A Phase 3 interventional study of Corticosteroids for Systemic Use in Giant Cell Arteritis, sponsored by University Hospital, Caen. Recruiting at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-26.
Sponsored by University Hospital, Caen · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
Corticosteroid therapy has always been the standard treatment for giant cell arteritis (GCA), with very good initial clinical efficacy but a high relapse rate when it declines.
The target population of this condition, often elderly, is particularly exposed to the numerous undesirable effects of corticosteroid therapy, and this especially as its duration lengthens with the re-increases of doses according to relapses: metabolic complications, osteo-muscular , infectious or neuropsychiatric.
Investigators propose to compare prospectively the results of a "conventional" corticosteroid regimen as recommended by European societies, to those of a "lighter and / or shorter" scheme, inspired by recent North American trials. , including the largest prospective global study in the field. Investigators hypothesize non-inferiority of the lightened regimen for relapse rate without relapse at S52, but with a decrease in treatment-related adverse events whose cumulative doses should be lower.
Investigators therefore plan to include prospectively over 3 years 150 patients, 75 for each of the two arms, with a newly diagnosed ACG. A randomization of the treatment arm will be performed and a predefined pattern of cortisone adapted to body weight will be given to the patient. Relapse rates, maintenance of remission, cumulative doses of cortisone and adverse effects of treatment will be analyzed at the 52nd week of the introduction of corticosteroid therapy. An interim analysis is planned at S28.
Treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA) relies on the use of glucocorticoids (GC), with a very good clinical response at treatment initiation. However, relapses at GC tapering are frequent. GCA population is elderly, frequently over 80 years, and is especially affected by GC-related side effects, that increase proportionally with treatment duration. Thus, metabolic, musculo-skeletal, infectious or neuro-psychiatric complications are frequent during prolonged GC use.
After GC introduction, gradual tapering is scheduled, provided the disease remains clinically and biologically controlled. In France, guidelines recommend tapering GC on an 18-24 months timeframe, while other countries, such as the USA, usually taper GC over a shorter period, often 6-8 months. Few comparative data exist on the relapse rates or the GC-related side effects in both settings. In this prospective multicenter study, two GC-tapering schedules are planned: patients in one arm (short treatment) will be treated for 28 weeks, while patients in the second arm will be treated for 52 weeks. Each starting dose of GC and tapering doses will be adapted to body weight. The primary endpoint is to compare the remission rate without relapse at W52 between the two groups and the secondary endpoints are: 1) cumulative GC doses at W52; 2) GC-related side effects and 3) number of relapses (minor and severe) in both arms at W52.
The results of this study might considerably modify future French clinical practice if investigators confirm that a shorter GC treatment does not significantly impact the disease course while reducing GC-related side effects.
147 studies on the registry are indexed under Giant Cell Arteritis; 49 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 64 across 65 interventional studies indexed under Giant Cell Arteritis.
Browse Giant Cell Arteritis studies →University Hospital, Caen is the lead sponsor of 512 studies on the registry; 82 are open to participants now.
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Patient with temporal arteritis giant cell match 2 of the 4 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) that given :
Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects checking one of the criteria for non-inclusion may be eligible to participate in the research. These criteria may include:
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.
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
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.
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.
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
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.
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.
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.
Biopsy and archival tissue
A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.
Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Excipients
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroid taper over 28 weeks
Drug: Corticosteroids for Systemic Use
Corticosteroid taper over 52 weeks
Drug: Corticosteroids for Systemic Use
Corticosteroids tapering over 28 weeks: J0 = 0,7 mg/kg S2 = 0,6 mg/kg S4 = 0,5 mg/kg S6 = 0,4 mg/kg S8 = 0,3 mg/kg S10 = 0,25 mg/kg S12 = 0,2 mg/kg S14 = 0,15 mg/kg S16 = 0,15 mg/kg S20 = 0,1 mg/kg S24 = 0,05 mg/kg S28 = 0 mg/kg Corticosteroids tapering over 52 weeks: J0 = 0,7 mg/kg S2 = 0,6 mg/kg S4 = 0,6 mg/kg S6 = 0,5 mg/kg S8 = 0,4 mg/kg S10 = 0,3 mg/kg S12 = 0,25 mg/kg S14 = 0,2 mg/kg S16 = 0,175 mg/kg S20 = 0,15 mg/kg S24 = 0,125 mg/kg S28 = 0,01 mg/kg S32 to S52: - 1mg per month
Patient in complete remission over a follow up of 52 weeks, without relapse
Time frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks
First relapses rate at S28 and S52
Time frame: Weeks 28 and 52
Second relapses rate at S28 and S52
Time frame: Weeks 28 and 52
Delay between first and second relapses
Time frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks
Cumulative and the average dose of prednisone used
Time frame: Weeks 28 and 52
Number of patient with corticosteroids dependence at week 52
Time frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks
Safety according CTCAE v5.0
Time frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks
Plan to share: No — All individual data will be analyzed in University Hospital, Caen
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