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Motor Neuron DiseasePhase 1NCT04894240

A Study of Monepantel in Individuals With Motor Neurone Disease

A Phase 1 study testing Monepantel in people with Motor Neuron Disease, run by Neurizon Therapeutics Limited at 2 sites in Australia.

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

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ Motor Neurone Disease (ALS/MND) is a rare and invariably fatal neurological disease. ALS/MND has a terribly high burden on patients, family and carers, and carries great socioeconomic burden. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years
Conditions the study is for
Motor Neuron Disease
What is being tested?
Monepantel
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
12 participants
Where
2 sitesAustralia
Study dates
28 Jun 2022to 29 Nov 2023
Phase
Phase 1
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 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Signed informed consent obtained prior to initiation of any study-specific procedures and treatment
  • Familial or sporadic ALS/MND diagnosed as clinically possible, probable, or definite according to Awaji-shima Consensus Recommendations
  • Seated slow vital capacity (SVC) ≥ 3L in males and ≥ 2.5L in females at screening
  • Not taking riluzole or on a stable dose of riluzole for at least 4 weeks prior to the screening visit. While on study, subjects are not allowed to start taking riluzole during the study
  • Patient has a competent caregiver who can support the patient's involvement in the study, including assisting the administration of study drug
  • Adequate bone marrow reserve, renal and liver function:
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  • absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1500/µL;
  • platelet count ≥ 100,000/µL;
  • hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL;
  • creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min (Cockroft \& Gault formula);
  • alanine aminotransferase ALT, SGPT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (AST, SGOT)
  • ≤ 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN);
  • total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x ULN;
  • serum albumin ≥ 2.8 g/dL
  • Women and men with partners of childbearing potential must use effective contraception while on study treatment and women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test at screening

Who cannot join

  • Inability to swallow oral medications or presence of a gastrointestinal disorder (e.g., malabsorption) deemed to jeopardize intestinal absorption of study drug
  • Dependence on mechanical ventilation (invasive or non-invasive, including Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) for any part of day or night prior to the screening visit. Dependence on mechanical ventilation is defined as being unable to lie flat (supine) without it, unable to sleep without it, or daytime use
  • Exposure to any other investigational agent within 3 months prior to the screening visit
  • Active gastrointestinal disease within 30 days of the screening visit. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is not considered active gastrointestinal disease and is not exclusionary
  • Known immune compromising illness or treatment
  • Presence of any of the following clinical conditions:
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  • drug abuse or alcoholism;
  • unstable cardiac, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, endocrine, or hematologic disease;
  • active infectious disease;
  • AIDS or AIDS-related complex;
  • diagnosis of malignancy within 2 years of screening (adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of skin or non-invasive bladder cancer or carcinoma in situ of the bladder, breast or cervix are allowed;
  • unstable psychiatric illness defined as psychosis or untreated major depression within 90 days of the screening visit;
  • neuromuscular disease other than ALS/MND
  • Dementia that may affect either outcome measures or patient understanding and/or compliance with study requirements and procedures
  • Women and men of childbearing potential not using effective contraception while on study treatment
  • Women who are breast-feeding
  • Patients at risk of or known to carry a SOD1 mutation or VCP mutation

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Australia2 sites
  • Calvary Health Care Bethlehem

    Melbourne, Victoria, 3195

  • Macquarie University

    Sydney, New South Wales, 2109

Other trials in Australia

About this study

Official title: A Phase I Tolerability, Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Preliminary Efficacy Study of Oral Monepantel in Individuals With Motor Neurone Disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ Motor Neurone Disease (ALS/MND) is a rare and invariably fatal neurological disease. ALS/MND has a terribly high burden on patients, family and carers, and carries great socioeconomic burden. Current best treatment options are expensive and attempt to control disease progression and manage symptoms while offering no cure. Better treatments are wanting.

Monepantel is a well-known veterinary drug, registered as a livestock wormicide in 39 countries. The industry collaborator, PharmAust Ltd, has found that monepantel shows off-target activity, inhibiting a cellular signaling system controlled by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). This stops cancer growth and reduces protein accumulation in diseased cells. PharmAust has already tested monepantel in humans and pet dogs in Phase I and II anti-cancer clinical trials, respectively, in Australia. Data from these trials show that monepantel treatment associates with an exceptionally high safety profile, mTOR signaling inhibition and anticancer activity.

Read more

Abnormal protein accumulation within motor neurons of the brain associates with the cause of ALS/MND. Inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway slows disease progression in certain preclinical models of ALS/MND and is suggested to provide synergy with the ALS/MND standard-of-care drug, riluzole. An alternative mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, is currently the subject of an ALS/MND clinical trial in humans investigating control of disease progression. Monepantel has a different structure to rapamycin and an apparently better safety profile.

This Phase I Clinical Trial hypothesis is that monepantel administration to individuals living with ALS/MND will safely reduce disease associated protein accumulation in motor neurons and provide therapeutic benefit. To test this hypothesis, the safety and tolerability of oral monepantel administration and markers of efficacy will be tested in individuals living with ALS/MND in a dose escalating Phase I/II Clinical Trial. To mitigate risk, only patients with sporadic and certain known familial types of ALS will be eligible. To further mitigate risk, the monepantel starting dose will be reduced a calculated five-fold compared to that already used in human cancer patients and already demonstrated to be safe and effective as an mTOR inhibitor. Dependent upon incremental outcomes, three higher doses may then be tested, each for minimally 28 days with a duration at the optimal dose of at least six months.

