ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03318159Updated Dec 20, 2024Results posted

Posaconazole Prophylaxis During ATG Treatment for hMDS/AA Patients

A Phase 2 interventional study of Posaconazole in Aplastic Anemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Fungal Infection, sponsored by Seoul National University Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Korea, Republic of. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-12-20.

Sponsored by Seoul National University Hospital · Phase 2, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To investigate the efficacy of posaconazole as prophylaxis antifungal agent in aplastic anemia / hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome (AA/hMDS) patients undergoing antithymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment

Read the detailed description

With compromised bone marrow function, patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and/and hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome (hMDS) are at an increased risk of invasive fungal infection. Moreover, the use of antithyocyte globulin (ATG), a part of standard first line treatment for AA/hMDS, increases the risk of fungal infection due to its antilymophocytic effects. It has been reported that fungal infection occurs most often in the first few weeks after initiation of ATG treatment, and the reported incidence of fungal infection overall varies from 9\~80% for AA/hMDS patients. Among them invasive fungal infection accounts for 6-20% depending on reports. Such being the case, antifungal prophylaxis is recommended for AA/hMDS patients undergoing ATG treatment. More specifically, the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) recognized the threat of increased invasive fungal infections in AA patients, and stipulated the use of mould (aspergillus) active azole, "preferably itraconazole or posaconazole" as prophylaxis. Unfortunately however, though many centers have adopted their own practice schemes, and antifungals have been routinely administered in the context of investigational regimens, there is no consensus as to which antifungal agent should be used.

Considering Aspergillus sp has remained the most common fungal isolate in AA patients for the past 20 years, it is only rational that an antifungal agent with broad spectrum, covering both yeast and fungi, be used in this context. Posaconazole, a triazole antifungal agent, not only has a broad coverage spectrum but also associated with predictable and reliable systemic bioavailability. Also for patients, once daily dosage is both pragmatic and convenient. According to meta-analyses of prophylactic antifungal agents use (published in 2007), fluconazole diminished the risk of fungal related mortality compared to placebo (RR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32-0.75, P=0.0009). More importantly, when compared to fluconazole, posaconazole prophylaxis yielded even lesser fungal related mortality and significantly decreased invasive fungal infection rate. Considering the fact that posaconazole is already being used for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes patients undergoing induction treatment, it is only natural that posaconazole be used for AA/hMDS patients, who are at higher risk of developing invasive fungal infection compared to AML.

02

Conditions studied

  • Aplastic Anemia
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
  • Fungal Infection
03

In context

Anemia, Aplastic

371 studies on the registry are indexed under Anemia, Aplastic; 98 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 37 across 281 interventional studies indexed under Anemia, Aplastic.

Browse Anemia, Aplastic studies →

Lead sponsor

Seoul National University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 1,900 studies on the registry; 274 are open to participants now.

Of its 12 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 2 (17%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. willing and able to provide written for voluntary participation in the trial
  2. adult patients (≥18 years, \<75 years old)
  3. no prolongation on initial
  4. Adequate organ function for treatment as follows:

A. > 1.5 x 109/L B. >100 x 109/L C. Serum creatinine ≤ 2.0 x (upper limit of normal) D. Serum ≤ 1.5 x ULN E. and ALT ≤ 2.0 x ULN

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. those suspected of fungal infection within 30 days of ATG treatment
  2. those allergic to -triazoles
  3. those with history of within 5 years and/or concomitant malignancy other than AA/hMDS
  4. those with history of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or other
  5. female patients who are pregnant, breast-feeding or male or female patients of who are not employing an effective method of
  6. active , patients
  7. positive patients
  8. those with history of receiving organ transplantation
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(15)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

QT and QTc

On an ECG, the QT interval is the time the heart’s lower chambers take to activate electrically and recover in each beat. QTc is that time adjusted for heart rate (QTcF by Fridericia’s formula, QTcB by Bazett’s). Some medicines lengthen it, and a long QTc can raise the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.

The study may name a correction formula and a limit in milliseconds, often around 450–480.

ECG (electrocardiogram)

A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.

It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Bilirubin

A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.

Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

Reproductive potential

Able to have children. For women this usually means from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery; for men, unless permanently sterile. Read who the line is about — participants, women, men, or their partners.

