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Post-polio SyndromePhase 2/3FORCENCT02176863

Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) Flebogamma® 5% Dual Inactivation and Filtration (DIF) in Participants With Post-polio Syndrome

A Phase 2/3 study testing Flebogamma® 5% DIF in people with Post-polio Syndrome, run by Instituto Grifols, S.A. at 21 sites in 9 countries.

Terminated

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

Official record
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Trial summary

This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group clinical trial with adaptive dose selection in participants with post-polio syndrome (PPS). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years
Conditions the study is for
Post-polio Syndrome
What is being tested?
Flebogamma® 5% DIF
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
191 participants
Where
21 sitesin 9 countries
Study dates
23 Sep 2014to 24 Nov 2022
Phase
Phase 2/3
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 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Participants with Body Mass Index less than 35 kg/m^2.
  • Participants who meet the clinical criteria for diagnosis of PPS as set by March-of-Dimes.
  • Participants who are ambulatory or are able to walk with a cane or other aids or use a wheelchair (but they are not wheelchair-bound).
  • Participants who have at least 2 newly weakened muscle groups due to PPS (as defined by medical history), with at least 1 of them in a lower extremity, and having a Medical Research Council (MRC) scale score greater than 3 at the Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) performed by the independent assessor at the Screening Visit (SV).
  • Female of child-bearing potential must have a negative test for pregnancy (Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-based assay).
  • Female of child-bearing potential and their sexual partners have agreed to practice contraception using a method of proven reliability (i.e., hormonal methods; barrier methods; intrauterine devices methods) to prevent a pregnancy during the course of the clinical trial.
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  • Participants must be willing to comply with all aspects of the clinical trial protocol, including blood sampling and long-term storage of extra samples for the entire duration of the study.
  • Participants who are able to walk a 2MWD of at least 50 meters at the SV and Enrollment Visit/Infusion Visit 1 (EV/IV1)
  • Participants who are able to walk a consistent baseline 2 MWD, that is, the difference in 2MWD between the SV and EV/IV1 is not more than 10%.

Who cannot join

  • Participants who have received human normal immune globulin treatment given by intravenous, subcutaneous, or intramuscular route within the last 3 years.
  • Participants who are not ambulatory (wheelchair-bound individuals).
  • Participants with poor venous access.
  • Participants with intractable pain requiring narcotics or other psychotropic drugs.
  • Participants with a history of anaphylactic reactions or severe reactions to any blood-derived product.
  • Participants with a history of intolerance to any component of the investigational products, such as sorbitol.
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  • Participants receiving corticosteroids, except for those who are taking inhaled corticosteroids for asthma.
  • Participants with a documented diagnosis of hyper viscosity or hypercoagulable state or thrombotic complications to polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in the past.
  • Participants with a history of recent (within the last year) myocardial infarction, stroke, or uncontrolled hypertension.
  • Participants who suffer from congestive heart failure, embolism, or electrocardiogram changes indicative of unstable angina or atrial fibrillation.
  • Participants with a history of chronic alcoholism or illicit drug abuse (addiction) in the preceding 12 months prior to the SV.
  • Participants with active psychiatric illness that interferes with compliance or communication with health care personnel.
  • Participants with depression with scores >30 as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD) validated scale.
  • Females who are pregnant or are nursing an infant child.
  • Participants with any medical condition which makes clinical trial participation unadvisable or which is likely to interfere with the evaluation of the study treatment and/or the satisfactory conduct of the clinical trial according to the Investigator's judgment.
  • Participants currently receiving, or have received within 3 months prior to the SV, any investigational medicinal product or device.
  • Participants who are unlikely to adhere to the protocol requirements, or are likely to be uncooperative, or unable to provide a storage serum/plasma sample prior to the first investigational drug infusion.
  • Participants with known selective Immune globulin A class (IgA) deficiency and serum antibodies anti-IgA.
  • Participants with renal impairment (i.e., serum creatinine exceeds more than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal [ULN]) for the expected normal range for the testing laboratory).
  • Participants with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels exceeding more than 2.5 times the ULN.
  • Participants with hemoglobin levels <10 g/dL, platelets levels <100,000 /mm^3, white blood cells count <3.0 k/µL, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate >50 mm/h or twice above normal.
  • Participants with known seropositive to Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and/or Human immunodeficiency virus-2 (HIV-2).
  • Participants with a history of intolerance to fructose.

Trial locations and contacts

21 sites in 9 countries.

21 sites in 9 countries

Germany5 sites
  • Charité Campus Mitte

    Berlin, 10117

  • Hannover Medical School

    Hanover, 30625

  • Universitätsklinikum Jena

    Jena, 07747

  • Klinik für konservative Orthopädie und des Poliozentrums

    Koblenz, 56073

  • Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

    Münster, 48149

Other trials in Germany

United States4 sites
  • Medical College of Wisconsin

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226-3596

  • Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107

  • Washington University

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110

  • SUNY Upstate Medical University

    Syracuse, New York, 13210

Other trials in United States

Poland4 sites
  • MedTrials

    Krakow, 31-436

  • Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny Nr 4 w Lublinie

    Lublin, 20-954

  • Clinical Research Center Sp. z o.o.

    Poznan, 60-848

  • Samodzielny Publiczny Centralny Szpital Kliniczny

    Warsaw, 02-097

Other trials in Poland

Denmark2 sites
  • Aarhus Universitets Hospital-Neurologisk Forskning

    Aarhus N, 8200

  • Rigshospitalet

    København Ø, 2100

Other trials in Denmark

Spain2 sites
  • Institut Guttman

    Badalona, 08916

  • Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron

    Barcelona, 08035

Other trials in Spain

Canada1 site
  • Montreal Neurological Institute Clinical Research Unit, McGill University

    Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4

Other trials in Canada

Czechia1 site
  • Thomayerova nemocnice, Klinicko-farmakologická jednotka

    Prague, 4

Other trials in Czechia

Italy1 site
  • Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona (Ospedale Borgo Roma)

    Verona, 37124

Other trials in Italy

Netherlands1 site
  • Academisch Medisch Centrum Amsterdam UMC, Locatie AMC

    Amsterdam, 1105 AZ

Other trials in Netherlands

About this study

Official title: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Parallel-group Clinical Trial to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human) Flebogamma® 5% DIF in Participants With Post-Polio Syndrome

This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group clinical trial with adaptive dose selection in participants with post-polio syndrome (PPS).

The main purpose of this study was to select a dose of Flebogamma® 5% DIF and confirm the efficacy of the selected Flebogamma® 5% DIF dose by assessing physical performance, as measured by Two-Minute Walk Distance (2MWD) test.

The study consisted of 2 stages, with each stage consisting of a screening period (up to 4 weeks), a treatment period (52 weeks), and a follow-up period (24 weeks).

Being tested
Flebogamma® 5% DIF, Placebo
Keywords
FORCE, Post-polio syndrome, Flebogamma®, Immune Globulin Intravenous, IVIG
Medical subject headings
Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome

What participants receive

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

  • Flebogamma® 5% DIFBiological

    Also called immune globulin intravenous (human)