Being tested
Monepantel
Medical subject headings
Motor Neuron Disease

What participants receive

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

  • MonepantelDrug

    Monepantel is provided to individuals living with ALS/MND as a white oval tablet to be administered once a day following meals

Study groups in NCT04894240
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Monepantel treatment armExperimentalMonepantel tablets will be administered to participants in this arm daily for 28 days. Dose escalation will occur at the end of each 28 day period according to a modified Fibonacci sequence based upon recommendations from the safety management committee
Receives: Drug: Monepantel

What is being measured

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

  1. Determination of Phase 2 Dose

    A recommended phase 2 dose will be determined by the number of participants at each dose level recording dose limiting toxicities

    Measured: At least 4 weeks

  2. Blood Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Monepantel

    Characterise monepantel blood plasma levels following administration to individuals living with ALS/MND

    Measured: 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 hours and 2, 8, 15, 22 and 29 days after dosing

  3. Blood Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Monepantel Sulfone

    Characterise monepantel's major metabolite monepantel sulfone blood plasma levels following administration of monepantel to individuals living with ALS/MND

    Measured: 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 hours and 2, 8, 15, 22 and 29 days after dosing

Secondary outcomes (9)
  1. Treatment related changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cell phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1 (RPS6KB1) levels (pharmacodynamics)

    Changes RPS6KB1 phosphorylation levels will assist in determining if the proposed targeted mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is being correctly affected (photostimulated luminescence units)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  2. Treatment related changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cell phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 4 E binding protein 1 (EIF4EBP1) levels (pharmacodynamics)

    Changes EIF4EBP1 phosphorylation levels will assist in determining if the proposed targeted mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is being correctly affected (photostimulated luminescence units)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  3. Treatment-related changes from Baseline on the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) at Week 4

    The ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) is a validated rating instrument for monitoring the progression of disability in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Measurements include: (1) speech (2) salivation (3) swallowing (4) handwriting (5) cutting food and handling utensils (with or without gastrostomy) (6) dressing and hygiene (7) turning in bed and adjusting bed clothes (8) walking (9) climbing stairs and (10) breathing. Possible scores range from 0 (normal function) to 4 (severe loss of function). Change = (Week 4 score - Baseline score)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  4. Treatment-related changes from Baseline in Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Screen (ECAS) at Week 4

    The ECAS-cognitive screen is a validated screen comprises 16 items organized into two sub-scales. An ALS-specific sub-scale taps into the cognitive domains of language, verbal fluency, and executive and social functions. A non-ALS-specific sub-scale specifically assesses memory and visuospatial function. The sub-scales of the ECAS-cognitive screen range, respectively, from 0 to 100 and from 0 to 36. Low scores indicate a greater deficit. Change = (Week 4 score - Baseline score)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  5. Treatment-related changes from Baseline in slow vital capacity (SVC)

    A decline in SVC would indicate a decline in respiratory function and is an important indicator of any clinical progression (L/s)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  6. Treatment-related changes in urinary p75 levels

    Urinary p75 level reflect nerve damage and therefore increased levels would act as a proxy to disease progression (ng/mg creatinine)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  7. Treatment-related changes in 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

    MRI is a method used to investigate and exclude conditions that may mimic motor neuron dysfunction (Tesla)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  8. Treatment-related changes in serum neurofilament light (NfL) chain levels

    Serum NfL chain levels correlate with disease progression, so stable NfL levels would correlate with stable disease (pg/ml)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

  9. Treatment-related changes in central spinal fluid (CSF) NfL chain levels

    CSF NfL chain levels correlate with disease progression. Levels in individuals living with MND are 5 to 10 fold higher than those of healthy individuals (pg/ml)

    Measured: From admission to discharge, up to 6 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted20 May 2021
  2. Study start28 Jun 2022
  3. Primary completion29 Nov 2023
  4. Study completion29 Nov 2023

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 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Sequential
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
12 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04894240
Sponsor's protocol ID
MON-2021-001
Status last verified
Dec 2023
First submitted
5 May 2021
Last updated
21 Dec 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Mislang A, Mollard R, Tapia Rico G, Fairlie WD, Lee EF, Harris TJ, Aston R, Brown MP. A preliminary assessment of oral monepantel's tolerability and pharmacokinetics in individuals with treatment-refractory solid tumors. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2020 Nov;86(5):589-594. doi: 10.1007/s00280-020-04146-5. Epub 2020 Sep 22.

    PubMed 32960289

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1 study testing Monepantel in people with Motor Neuron Disease, run by Neurizon Therapeutics Limited at 2 sites in Australia.

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 15 inclusion and 17 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 21 Dec 2023. 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 Australia. 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 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

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?

Determination of Phase 2 Dose (time frame: At least 4 weeks). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT04894240, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 21 Dec 2023.

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