Conditions: Neuromyelitis Optica
Keywords: Neuromyelitis optica Devic's disease NMO Devic
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 10
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The overall objective is to evaluate the tolerability/safety and preliminary efficacy of CINRYZE® (C1 esterase inhibitor \[human\]) as add-on therapy for treatment of acute optic neuritis and/or transverse myelitis in NMO and NMOSD.

Primary Objective: To evaluate the safety and tolerability of 3-5 doses of 1000 - 2000 Units intravenous CINRYZE in NMO/NMOSD patients during an acute exacerbation.

Secondary Objectives:

* To determine the frequency of adverse events with CINRYZE in this patient population.
* To determine the effect of CINRYZE on NMO clinical scores (Expanded Disability Status Scale and Low Contrast Visual Acuity).
* To compare the change in MRI lesion size and extent following a course of CINRYZE.

Detailed description:
The rationale for using C1-esterase inhibitor (CINRYZE) in NMO is based on pathology showing a role for complement in active NMO lesions. NMO is not unique in involving complement, which may have a pathogenic role in other demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis. However, NMO is characterized by its complement involvement depositing in a rim or rosette pattern in all/most active lesions. In vitro, complement mediates damage initiated by anti-AQP4 antibody binding to astrocytes. The effector of antibody triggered cell damage is the complement cascade and blocking the complement cascade with C1-inhibitor prevents damage ex vivo. Based on mounting evidence, the consensus in the field is that prevention of the complement cascade in the CNS would ameliorate the damage caused in NMO inflammatory attacks. In contrast to a prevention trial, this study would provide for complement inhibition only during an active NMO attack. This approach is designed to administer the inhibitory drug when complement damage is at its peak which minimizes adverse effects from prolonged complement inhibition.

Patients with NMO do not lack natural C1-esterase inhibitor, but artificially tipping the balance to suppress the complement pathways using purified human C1-esterase inhibitor in patients with hyperactive complement activation has been shown to be beneficial in myocardial infarction and sepsis. Similarly, the rationale for adding human C1-esterase inhibitor to the treatment for NMO acute exacerbations is to tip the balance toward complement suppression in an effort to reduce complement-mediated neurologic damage.

This is a phase 1b open-label, interventional proof-of-concept study in which all subjects will receive 3 daily infusions of 2000 Units of intravenous CINRYZE at the onset of an NMO exacerbation, plus an additional 2 infusions of 1000 Units of intravenous CINRYZE during a second treatment phase with plasma exchange, if necessary.

Arms:
arm 1: This is a phase 1b open-label, interventional proof-of-concept study in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in which all subjects will receive 3 daily infusions of 2000 Units of intravenous CINRYZE at the onset of an NMO exacerbation in addition to standard of care high-dose steroids, plus an additional 2 infusions of 1000 Units of intravenous CINRYZE during a second treatment phase with plasma exchange, if necessary.

Interventions: intervention 1: C1-esterase inhibitor (Cinryze)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: None

Protocol document: