ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT03587701Updated Apr 15, 2026

Effects of Anakinra in Subjects With Corticosteroid-resistant/Intolerant Meniere's Disease and Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease

A Phase 2 interventional study of Anakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 1) and Placebo injection (Period 1) in Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease and Meniere's Disease, sponsored by Northwell Health. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-15.

Sponsored by Northwell Health · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jan 2019; still recruiting 7 years 10 months later.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
57
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

A Phase II randomized, placebo controlled study design of anakinra (Kineret) in corticosteroid-resistant or intolerant Meniere's disease (CR-MD)and corticosteroid-resistant or intolerant autoimmune inner ear disease (CR-AIED) patients. Patients will be randomized by a 2:1 allocation to anakinra or placebo for 42 continuous days. After day 42, a second placebo-controlled period will begin for an additional 42 days. This will be followed by a 264 day observation period, during which, hearing declines may be re-treated with anakinra after 30 days following the initial drug.

Read the detailed description

This study will be evaluating whether or not anakinra (kineret) is superior to placebo for improving sustained hearing thresholds in patients with CR or intolerant MD and CR or intolerant AIED. Final enrollment is contingent on an acute decline in hearing in the active ear and 2 sequential audiograms greater than or equal to 28 days apart that shows a stable or declining hearing threshold and word recognition score not improved with corticosteroid therapy. Any patient that attempted to be treated with steroid therapy and was deemed intolerant will also be considered for the trial. Anakinra (kineret) 100mg/0.67ml prefilled syringes or placebo injection will be randomized at 2:1 allocation and will be self-administered by the patient daily for 42 days. After day 42, a second placebo-controlled period will begin for an additional 42 days (all patients will receive anakinra for either 42 or 84 days depending on the randomization assignment). A 264 day observation period will begin after day 84, during which the option to retreat with anakinra will be offered to those patients that responded to the therapy in the first 84 day period.

02

Conditions studied

  • Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease
  • Meniere's Disease

Browse trials for

03

In context

Meniere Disease

74 studies on the registry are indexed under Meniere Disease; 12 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 57 is above the median of 44 across 61 interventional studies indexed under Meniere Disease.

Browse Meniere Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

Northwell Health is the lead sponsor of 475 studies on the registry; 107 are open to participants now.

Of its 45 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 23 (51%) 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

  • meet diagnostic criteria for Inner Ear Disease (AIED) with active deterioration in one ear as defined below
  • SNHL of greater than 30dB at one or more frequencies in the active ear. The contralateral ear may have any hearing threshold that is either stable or worsening, but may not exhibit improvement in response to even if the more active ear declines. Active deterioration is defined as a 15dB decline at one frequency (excluding 250 or 8kHz as a sole indicator) on their audiogram, or 10dB at 2+ frequencies developing in > or equal 3 days but \< or equal 90 days, or if the hearing loss evolved in less than 3 days, the patient displayed features suggestive of an autoimmune disorder
  • Capable of understanding and giving
  • Have 2 sequential audiograms following the decline in hearing >or equal 28 days apart with no demonstrable improvement in hearing following corticosteroid therapy (\<or equal 5dB of improvement at any individual frequency (250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000Hz) and \<12% improvement in WRS)
  • Patients must have been treated with oral or IT prednisone with no demonstrable improvement or attempted to be treated and deemed intolerant. Steroid intolerance is defined as unable or unwilling to take corticosteroids because of a prior untoward effect or a current medical condition that would negatively be impacted by steroid use
  • Must have completed steroid therapy, including any intratympanic steroid therapy
  • Meniere's disease defined according to the AAO criteria, with the additional requirement of corticosteroid resistance AND no new diuretics may be instituted or dose increased from 28 days prior to trial enrollment
  • Patients must be fluent in English as all word recognition scores are based on testing in English
  • Patients may have other autoimmune disease(s) Females of , must be practicing a method of considered effective and medically acceptable by the investigator for a minimum of 2 months prior to the study and at least 2 months after last administration of study drug
  • Males similarly must be practicing a method of birth control considered effective and medically acceptable by the investigator for a minimum of 2 months prior to the study and at least 2 months after last administration of study drug

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Evidence of retrocochlear pathology (vestibular schwannoma) or inner ear malformation (Mondini Malformation or Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct) based on imaging
  • Prior treatment with gentamicin for Meniere's Disease
  • Most recent decline in hearing occurring >90 days prior to trial enrollment
  • Positive test for Muckle-Wells mutation
  • Concurrently receiving methotrexate, TNF-antagonist therapy or any other therapy
  • -dependent hearing loss
  • Any immunodeficiency syndrome
  • Active or chronic infections
  • Currently receiving, or having received treatment for a in the past 3 years
  • Chronic renal insufficiency (a of \<49mL/min) or chronic renal failure
  • Neutropenia prior to treatment with anakinra
  • Receipt of \<3 months prior to enrollment
  • Previous treatment with an IL-1 antagonist for any clinical indication
  • First-degree relative with a diagnosis of a CAPS disease
  • History of active narcotic abuts, including prescription narcotics
  • Pregnant or lactating females
  • Non-English speaking patients
  • Seropositive for , C, or tuberculosis on screening, with the exception of presence of antibodies to Hepatitis B in subjects reporting prior vaccination, and presence of positive skin testing for TB in subjects who received BCG in the past
  • History of suicidal ideation, significant depression that resulted in hospitalization, or answers "yes" during C-SSR screening
  • Prior participation in any type of clinical trial using a medication that inhibits interleukin-1 activity
  • Known to E.coli derived products
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(12)

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.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

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.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and 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.

