Conditions: Ambulatory IPF
Keywords: Lung Fibrosis
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 58
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Recent research studies have suggested that proteins called antibodies that are produced by the immune system might be involved in the lung damage of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Antibodies produced by the immune system normal help to fight infections by attacking bacteria and viruses without harming our own tissues. In patients with IPF, there is evidence that certain antibodies (called autoantibodies) attack the lung and contributes to the injury and scarring that occurs in IPF. Our recent studies have found that many IPF patients appear to have excessive autoantibody levels in blood and lungs that might make their disease worse.

Rituximab is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of autoantibody diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Rituximab works by destroying B cells, a type of white blood cell, called a B-lymphocyte, which produce autoantibodies. In this research study, rituximab will be given into a vein to reduce the autoantibody levels that we believe might be contributing to the lung damage in IPF.

This study is being conducted to determine if rituximab provides beneficial effects for IPF patients by decreasing further lung injury.

Detailed description:
This is a double-blinded, Phase II trial in which 58 ambulatory IPF patients at any of four medical centers (University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago, Geisinger Medical Center, and Temple University) will be randomized equally to 1. placebo or 2. two doses of rituximab 1 gm i.v., with a 14 day interval inbetween doses.

Subjects will be followed for 9 months.

Arms:
arm 1: These subjects will receive i.v. placebo (5% dextrose in water) administered identically to the rituximab. arm 2: Rituximab i.v. given on two occasions, with 14 days between doses.

Interventions: intervention 1: Rituximab intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: i.v. rituximab given on two occasions 14 days apart. intervention 2: Subjects randomized to placebo will receive two i.v. doses of 5% dextrose in water (D5W) in the same schedule as the rituximab subjects. The D5W and rituximab preparations will be indistinguishable.

Protocol document:
Prot_SAP_000.pdf: