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CompletedNCT01041248Updated Mar 3, 2021Results posted

Single Patient Study to Treat Relapsing Polychondritis With Tocilizumab

An interventional study of Tocilizumab in Relapsing Polychondritis, sponsored by Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to male participants. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-03-03.

Sponsored by Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
1
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, immune-mediated disease associated with inflammation in cartilaginous structures and other tissues throughout the body. Prognosis can be poor, especially in cases where there is acute involvement of the laryngotracheal cartilages leading to airway destruction, which are resistant to treatments such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressive or cytotoxic drugs. The pathogenesis remains unclear although it is thought that autoimmune reactions to antigens present in cartilages, such as type II collagen and matrilin may evoke symptoms. There are no known clinical or laboratory measures that predict the expression of specific disease manifestations or the overall disease course. Two recently published case reports have shown an association with elevated serum IL-6 levels and relapsing polychondritis. In these case reports, both patients with refractory relapsing polychondritis were treated with tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to the Interleukin 6 receptor, and achieved sustained response to the drug. This single patient trial aims to evaluate the response to Tocilizumab in an eight year old boy with relapsing polychondritis who has been shown to have elevated serum IL-6 levels and who has responded poorly to conventional therapies. The study hypothesis is that Tocilizumab will be able to control the disease in this patient.

Read the detailed description

In this N = 1 study a single known patient with relapsing polychondritis who has failed methotrexate, various anti TNF medications, anti IL1 medication and prolongued glucocorticosteroids will be recruited to receive Tocilizumab 8 mg /kg q 2 weeks iv.

The objective is to assess efficacy of tociliuzmab in combination with stable ongoing therapy. Our patient received tocilizumab 8 mg/kg over 1 hour by intravenous infusion every 2 weeks throughout the course of the study. To assess tocilizumab efficacy, the primary objective is the change in physician global assessment on a 100-mm horizontal visual analogue scale (VAS) of disease activity.

The secondary objectives were the change in parent global assessment of disease activity on a 100 mm VAS and the glucocorticoid dose in mg per day. Frequency of adverse events was also measured at baseline and after each biweekly tocilizumab infusion.

02

Conditions studied

  • Relapsing Polychondritis

Keywords

  • Relapsing Polychondritis
  • Single Patient Study
  • Tocilizumab
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario is the lead sponsor of 83 studies on the registry; 9 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Refractory relapsing polychondritis
  • Failed glucocorticoid and methotrexate therapy

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • This is an N=1 clinical trial with a known patient, therefore, exclusion criteria are non-applicable.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
1 participant (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Tocilizumab

    Single arm open label study. In this arm patient will receive 8mg/kg of Tocilizumab q 2 weeks iv.

    Drug: Tocilizumab

Interventions

  • DrugTocilizumab

    8mg/kg every 2 weeks i.v.

    Also known as: Actemra

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Physician Global Assessment of Disease Activity

    Physician global assessment of disease activity was assessed on a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale where 0 would be no disease activity and 100 would be the maximum disease activity. Higher values therefore indicate higher disease activity and therefore a worse outcome. Change of this outcome measure over time was documented.

    Time frame: Baseline and then every 2 weeks prior to each infusion for total duration of 30 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Prednisone Dose

    Prednisone dose administered to patient reduction through treatment course

    Time frame: 30 weeks

  2. Parent/Patient Global Assessment of Overall Well Being

    A 100 mm visual analogue scale was used for the assessment of the parent/patient globale well being, maximum value is 100 and minimum value is 0 with lower values being better well being and therefore improved outcome and higher values worse well being and therefore worse outcome. Changes in this score over time are being assessed with this measure.

    Time frame: 30 weeks

07

Results

Posted Mar 3, 2021

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneTocilizumab
Started1
Completed1
Not completed0

Outcome measures

PrimaryPhysician Global Assessment of Disease Activity

Physician global assessment of disease activity was assessed on a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale where 0 would be no disease activity and 100 would be the maximum disease activity. Higher values therefore indicate higher disease activity and therefore a worse outcome. Change of this outcome measure over time was documented.

Time frame:
Baseline and then every 2 weeks prior to each infusion for total duration of 30 weeks
Reported as:
Number · mm
Physician Global Assessment of Disease Activity
mmTocilizumab
Baseline21
2 weeks14
4 weeks12
6 weeks43
8 weeks14
10 weeks12
12 weeks8
14 weeks6
16 weeks5
18 weeks8
20 weeks0
22 weeks2
24 weeks0
26 weeks37
28 weeks19
30 weeks0
SecondaryPrednisone Dose

Prednisone dose administered to patient reduction through treatment course

Time frame:
30 weeks
Reported as:
Number · mg
Prednisone Dose
mgTocilizumab
Baseline25
2 weeks25
4 weeks25
6 weeks25
8 weeks25
10 weeks30
12 weeks30
14 weeks30
16 weeks30
18 weeks30
20 weeks25
22 weeks25
24 weeks25
26 weeks20
28 weeks20
30 weeks20
SecondaryParent/Patient Global Assessment of Overall Well Being

A 100 mm visual analogue scale was used for the assessment of the parent/patient globale well being, maximum value is 100 and minimum value is 0 with lower values being better well being and therefore improved outcome and higher values worse well being and therefore worse outcome. Changes in this score over time are being assessed with this measure.

Time frame:
30 weeks
Reported as:
Number · mm
Parent/Patient Global Assessment of Overall Well Being
mmTocilizumab
Baseline53
2 weeks0
4 weeks0
6 weeks33
8 weeks12
10 weeks2
12 weeks0
14 weeks1
16 weeks1
18 weeks2
20 weeks0
22 weeks1
24 weeks0
26 weeks30
28 weeks15
30 weeks0

Adverse events

Collected over 30 weeks. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Tocilizumab0/1 (0%)0/1 (0%)0/1 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)Tocilizumab
<=18 years1
Between 18 and 65 years0
>=65 years0
Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Tocilizumab
Mean10 (10 to 10)
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Tocilizumab
Female0
Male1
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected(Participants)Tocilizumab
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)Tocilizumab
Canada1
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
    Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L1, Canada
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Kawai M, Hagihara K, Hirano T, Shima Y, Kuwahara Y, Arimitsu J, Narazaki M, Ogata A, Kawase I, Kishimoto T, Tanaka T. Sustained response to tocilizumab, anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody, in two patients with refractory relapsing polychondritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2009 Mar;48(3):318-9. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/ken468. Epub 2008 Dec 23. No abstract available. PubMed 19106169 ↗
10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 3, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01041248
Lead sponsor
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Responsible party
Johannes Roth (Pediatric Rheumatologist, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 31, 2009
Start date
Jan 2010
Primary completion
Jan 2012
Completion
Jan 2012
Results posted
Mar 3, 2021
Last update
Mar 3, 2021

Study contacts

Johannes Roth, MD
principal investigator · Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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