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CompletedNCT02035020Updated Apr 21, 2017

A Phase IIa Trial to Test Safety and Efficacy Interferon Gamma Treatment in Elevating Frataxin Levels in FRDA Patients

A Phase 2 interventional study of gamma interferon in Friedreich Ataxia, sponsored by Azienda Policlinico Umberto I. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-04-21.

Sponsored by Azienda Policlinico Umberto I · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 45 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether the treatment with IFN gamma can induce significant accumulation of frataxin in FRDA patients, a possibility suggested by pre-clinical evidence in an animal model of the disease.

Read the detailed description

This is a Phase 2 clinical trial. A total of 10 FRDA patients will be recruited All subjects will be treated with a dose of 100-150-200-micrograms of IFN gamma 1b (Imukin®) subcutaneously, with an interval of 14 days, for a total of 3 injections.

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Conditions studied

  • Friedreich Ataxia

Keywords

  • frataxin, gamma interferon, Friedreich ataxia
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In context

Ataxia

295 studies on the registry are indexed under Ataxia; 51 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 26 across 216 interventional studies indexed under Ataxia.

Browse Ataxia studies →

Lead sponsor

Azienda Policlinico Umberto I is the lead sponsor of 27 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 45 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. FRDA patients should have their diagnosis genetically confirmed.
  2. Evidence of a personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subject (or a legally acceptable representative) has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the study.
  3. Subjects who are willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan, laboratory tests, and other study procedures.
  4. Male and/or female subjects between the ages of > 18 and \< 45 years

Exclusion criteria

-

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  2. Significant concurrent medical conditions at the time of screening or baseline visit, including, but not limited to, the following:

    • Any major illness/condition or evidence of an unstable clinical condition (eg, renal, hepatic, hematologic, GI, endocrine, pulmonary, immunologic, or local active infection/infectious illness) that, in the investigator's judgment, will substantially increase the risk to the subject if he or she participates in the study.
    • Class III or IV congestive heart failure as defined by the New York Heart Association.
    • Acute coronary syndrome (eg, myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris) and any history of significant cerebrovascular disease within 24 weeks before screening.
  3. Presence of a transplanted organ.
  4. Previous assumption of IFN gamma 1b.
  5. Abnormality in any of the below hematology or chemistry profile values at screening:

    • Positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Total hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb; also called anti HBc), and/or hepatitis C antibody (HCVAb) with confirmation by hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV RNA).
    • ALT/AST levels > or = 1.5X ULN.
    • Total bilirubin level > or = 1.5 times the ULN.
    • Hemoglobin level \< or = 80 gL (8.0 g/dL).
    • Platelet count \< or = 100 x 109/L (100,000 cells/mm³) or > or = 1000 x 109/L (1,000,000 cells/mm³).
    • White blood cell count \< or = 3.5 x 109/L (3500 cells/mm³).
    • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \<2000 cells/mm³.
    • Serum creatinine level > or = 177 μmol/ L (2 mg/dL).
    • Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c >10%).
  6. Current or history of serious psychiatric disorder or alcohol or drug abuse.
  7. Participation in other studies within 30 days before screening and/or during study participation.
  8. Other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with study participation or ability to comply with study procedures, investigational product administration or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the subject inappropriate for entry into this study.

    -

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Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Gamma interferon

    IFN gamma 1b (Immukin ®) will be administered by subcutaneous route at day 0, 14 and 28 at a dose of 100, 150 and 200 ug respectively.

    Drug: gamma interferon

Interventions

  • Druggamma interferon

    IFN gamma 1b (Immukin ®) will be administered by subcutaneous route at day 0, 14 and 28 at a dose of 100, 150 and 200 ug respectively.

    Also known as: Imukin

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in cellular frataxin

    The primary endpoint is to test the increase of cellular frataxin after treatment with IFN gamma. Quantitation of cellular frataxin will be performed after 24 hours and 7 days from each study drug administration

    Time frame: 24 hours and 7 days from each study drug administration

Secondary outcomes

  1. Safety Blood sample

    Secondary endpoint is the safety and tolerability of IFN gamma in FRDA patients. The on treatment adverse events and withdrawals due to adverse effects will be reported. Any subject who receives at least 1 dose of investigational product will be included in the evaluation for safety

    Time frame: day 0-14-28-35

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Policlinico Umberto I°
    Rome, Italy/Rome 00161, Italy
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Tomassini B, Arcuri G, Fortuni S, Sandi C, Ezzatizadeh V, Casali C, Condo I, Malisan F, Al-Mahdawi S, Pook M, Testi R. Interferon gamma upregulates frataxin and corrects the functional deficits in a Friedreich ataxia model. Hum Mol Genet. 2012 Jul 1;21(13):2855-61. doi: 10.1093/hmg/dds110. Epub 2012 Mar 23. PubMed 22447512 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 21, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02035020
Lead sponsor
Azienda Policlinico Umberto I
Responsible party
Carlo Casali (Professor, Azienda Policlinico Umberto I) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 14, 2014
Start date
May 2013
Primary completion
Jul 30, 2014
Completion
Jul 30, 2014
Last update
Apr 21, 2017

Study contacts

Carlo Casali, MD
principal investigator · Policlinico Umberto I°

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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