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Cryptococcal Infection DisseminatedPhase 2SToP-CryptoNCT01562132

Safety Study of Fluconazole in Combination With Flucytosine for the Treatment of Early Cryptococcal Infection

A Phase 2 study testing Flucytosine and fluconazole and Fluconazole in people with Cryptococcal Infection Disseminated, run by Yale University at 2 sites in Kenya.

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 if treatment with two medicines in combination (fluconazole and flucytosine) is safe as compared with one medicine alone (fluconazole) for the treatment of an early infection with a fungus called cryptococcus. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Cryptococcal Infection Disseminated
What is being tested?
Flucytosine and fluconazole and Fluconazole
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
6 participants
Where
2 sitesKenya
Study dates
Sep 2013to Jul 2014
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Able and willing to give informed consent
  • Age > 18 years
  • HIV infection as confirmed by HIV-antibody test as per Kenyan guidelines
  • CD4+ T-cell count ≤100 cells/µl
  • Serum CrAg titer≥1:2
  • Able to travel to district hubs (Sindo District Hospital, Lumumba Health Centre) for regular study visits

Who cannot join

  • clinical meningitis:
  • clinical sepsis:
  • hemiparesis, aphasia, visual field deficit or other finding on neurological examination localizable to the central nervous system
  • a history of culture proven or suspected (cryptococcal antigen present) cryptococcal meningitis
  • a history of stroke or other infection of the central nervous system
  • a seizure within the last 2 months
Show all 16Show fewer
  • currently taking or ever taken antiretroviral therapy
  • currently taking anti-tuberculous therapy
  • currently or recently (<2 months) prescribed fluconazole, itraconazole, clotrimazole troches, amphotericin or other oral anti-fungal medications
  • pregnant or breast-feeding
  • alanine aminotransferase concentration more than 3 times the upper limit of normal
  • neutrophil count <1000x103 cells/mL
  • hemoglobin <8g/dL
  • platelet count <100,000x 103 platelets/mL
  • creatinine clearance ≤50 ml/min
  • individuals with active heavy alcohol use or active recreational drug use

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Kenya2 sites
  • Family AIDS Care and Education Services

    Kisumu, Nyanza

  • Family AIDS Care and Education Services

    Sindo, Nyanza

Other trials in Kenya

About this study

Official title: An Open Label Randomized Controlled Phase IIb Trial to Determine the Safety of Oral Fluconazole in Combination With Flucytosine as Compared to Fluconazole Alone

The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment with two medicines in combination (fluconazole and flucytosine) is safe as compared with one medicine alone (fluconazole) for the treatment of an early infection with a fungus called cryptococcus.

Read the detailed description

Currently there is wide variation in practice and little evidence to guide the treatment of early cryptococcal infection in HIV-infected individuals with advanced immunosuppression. However, epidemiologic studies suggest that this may be a promising novel approach to decrease the mortality due to cryptococcal meningitis (CM), the second leading cause of death among HIV-infected individuals in many resource-limited settings. Screening asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals with advanced immunosuppression for serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) clearly identifies a population at high risk of CM and death and is a feasible screening method for resource-limited settings. However, screening with serum CrAg alone without additional diagnostic studies identifies a heterogeneous clinical population with early cryptococcal infection, many of whom already have sub-clinical meningeal infection or fungemia. The mainstay of anti-cryptococcal therapy in resource-limited settings is oral fluconazole though preliminary evidence suggests this is not an effective treatment. Thus, there is a critical need for potent therapies that (1) can be safely administered in resource-limited settings and (2) are effective in a heterogeneous population of HIV-infected individuals with advanced immunosuppression and early cryptococcal infection who are initiating anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

This single center, open-label, randomized Phase IIb study is being conducted to assess the safety and estimate the efficacy of oral fluconazole in combination with flucytosine for the treatment of early cryptococcal infection. The study will be based at two sites supported by Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES) in Western Kenya. A consecutive sample of 100 HIV-infected adults with CD4 cell count ≤100 cells/µl and serum CrAg titer ≥1:2 who have no signs or symptoms of severe, systemic cryptococcal infection will be enrolled. At enrollment, specimens from participants will be cultured for evidence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Individuals who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria and consent to participate in the study will be randomized to combination therapy with oral fluconazole (1200mg/day) plus flucytosine (100mg/kg/day) or fluconazole alone for the fourteen days of therapy. Subsequently both groups will receive anti-retroviral therapy as well as fluconazole 800mg/day for 8 weeks followed by 200mg/day. The primary safety endpoint will be the incidence of treatment-related adverse events and serious adverse events. The primary efficacy endpoint will be survival at 12 weeks.

