Conditions: Pancreatic Islet Transplantation in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Keywords: Islet transplantation Type 1 diabetes mellitus
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 9
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Inhibition of CXCL8 activity might represent a relevant therapeutic target to prevent injury occurring after pancreatic islet transplantation. Reparixin is a novel and specific inhibitor of CXCL8. This study is designed to explore the efficacy of reparixin in preventing graft dysfunction after islet transplantation in type 1 diabetes patients (T1D).

Detailed description:
Pancreatic islet transplantation has become a feasible option in the treatment of T1D which offers advantages over whole pancreas transplantation. However to date insulin independence can be obtained in most cases only after the patient has received repeated infusions from several donors. A non-specific immune response, mediated predominantly by innate inflammatory processes, coupled with specific cellular immune responses, possibly promoted by early inflammation, play a major role in the loss of transplanted islets from the liver. PMNs have been found to be the predominant cell types infiltrating in vitro the islets. In this regard, CXCL8 has been shown to be expressed by human islets and could play a crucial role in triggering the inflammatory reaction. Thus, CXCL8 might represent a relevant therapeutic target to prevent early graft failure. The efficacy of reparixin in improving graft outcome in mice models of intrahepatic islet transplantation, as well as the safety shown in human phase 1 and 2 studies, provide a rationale for a clinical study aimed at evaluating the effect of reparixin in preventing graft dysfunction after islet transplantation in T1D patients.

Arms:
arm 1: Reparixin + Immunosuppression

Reparixin was administered at a dose of 2.772 mg/kg body weight/hour for 7 days (168 hours) at each transplant. It was administered as a continuous IV infusion into a (high-flow) central vein. Investigational Product infusion was to begin approximately 12 hours (range between 6 to 16 hours) before each pancreatic islet infusion was started. The Investigator identified the time to start study drug administration.

Reparixin was given to all patients of this arm using the same dosing solution (reparixin 11.00 mg/mL), but the pump rate was adjusted to provide an infusion rate of approximately 0.25 mL/kg/hour.

For immunosoppression regimen see the other arm description. arm 2: Immunosuppression only. Induction: First islet infusion: anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), administered IV (central vein) at the dose of 1.5 mg/kg on Day -1, 0, 1, and 2 of islet infusion. The first ATG injection was preceded by a bolus IV injection of 500 mg methylprednisolone. Induction for the second islet infusion was to be administered per center practice. Maintenance: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), administered orally at the dose of 1 g twice a day, starting on Day -1 of the first islet infusion; Tacrolimus, administered orally starting on Day -1 of the first islet infusion at a dose of 0.087 mg/kg twice a day. Thereafter, dosing was to be targeted to blood trough levels of 8 to 10 ng/mL. Administration continued up to Month 3 after the first transplant. Rapamycin was to replace tacrolimus from Month 3 after the first transplant. It was to be administered orally at the starting dose of 0.1 mg/kg once a day, then targeted to a blood trough level of 10 to 12 ng/mL.

Interventions: intervention 1: Reparixin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Reparixin + immunosuppression

Protocol document: