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Zellweger SyndromePhase 2HARPNCT03856866

Hydroxychloroquine Administration for Reduction of Pexophagy

A Phase 2 study testing Hydroxychloroquine in people with Zellweger Syndrome and Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

A series of N-of-1, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and a crossover to placebo (order is randomized and blinded) will be administered in liquid suspension for 84 days (12 weeks) each with an 84 day washout in between. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 6 months to 40 years
What is being tested?
Hydroxychloroquine
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
3 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
11 Jan 2019to 5 May 2020
Phase
Phase 2
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 6 months to 40 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosed with a peroxisomal defect due to PEX1, PEX6 or PEX26 through a SCC or CLIA-certified clinical genetic testing laboratory.
  • Abnormal plasma very-long-chain fatty acid levels.
  • All therapies available in Canada have been considered and ruled out, have failed or were justified as being unsuitable for the patient. We note that there are no therapies available.
  • At least 84 days from last HCQ dose

Who cannot join

  • Known sensitivity to HCQ.
  • Known Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.
  • Expected survival is less than six months.
  • The patient does not provide informed consent.
  • The patient is participating in another interventional clinical trial.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • The Hospital for Sick Children

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G1X8

Other trials in Canada

About this study

A series of N-of-1, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and a crossover to placebo (order is randomized and blinded) will be administered in liquid suspension for 84 days (12 weeks) each with an 84 day washout in between. We hypothesize that HCQ will reduce peroxisomal turnover, which will arrest ongoing injury in PBDs caused by PEX1, PEX6 or PEX26.

Read the detailed description

HARP is a phase II/III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover series N-of-1 study of the effect of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in patients with peroxisomal biogenesis disorders (PBD-ZSD). Patients eligible for the study must have a laboratory diagnosis of PEX1, PEX6 or PEX26 dependent PBD-ZSD from a CLIA or SCC-certified clinical laboratory, a history of abnormal VLCFA levels, and must be at least 84 days from their last HCQ dose. Patients will be excluded for known sensitivity to HCQ, known glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, if they have an expected survival of less than 9 months or if they are participating in another interventional clinical trial.

HCQ will be administered at a dose of 4mg/kg/day divided into two doses, as a liquid suspension that can be given orally or through nasogastric or gastric tube. Within the study, HCQ or placebo will be given for 84 days, followed by a washout period of 84 days followed by an 84 day crossover to the alternative therapy to assess the effect the study measures.

Study measures will be completed at four intervals (initiation, end of period 1, start of period 2, end of trial). Ophthalmological monitoring of patients has three components, electroretinogram (ERG), visual acuity testing and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Plasma levels of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA), plasmalogen and phytanic acid will be assessed. Parents will also be administered The Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP), a questionnaire that was developed to evaluate the stress associated with parenting a seriously ill child, at the end of period 1 and period 2.

Being tested
Hydroxychloroquine, Placebo
Keywords
PBD, Zellweger spectrum, PBD-ZSD
Medical subject headings
Zellweger Syndrome, Peroxisome biogenesis disorders

What participants receive

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

  • HydroxychloroquineDrug

    Also called Apo-Hydroxyquine, Plaquenil

    Hydroxychloroquine: 4mg/kg/day, divided bid.

  • PlaceboDrug

    Liquid suspension compounded to mimic the active hydroxycholoquine interventional agent.

Study groups in NCT03856866
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
HydroxychloroquineExperimentalHydroxychloroquine: liquid suspension, 4mg/kg/day by mouth, divided bid for 84 days.
Receives: Drug: Hydroxychloroquine
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorLiquid suspension compounded to mimic the taste, appearance and texture of the investigational agent.
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Electroretinogram (ERG) voltage changes.

    Electroretinograms are a diagnostic test that measures the electric activity within cells in response to stimulus. ERG voltages are depressed in peroxisomal disease, and the quantitative evaluation of ERG voltage is another measure that has been used as an endpoint for clinical trials in peroxisomal disease. Change in b-wave voltage before and after treatment period.

    Measured: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.

  2. Change in the red blood cell levels of plasmalogen.

    Change in the red blood cell levels of plasmalogen (18:0 dimethylacetals/18:0 ratio).

    Measured: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.

  3. Change in the plasma levels of phytanic acid.

    Change in the plasma levels of phytanic acid.

    Measured: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.

  4. Change in the plasma levels of very-long chain fatty acids.

    Change in the plasma levels of very-long chain fatty acids (C26/C22).

    Measured: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Eye examination: Optical Coherence Tomography

    Optical coherence tomography is an imaging study of the retina. OCT is routinely performed in clinical management of patients with peroxisomal disease.

    Measured: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.

  2. Eye examination: Visual Acuity

    Visual acuity testing evaluates the visual performance of patients using the reading of a logMAR chart. Visual acuity testing is routinely performed in clinical management of patients with peroxisomal disease.

    Measured: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.

  3. Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP) following the treatment arms.

    The PIP is a validated measure of parental stress related to the care for children with chronic illness.

    Measured: 36 week. Measurements following each treatment arm.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted27 Feb 2019
  2. Study start11 Jan 2019
  3. Primary completion5 May 2020
  4. Study completion5 May 2020

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
Crossover
Model description
A randomized, blinded, placebo controlled, crossover N of 1 trial.
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
3 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03856866
Sponsor's protocol ID
1000061385
Acronym
HARP
Status last verified
Dec 2020
First submitted
5 Nov 2018
Last updated
17 Dec 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Hydroxychloroquine in people with Zellweger Syndrome and Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders, run by The Hospital for Sick Children at 1 site in Canada.

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 4 inclusion and 5 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Dec 2020. 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 Canada. 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 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Electroretinogram (ERG) voltage changes. (time frame: 12 week. Measurements at Day 0, Day 84(+/-7 days) of each treatment arm.). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 17 Dec 2020; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 5 Nov 2026.

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