In addition, we will offer additional diagnostic testing and aim for 50% participation, approximately 25 individuals from each arm. We will perform a battery of diagnostic tests including chest radiography, fungal cultures in blood, sputum, urine, stool and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), cryptococcal antigen testing in the CSF, and gram stain, Ziehls-Nielsen stain and India Ink staining of CSF sediment. Anti-fungal susceptibility testing via broth microdilution and polymerase chain reaction serotyping and mating type analysis will be performed on clinical isolates.

Being tested
Flucytosine and fluconazole, Fluconazole
Keywords
cryptococcus, HIV

What participants receive

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

  • Flucytosine and fluconazoleDrug

    Also called Ancobon, Diflucan

    Flucytosine 100mg/kg/day in 4 divided doses orally for 14 days given in combination with fluconazole 1200mg orally once daily for 14 days, followed by 800mg orally once daily for 8 weeks, followed by 200mg orally once daily

  • FluconazoleDrug

    Also called Diflucan

    fluconazole 1200mg orally once daily for 14 days, followed by 800mg orally once daily for 8 weeks, followed by 200mg orally once daily

Study groups in NCT01562132
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
5FC plus fluconazoleExperimentalCombination therapy with oral fluconazole and flucytosine
Receives: Drug: Flucytosine and fluconazole
fluconazole aloneActive comparatorFluconazole monotherapy
Receives: Drug: Fluconazole

What is being measured

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

  1. Number of Participants Alive at 12 Weeks

    Measured: 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Number of Participants Alive at 2 Weeks

    Measured: 2 weeks

  2. Survival at 24 Weeks

    Measured: 24 weeks

  3. Number of Individuals Who Develop Cryptococcal Meningitis

    Clinical meningitis AND at least one of the following: cryptococcal antigen in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), cryptococcal organisms on India Ink stain, or fungal culture of CSF.

    Clinical meningitis will be defined as:

    • fever>39.0°C, AND
    • severe headache, AND

    At least one of the following:

    • meningismus,
    • photophobia,
    • new onset seizure,
    • focal neurological deficit localizable to the central nervous system
    • papilledema
    • confusion, delirium, or decreased level of consciousness.

    Measured: 24 weeks

  4. Number of Individuals Who Develop Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome Due to Cryptococcus

    Individuals who develop clinical meningitis without evidence of fungal, bacterial, or parasitic (e.g. malaria) organisms in the cerebrospinal fluid. Clinical meningitis will be defined as:

    • fever>39.0°C, AND
    • severe headache, AND
    • At least one of the following:
    • meningismus,
    • photophobia,
    • new onset seizure,
    • focal neurological deficit localizable to the central nervous system
    • papilledema
    • confusion, delirium, or decreased level of consciousness.

    Measured: 24 weeks

  5. Achieve Targeted Recruitment, Retention and Adherence Rates

    Measured: 24 weeks

  6. Proportion of Individuals Requiring Treatment Discontinuation

    Measured: 4 weeks

  7. Proportion of Individuals Requiring Dose Reduction

    Measured: 24 weeks

  8. Number of Individuals With Treatment Related Adverse Events

    Measured: 24 weeks

  9. Number of Individuals With Treatment Related Serious Adverse Events

    Measured: 24 weeks

  10. Cryptococcal Meningitis-free Survival at 24 Weeks

    Clinical meningitis AND at least one of the following: cryptococcal antigen in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), cryptococcal organisms on India Ink stain, or fungal culture of CSF.

    Clinical meningitis will be defined as:

    • fever>39.0°C, AND
    • severe headache, AND

    At least one of the following:

    • meningismus,
    • photophobia,
    • new onset seizure,
    • focal neurological deficit localizable to the central nervous system
    • papilledema
    • confusion, delirium, or decreased level of consciousness.

    Measured: 24 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted23 Mar 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2013
  3. Primary completionJul 2014
  4. Study completionJul 2014

Why it stopped: Stopped in accordance with pre-specified stopping rules for poor recruitment.

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
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
6 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01562132
Sponsor's protocol ID
1307012426
Other IDs
R21NS077858-01
Acronym
SToP-Crypto
Status last verified
Sep 2021
First submitted
21 Mar 2012
Last updated
29 Sep 2021
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Flucytosine and fluconazole and Fluconazole in people with Cryptococcal Infection Disseminated, run by Yale University at 2 sites in Kenya.

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 6 inclusion and 16 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 29 Sep 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Kenya. 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 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.

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

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 31 Aug 2015). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Number of Participants Alive at 12 Weeks (time frame: 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 29 Sep 2021.

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