Criteria about it usually ask for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

05

Study design

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

Study arms

  • Other
    posaconazole prophylaxis group

    aplastic anemia / hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome patients undergoing antithymocyte globulin treatment and receiving posaconazole as prophylaxis antifungal agent

    Drug: Posaconazole

Interventions

  • Dosing of posaconazole Posaconazole tablet 300 mg twice daily on day 1; Maintenance dose: 300 mg once daily on day 2 and thereafter. Treatment period: 4 weeks \*if posaconazole tablet intolerance: posaconazole suspension 200mg tid

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. the Incidence of Proven/Probable/Possible Fungal Infection

    Define Invasive fungal infections according to guidelines of the Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Mycoses Study Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B, et al. Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:1813-1821.

    Time frame: during 4 weeks of posaconazole prophylaxis (i.e. upto 4 weeks)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Overall Survival

    The overall survival (OS) curves will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 18 months

  2. Any Incidence of Proven/Probable/Possible Fungal Infection

    Define Invasive fungal infections according to guidelines of the Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Mycoses Study Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B, et al. Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:1813-1821.

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 18 months

07

Results

Posted Dec 20, 2024

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestonePosaconazole Prophylaxis Group
Started20
Completed14
Not completed6

Outcome measures

Primarythe Incidence of Proven/Probable/Possible Fungal Infection

Define Invasive fungal infections according to guidelines of the Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Mycoses Study Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B, et al. Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:1813-1821.

Time frame:
during 4 weeks of posaconazole prophylaxis (i.e. upto 4 weeks)
Reported as:
Count of participants · Participants
the Incidence of Proven/Probable/Possible Fungal Infection
ParticipantsPosaconazole Prophylaxis Group
the Incidence of Proven/Probable/Possible Fungal Infection20
SecondaryOverall Survival

The overall survival (OS) curves will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method

Time frame:
through study completion, an average of 18 months

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

SecondaryAny Incidence of Proven/Probable/Possible Fungal Infection

Define Invasive fungal infections according to guidelines of the Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and Mycoses Study Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B, et al. Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:1813-1821.

Time frame:
through study completion, an average of 18 months

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Adverse events

Collected over 6 months. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Posaconazole Prophylaxis Group6/20 (30%)4/20 (20%)4/20 (20%)
Most frequent serious events
Most frequent serious events
EventPosaconazole Prophylaxis Group
Herpes zosterInfections and infestations1/20
NeutropeniaBlood and lymphatic system disorders1/20
CellulitisInfections and infestations1/20
Cardiac arrestCardiac disorders1/20
Most frequent other events
Most frequent other events
EventPosaconazole Prophylaxis Group
Liver function abnormalityInvestigations4/20

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)Posaconazole Prophylaxis Group
<=18 years0
Between 18 and 65 years14
>=65 years6
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Posaconazole Prophylaxis Group
Female10
Male10
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Race/Ethnicity, Customized(Participants)Posaconazole Prophylaxis Group
Asian/ Not Hispanic or Latino20
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(Participants)Posaconazole Prophylaxis Group
South Korea20
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Seoul National University Hospital
    Seoul, Korea, Republic of
09

References and documents

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

10

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Apr 2018 to primary completion in Jul 2023, 62 months.

Results were first posted in Dec 2024, 1 year 5 months after primary completion.

Of 52 non-industry phase 2 interventional studies under Anemia, Aplastic, half reached primary completion within 93 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 55 and three quarters within 111. This study's 62 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 60 studies reached it within 76 months; a quarter within 39 and three quarters within 104.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Oct 10, 2017
First posted
Oct 23, 2017
StartActual
Apr 20, 2018
Primary completionActual
Jul 15, 2023
CompletionActual
Jul 15, 2023
Results first posted
Dec 20, 2024
Last update
Dec 20, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 20, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03318159
Responsible party
YOUNGIL KOH (assistant professor, Seoul National University Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Oct 23, 2017
Start date
Apr 20, 2018
Primary completion
Jul 15, 2023
Completion
Jul 15, 2023
Results posted
Dec 20, 2024
Last update
Dec 20, 2024

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Studies of the drug tested here: Posaconazole

Start the discussion