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Prostatic NeoplasmsPhase 2/3NCT00381836

Effect of Darbepoetin Alfa (Aranesp®) on Anemia in Patients With Advanced Hormone Independent Prostate Cancer

A Phase 2/3 study testing Darbepoetin Alfa in people with Prostatic Neoplasms and Anemia, run by University of Aarhus at 1 site in Denmark.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not Aranesp® (Darbepoetin Alfa), administered every fourth week, is effective in the treatment of blood shortage (anemia) compared to standard care of treatment (blood transfusions) in patients with anemia due to hormone refractory prostate cancer. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, men only
Conditions the study is for
Prostatic Neoplasms, Anemia
What is being tested?
Darbepoetin Alfa
How many people
140 participants
Where
1 siteDenmark
Study dates
Oct 2006to Feb 2007
Phase
Phase 2/3
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • Men only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Male > 18 years
  • Histologically proven prostate cell carcinoma
  • Progression in PSA (10% elevation of nadir-value documented by two tests) at least 4 months after surgical orchiectomy or initiation of LHRH-agonist. Testosterone level must be below castration level
  • All PSA values must be > 5 ng/ml
  • Haemoglobin level below 11 g/dl (6.8 mmol/l)
  • Haemoglobin level tested no later than 14 days prior to randomization
  • A life expectancy of more than 3 months
  • Participants must sign Informed consent according to local and national regulations and European Clinical Trial Directive

Who cannot join

  • Known primary haematological disorder, which could cause anaemia
  • Hypertension (diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg), refractory to treatment
  • Symptomatic cardiovascular disease
  • History of thromboembolic events during the last 12 months
  • Concomitant Chemotherapy
  • Active and severe liver disease
Show all 12Show fewer
  • Clinical significant inflammatory disease
  • Concomitant or previous malignancies, which are likely to influence the treatment, evaluation and outcome of the current disease and therapy
  • Concern of subject's compliance with the protocol procedures
  • Previously included into the study
  • Received erythropoietic therapy within 4 weeks before inclusion into the study
  • Known positive antibody reaction to any erythropoietic agent

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Denmark1 site
  • Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital

    Aarhus, 8000

Other trials in Denmark

About this study

Official title: A Randomized, Multi-center Study to Assess the Effect of Darbepoetin Alfa (Aranesp®) for the Treatment of Anemia in Patients With Advanced Hormone Independent Prostate Cancer and Anaemia

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not Aranesp® (Darbepoetin Alfa), administered every fourth week, is effective in the treatment of blood shortage (anemia) compared to standard care of treatment (blood transfusions) in patients with anemia due to hormone refractory prostate cancer.

Read the detailed description

In the past, prostate cancer has been regarded a relatively benign disease, which elderly men were expected to die with rather than from, however, prostate cancer has become the second most common non-skin cancer in Danish men and the second most common cause of male cancer death. Two out of three patients with clinically significant prostate cancer die from and not with their cancer disease, and the misery of this population is evident. Regular treatments with opiates or equivalent drugs as well are required in nearly one third of the patients.

Patients with advanced hormone insensitive (refractory) prostate cancer have a median survival rate of about one year and during this time they often suffer from anemia due to reasons like blood loss, tumor infiltration of the bone marrow and even treatment with androgen deprivation. Compared to patients with other cancer types patients with prostate cancer have a significantly lower mean haemoglobin level. However, patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer have not previously been given much attention and the treatment of the frequent condition of chronic anemia in this group of patients seems casual. Therefore, Best Standard of Care (BSC) is defined as RBC transfusion if the hemoglobin is < 5,0 mmol/L (8,0 g/dl), and if there are signs or symptoms of anemia and supplemental iron if se-ferritin < 200 mcg/L.

Very little is known about erythropoietin treatment and quality of life in hormone refractory prostate cancer patients. A randomized Swedish study did investigate the influence of two different doses of epoetin beta on quality of life, hemoglobin level, need for red blood cell transfusion and safety, in the treatment of anemia in 180 patients suffering from advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer. This study found the treatment to be safe and effective for the treatment in many of these patients. In many of these critically ill patients, the treatment improved quality of life and relieved fatigue symptoms.

Darbepoetin alpha (Aranesp®) is produced by gene-technology in Chinese Hamster Cells (CHO-K1). It has a biological effect and toxicity profile comparable to r-HuEPO; with the exception of a longer half-life which means that it can be administered less frequently without loosing clinical efficiency. Aranesp® has been well tolerated in studies conducted to this date. In this setting Aranesp® appears to be safe and well tolerated. Adverse events reported to date have generally been mild to moderate in severity and consistent with events and symptoms in cancer patients with chronic disease receiving chemotherapy (i.e. fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms). Clinical studies have shown a higher frequency of thromboembolic reactions including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in cancer patients receiving Aranesp therapy compared to patients receiving placebo. The clinical experience so far with Aranesp® has been published (15,16,17). Aranesp® is registered for clinical use in Europe and US.

Based on this the present study will evaluate the effect of Aranesp® on the haematopoietic response in patients with advanced hormone independent prostate cancer and anemia. Moreover, the effect of Aranesp® on quality of life, hemoglobin, necessity for RBC transfusion and hospital admissions, will be evaluated. The study will be performed as an open randomized trial. The use of r-HuEPO in cancer patients has been established and registered in other settings (as supportive treatment), and it has been shown that the preparation can be given without significant side effects. On the contrary, it is likely that patients may benefit from additional improvement in wellbeing.