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.

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.

Creatinine clearance (CrCl)

How quickly the kidneys clear creatinine, a waste product, from the blood. A study may estimate it from a blood test with age, weight and sex (often by the Cockcroft–Gault formula), or measure it using blood and urine collected over a set time. Given in mL/min; higher is better.

Live vaccines

Vaccines made with a weakened form of the germ, such as measles–mumps–rubella (MMR), chickenpox and yellow fever. They can be risky when the immune system is weakened. Flu injections are not live; the nasal flu spray is.

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.

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.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator)
Enrollment
57 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Group A

    This group will be randomized to receive intervention of 42 consecutive days of anakinra (100mg/0.67ml) in period 1 followed by an additional 42 consecutive days of anakinra (100mg/0.67ml) in period 2

    Drug: Anakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 1) · Drug: Anakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 2)

  • Experimental
    Group B

    This group will be randomized to receive intervention of 42 consecutive days of anakinra (100 mg/0.67ml) in period 1 followed by 42 consecutive days of placebo in period 2

    Drug: Anakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 1) · Drug: Placebo injection (Period 2)

  • Experimental
    Group C

    This group will be randomized to receive intervention of placebo for 42 consecutive days in period 1 followed by 42 consecutive days of anakinra (100mg/0.67ml) in period 2

    Drug: Placebo injection (Period 1) · Drug: Anakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 2)

Interventions

  • DrugAnakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 1)

    Drug page: Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein

    pre-filled syringes of anakinra 100mg/0.67mg will be provided and will be self-administered by patients daily during first 42 days of treatment (Period 1)

  • DrugPlacebo injection (Period 1)

    pre-filled matching placebo injections will be provided and will be self-administered by patients daily during first 42 days of treatment (Period 1)

  • DrugAnakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe (Period 2)

    Drug page: Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein

    pre-filled syringes of anakinra 100mg/0.67mg will be provided and will be self-administered by patients daily during next 42 days of treatment (Period 2)

  • DrugPlacebo injection (Period 2)

    pre-filled matching placebo injections will be provided and will be self-administered by patients daily during next 42 days of treatment (Period 2)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Sustained improvement in hearing thresholds

    Determine whether those treated with anakinra demonstrate a sustained improvement in hearing thresholds compared with their pre-anakinra treatment threshold. Improvement will be defined by an improvement of 15dB at 1 frequency or 10dB at 2 contiguous frequencies with no greater than a 5dB worsening all remaining frequencies

    Time frame: Hearing improvement from pre-treatment thresholds at day 28

  2. Sustained improvement in hearing thresholds

    threshold. Improvement will be defined by an improvement of 15dB at 1 frequency or 10dB at 2 contiguous frequencies with no greater than a 5dB worsening all remaining frequencies

    Time frame: Hearing improvement from pre-treatment thresholds at day 42

Secondary outcomes

  1. Improved Word Recognition

    Determine whether those treated with anakinra demonstrate a sustained improvement in word recognition score compared with their pre-anakinra treatment threshold. Improvement will be defined by an improvement of greater than 12% change in value

    Time frame: at day 28

  2. Improved Word Recognition

    Determine whether those treated with anakinra demonstrate a sustained improvement in word recognition score compared with their pre-anakinra treatment threshold. Improvement will be defined by an improvement of greater than 12% change in value

    Time frame: at day 42

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Northwell Health, Hearing& Speech Center
    New Hyde Park, New York 11042, United States
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Vambutas A, Lesser M, Mullooly V, Pathak S, Zahtz G, Rosen L, Goldofsky E. Early efficacy trial of anakinra in corticosteroid-resistant autoimmune inner ear disease. J Clin Invest. 2014 Sep;124(9):4115-22. doi: 10.1172/JCI76503. Epub 2014 Aug 18. PubMed 25133431 ↗
  • Pathak S, Goldofsky E, Vivas EX, Bonagura VR, Vambutas A. IL-1beta is overexpressed and aberrantly regulated in corticosteroid nonresponders with autoimmune inner ear disease. J Immunol. 2011 Feb 1;186(3):1870-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1002275. Epub 2011 Jan 3. PubMed 21199898 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 15, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03587701
Lead sponsor
Northwell Health
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 16, 2018
Start date
Jan 3, 2019
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 31, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 15, 2026

Study contacts

Ginny Mullooly, RN
Contact
gmullool@northwell.edu
718-470-7974
Andrea Vambutas, MD
Contact
avambuta@northwell.edu
718-470-7550
Andrea Vambutas, MD
principal investigator · Northwell Health

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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