in infants and young boys with DMD. Here the investigators propose to study the effect of this therapy in a multicenter trial of boys with DMD who are less than 30 months old at the baseline visit. Each boy will be followed for one year.

Aim 1. Determine if treatment improves gross motor function in infants with DMD over a 6-12-month period as measured by the Bayley-III. The Bayley-III infant score is the primary motor clinical endpoint of this therapeutic trial. Secondary outcomes include fine motor function, speech and language, and social function.

Aim 2. Determine if treatment improves the Adaptive Behavior Subtest of the Bayley-III (ABS) as scored by the infants' primary caregiver. In the study of untreated boys, the primary caregiver noted clear deficits, predominantly related to areas relevant to gross motor function. The ABS Aim 3. Determine if treatment improves performance on the North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) for those boys who are ambulatory.

Aim 4. Determine if treatment with weekly corticosteroids is tolerated and is safe in boys with DMD who are less than 30 months of age.

Objective 2. Determine if ultrasound of biceps and quadriceps using calibrated backscatter improves in infants and young boys with DMD who are treated with oral high dose weekly corticosteroids. Preliminary data of ultrasound imaging in infants and young boys with DMD demonstrate progressive structural damage as measured by calibrated backscatter. The ultrasound studies will be limited to the infants and boys who will enroll at the primary site (Washington University) where Dr. Craig Zaidman has the equipment and expertise to accomplish this aim.

Objective 3. Determine if caregiver burden changes with treatment of infants and young boys with DMD. Preliminary data from questionnaires suggests the caregiver burden for the primary caregiver of untreated infant and young boys with DMD is minimal. Assessment of this with in this trial will allow us to discern if this changes with a therapeutic trial.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Appropriate degree of weakness for age, creatine kinase greater than 20 times the upper limit of normal, and genetic mutation known to be causative for Duchenne muscular dystrophy .
2. Appropriate degree of weakness for age, creatine kinase greater than 20 times the upper limit of normal and genetic or biopsy confirmation of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a primary relative (e.g. brother or maternal uncle).
3. De-identified, genetic studies will be reviewed by collaborator Kevin Flanigan, MD prior to enrollment of subjects.
4. Age at entry: one month through 30 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Prior treatment with corticosteroids

Primary outcomes:
measure: Bayley III Gross Motor Scaled Score (Change From Baseline to 12 Month)
timeFrame: One year
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Sacramento
country: United States
facility: University of California Davis
state: California
city: Orlando
country: United States
facility: Nemours Hospital
state: Florida
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Laurie Children's Hospital Of Chicago
state: Illinois
city: Saint Louis
country: United States
facility: Washington University in Saint Louis
state: Missouri
city: Columbus
country: United States
facility: Research Institute Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's Hospital
state: Ohio
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: University of Texas South Western Medical Center of Dallas
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine
name: Anne M Connolly, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Connolly AM, Florence JM, Cradock MM, Malkus EC, Schierbecker JR, Siener CA, Wulf CO, Anand P, Golumbek PT, Zaidman CM, Philip Miller J, Lowes LP, Alfano LN, Viollet-Callendret L, Flanigan KM, Mendell JR, McDonald CM, Goude E, Johnson L, Nicorici A, Karachunski PI, Day JW, Dalton JC, Farber JM, Buser KK, Darras BT, Kang PB, Riley SO, Shriber E, Parad R, Bushby K, Eagle M; MDA DMD Clinical Research Network. Motor and cognitive assessment of infants and young boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: results from the Muscular Dystrophy Association DMD Clinical Research Network. Neuromuscul Disord. 2013 Jul;23(7):529-39. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2013.04.005. Epub 2013 May 28.
citation: Connolly AM, Schierbecker J, Renna R, Florence J. High dose weekly oral prednisone improves strength in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neuromuscul Disord. 2002 Dec;12(10):917-25. doi: 10.1016/s0960-8966(02)00180-3.
citation: Escolar DM, Hache LP, Clemens PR, Cnaan A, McDonald CM, Viswanathan V, Kornberg AJ, Bertorini TE, Nevo Y, Lotze T, Pestronk A, Ryan MM, Monasterio E, Day JW, Zimmerman A, Arrieta A, Henricson E, Mayhew J, Florence J, Hu F, Connolly AM. Randomized, blinded trial of weekend vs daily prednisone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Neurology. 2011 Aug 2;77(5):444-52. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318227b164. Epub 2011 Jul 13.
citation: Connolly AM, Zaidman CM, Golumbek PT, Cradock MM, Flanigan KM, Kuntz NL, Finkel RS, McDonald CM, Iannaccone ST, Anand P, Siener CA, Florence JM, Lowes LP, Alfano LN, Johnson LB, Nicorici A, Nelson LL, Mendell JR; MDA DMD Clinical Research Network. Twice-weekly glucocorticosteroids in infants and young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Muscle Nerve. 2019 Jun;59(6):650-657. doi: 10.1002/mus.26441. Epub 2019 Feb 23.