Being tested
Darbepoetin Alfa
Keywords
Prostate Cancer, Anemia, Blood transfusion, Cancer, Critical illness, Drug efficacy, Drug safety, Drug tolerability, Erythropoietin, Fatigue, Hemoglobin, Human, Male, Multicenter study, Quality of life, Questionnaire, Randomized controlled trial, Recombinant erythropoietin
Medical subject headings
Prostatic Neoplasms, Anemia, Neoplasms, Critical Illness, Fatigue

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Darbepoetin AlfaDrug

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The haematopoietic response at week 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Quality of Life (EQ-5D and QLQ-C30) at week 8 and 20

  2. Number of blood transfusions at week 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20

  3. Change in haemoglobin at week 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20

  4. Number of days admitted to hospital during the 20 week study period

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Sep 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2006
  3. Primary completionFeb 2007
  4. Study completionFeb 2007

Why it stopped: Terminated by sponsor due to general risk that aranesp caused tumor progression

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2/3
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
140 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00381836
Sponsor's protocol ID
2005-005658-37
Other IDs
LM: 2612-3148, Ethical: 20060074, Data Protection: 2005-41-6015, 2005
Status last verified
Feb 2008
First submitted
27 Sep 2006
Last updated
4 Dec 2015
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Aus G, Hugosson J, Norlen L. Long-term survival and mortality in prostate cancer treated with noncurative intent. J Urol. 1995 Aug;154(2 Pt 1):460-5. doi: 10.1097/00005392-199508000-00033.

    PubMed 7541864
  • Potosky AL, Miller BA, Albertsen PC, Kramer BS. The role of increasing detection in the rising incidence of prostate cancer. JAMA. 1995 Feb 15;273(7):548-52.

    PubMed 7530782
  • Borre M, Nerstrom B, Overgaard J. The dilemma of prostate cancer--a growing human and economic burden irrespective of treatment strategies. Acta Oncol. 1997;36(7):681-7. doi: 10.3109/02841869709001337.

    PubMed 9490083
  • Brasso K, Friis S, Kjaer SK, Iversen P. [Prostatic cancer men under age 65. Occurrence and need for study]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1997 Apr 21;159(17):2543-5. Danish.

    PubMed 9182383
  • Borre M, Nerstrom B, Overgaard J. The natural history of prostate carcinoma based on a Danish population treated with no intent to cure. Cancer. 1997 Sep 1;80(5):917-28.

    PubMed 9307192
  • Aus G, Hugosson J, Norlen L. Need for hospital care and palliative treatment for prostate cancer treated with noncurative intent. J Urol. 1995 Aug;154(2 Pt 1):466-9. doi: 10.1097/00005392-199508000-00034.

    PubMed 7541865
  • Otnes B, Harvei S, Fossa SD. The burden of prostate cancer from diagnosis until death. Br J Urol. 1995 Nov;76(5):587-94. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.1995.tb07783.x.

    PubMed 8535677
  • Carlsson P, Hjertberg H, Jonsson B, Varenhorst E. The cost of prostatic cancer in a defined population. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1989;23(2):93-6. doi: 10.3109/00365598909180819.

    PubMed 2787931
  • Brasso K, Friis S, Juel K, Jorgensen T, Iversen P. The need for hospital care of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer managed by noncurative intent: a population based registry study. J Urol. 2000 Apr;163(4):1150-4.

    PubMed 10737485
  • Strum SB, McDermed JE, Scholz MC, Johnson H, Tisman G. Anaemia associated with androgen deprivation in patients with prostate cancer receiving combined hormone blockade. Br J Urol. 1997 Jun;79(6):933-41. doi: 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1997.00234.x.

    PubMed 9202563
  • Ornstein DK, Beiser JA, Andriole GL. Anaemia in men receiving combined finasteride and flutamide therapy for advanced prostate cancer. BJU Int. 1999 Jan;83(1):43-6. doi: 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.00844.x.

    PubMed 10233450
  • Johansson JE, Wersall P, Brandberg Y, Andersson SO, Nordstrom L; EPO-Study Group. Efficacy of epoetin beta on hemoglobin, quality of life, and transfusion needs in patients with anemia due to hormone-refractory prostate cancer--a randomized study. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 2001 Sep;35(4):288-94. doi: 10.1080/003655901750425864.

    PubMed 11676354
  • Dunn A, Carter J, Carter H. Anemia at the end of life: prevalence, significance, and causes in patients receiving palliative care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2003 Dec;26(6):1132-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2003.04.001.

    PubMed 14654265
  • Egrie JC, Browne JK. Development and characterization of novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein (NESP). Br J Cancer. 2001 Apr;84 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):3-10. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.1746.

    PubMed 11308268
  • Heatherington AC, Schuller J, Mercer AJ. Pharmacokinetics of novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein (NESP) in cancer patients: preliminary report. Br J Cancer. 2001 Apr;84 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):11-6. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.1747.

    PubMed 11308269

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2/3 study testing Darbepoetin Alfa in people with Prostatic Neoplasms and Anemia, run by University of Aarhus at 1 site in Denmark.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Dec 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Denmark. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study was stopped early (reason given: Terminated by sponsor due to general risk that aranesp caused tumor progression). Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The haematopoietic response at week 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00381836, which also lists 22 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Dec 2015.

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