    Human plasma-derived immunoglobulin

  • PlaceboDrug

    Matching placebo

Study groups in NCT02176863
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Stage 1 Arm 1: 2 g/kg Flebogamma® 5% DIFExperimentalParticipants received Flebogamma® 5% DIF 2 g/kg of body weight administered via intravenous (IV) infusion over 2 consecutive days (Flebogamma® 5% DIF 1 g/kg infused on Day 1, followed by Flebogamma® 5% DIF 1 g/kg infused on Day 2) every 4 weeks for 52 weeks.
Receives: Biological: Flebogamma® 5% DIF
Stage 1 Arm 2: 1 g/kg Flebogamma® 5% DIFExperimentalParticipants received Flebogamma® 5% DIF 1 g/kg of body weight administered via IV infusion on Day 1, followed by 20 mL/kg of matching placebo administered on a separate day, for a total dosing period of 2 consecutive days, every 4 weeks for 52 weeks. The order of 1 g/kg Flebogamma® 5% DIF or matching placebo was randomly determined for each participant and was the same for the participant for all infusion visits during the treatment period.
Receives: Biological: Flebogamma® 5% DIF; Drug: Placebo
Stage 1 Arm 3: PlaceboPlacebo comparatorParticipants received matching placebo at a total dose of 40 mL/kg of body weight administered via IV infusion over 2 consecutive days. On Day 1, a dose of 20 mL/kg of matching placebo was given, followed by the second dose of 20 mL/kg of matching placebo on Day 2, administered every 4 weeks for 52 weeks.
Receives: Drug: Placebo
Stage 2 Arm 1: 1 g/kg Flebogamma® 5% DIFExperimentalParticipants received Flebogamma® 5% DIF 1 g/kg of body weight administered via IV infusion on Day 1, followed by 20 mL/kg of matching placebo administered on a separate day, for a total dosing period of 2 consecutive days, every 4 weeks for 52 weeks. The order of 1 g/kg of Flebogamma® 5% DIF or matching placebo was randomly determined for each participant and was the same for the participant for all infusion visits during the treatment period.
Receives: Biological: Flebogamma® 5% DIF; Drug: Placebo
Stage 2 Arm 2: PlaceboPlacebo comparatorParticipants received matching placebo at a total dose of 40 mL/kg of body weight administered via IV infusion over 2 consecutive days. On Day 1, a dose of 20 mL/kg of matching placebo was given, followed by the second dose of 20 mL/kg of matching placebo on Day 2, administered every 4 weeks for 52 weeks.
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Change From Baseline in Physical Performance Assessed by Two-Minute Walk Distance (2MWD) Test

    The 2MWD was used to assess physical performance by measuring the distance that a participant can quickly walk at a self-preferred speed on an indoor flat, hard surface 30 m (100-ft) hallway in a period of 2 minutes. A positive change from baseline indicates improvement (i.e. a patient can walk farther). Increase in distance walked (in meters) indicates improvement.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 52

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change From Baseline in Pain Using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of Pain

    VAS is a participant self-reported pain scale used to evaluate the pain level in a 24 hours period. The scale consists of a 100 millimeters (mm) scale where 100 mm stands for the worst imaginable pain and zero stands for no pain. Higher scores indicate severe pain. A negative change from baseline indicates improvement. LS mean and 95% (CI) were based on MMRM method.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 52

  2. Change From Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) Assessed by Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Summary (PCS)

    HRQoL SF-36 is participant self-reported survey.It yields 8-scale profile of functional health and well-being as well as physical and mental health summary measures. It consists of the subscales:physical functioning,limitations due to physical health,body pain,general health,vitality,social functioning,emotional problems, and mental health. Each domain score ranges from 0(worst) to 100(best),higher scores reflect better functional status.PCS is a subscale score \& give broader metric of physical HRQoL.PCS score ranges from 0 to 100 and is computed such that mean score of 50 corresponds to the general US population.Based on norm-based scoring,scores above 50 is better-than-average health \& below 50 is below-average health.Higher scores represents better physical health.Positive change from baseline indicates improvement.LS mean and 95% CI were based on MMRM.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 52

  3. Change From Baseline in Endurance Assessed by Six-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) Test

    The 6MWD was used to assess physical performance by measuring the distance that a patient can quickly walk at maximal speed on a flat, hard surface 30 m (100-ft) hallway in a period of 6 minutes. A positive change from baseline indicates improvement (i.e., a patient can walk farther). Increase from baseline in distance walked (in meters) indicated improvement. LS mean and 95% CI were based on MMRM method.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 52

Timeline

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

  1. First posted27 Jun 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study start23 Sep 2014
  3. Primary completion24 Nov 2022
  4. Study completion24 Nov 2022

Why it stopped: Due to Business Decision

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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
191 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02176863
Sponsor's protocol ID
IG1104
Other IDs
2013-004503-39
Acronym
FORCE
Status last verified
Nov 2025
First submitted
25 Jun 2014
Last updated
5 Dec 2025
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2/3 study testing Flebogamma® 5% DIF in people with Post-polio Syndrome, run by Instituto Grifols, S.A. at 21 sites in 9 countries.

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 9 inclusion and 23 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 5 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 21 sites in Germany, United States, Poland, Denmark, Spain and 4 more countries. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 5 Dec 2025). 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?

Change From Baseline in Physical Performance Assessed by Two-Minute Walk Distance (2MWD) Test (time frame: Baseline to Week 52). 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 5 Dec 2025.

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