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TerminatedNCT05077917Updated Nov 18, 2024

Cromolyn Sodium for Treatment of COVID-19 Pneumonia

A Phase 3 interventional study of Cromolyn Sodium and Placebo in COVID-19 Pneumonia, COVID-19 Respiratory Infection and Pneumonia, Viral, sponsored by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-11-18.

Sponsored by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
slow enrollment
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
22
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The study hypothesis is that cromolyn, when combined with standard COVID-19 treatment, will improve patient symptoms and reduce the number of days to improved quality of life.

Investigators will study the effects of adding cromolyn to the standard treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and who require supplemental oxygen. Cromolyn will be administered as a nebulized treatment four times a day for four days followed by intranasal administration for two weeks. Investigators may also screen for biomarkers that could indicate inflammatory responses and treatment-induced improvement.

Participants will receive either study drug or placebo which will be administered by nebulization for 4 days followed by 14 days of intranasal administration. Participants will be followed while in the hospital and then as outpatients up to day 21 following randomization.

Read the detailed description

The study will take place in two phases: Phase 1 will be an open label study of 10 patients who will all receive the Cromolyn nebulization treatment followed by Cromolyn nasal spray to assess tolerability and response to the study treatment. Investigators may also draw blood from 10 healthy patients who will be the controls for the cellular and cytokine assays. Phase 2 will be a randomized double blind placebo-controlled study of 50 patients randomized 1:1 to receive Cromolyn nebulization followed by Cromolyn intranasal spray vs. saline nebulization and saline intranasal spray.

While subjects are hospitalized, investigators will record morning pulse, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation. Morning and daily peak oxygen supplementation as indicated by the use of high flow nasal cannula, non-invasive ventilation, or invasive ventilation will be recorded. The investigators will also note any improvement or decline in participant's condition and any reduction or increase in oxygen supplementation.

Follow-up phone calls (or EMR review if still hospitalized) will be made on days 7, 14, and 21 to assess dyspnea and physical function. Validated questionnaires from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) (https://www.healthmeasures.net/explore-measurement-systems/promis) will be used to evaluate dyspnea and physical function. Once discharged, patients will also be asked to maintain a daily log of nasal drug use, COVID-19 symptoms, resting pulse and oxygen saturation which will be reviewed at the 21 day virtual visit.

02

Conditions studied

  • COVID-19 Pneumonia
  • COVID-19 Respiratory Infection
  • Pneumonia, Viral

Keywords

  • COVID-19 pneumonia
  • Cromolyn sodium
  • Cromolyn
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, malaise, headache, muscle pain, dyspnea at rest or with exertion, confusion, or respiratory distress),
  2. diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia with an admission chest x-ray demonstrating multilobar ground glass infiltrates consistent with COVID-19 pneumonia.
  3. room air estimated PaO2/FiO2 ratio between 150 -280
  4. must correct to a pulse oximetry of 90% or better using no more than 5 liters of low flow supplemental oxygen
  5. must be enrolled within 24 hours of hospital admission

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. immunocompromised due to current use of immunosuppressive drugs or chemotherapy, have a history of HIV/organ transplant/ active hepatitis B or C, or are on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
  2. currently on oxygen supplementation greater than low flow nasal cannula (including home oxygen therapy; CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea is not an exclusion)
  3. have DNR status or not expected to survive >7 days
  4. experiencing shock (on vasopressors) or multiple organ dysfunction or failure
  5. are co-infected with influenza A or B
  6. history of DVT or PE within last 12 weeks
  7. currently pregnant or nursing
  8. participating in another therapeutic trial
  9. allergic to cromolyn sodium.
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
22 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cromolyn

    2mL of 1% cromolyn sodium solution delivered via nebulizer 4 times a day for 4 days followed by 4% cromolyn solution administered intranasally 4 times per day for 14 days

    Drug: Cromolyn Sodium

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    2-3mL of normal saline delivered via nebulizer 4 times a day for 4 days followed by intranasal administration of normal saline 4 times per day for 14 days

    Other: Placebo

Interventions

  • DrugCromolyn Sodium

    Nebulized treatment for 4 days followed by intranasal treatment starting on day 5.

    Also known as: Nasal Crom

  • OtherPlacebo

    Nebulized treatment for 4 days followed by intranasal treatment starting on day 5.

    Also known as: Saline

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in requirement for oxygen supplementation based on daily assessment of flow (LPM or %Fi O2) and delivery device (cannula, mask, CPAP/BiPAP, ventilator)

    Determination of trend in subject's need for oxygen supplementation over time.

    Time frame: up to 21 days

  2. Change in respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue) determined by data extraction from medical record, self-assessment by subject, or subject survey as appropriate for stage of the study.

    Determination of trend in subject's respiratory symptoms over time.

    Time frame: up to 21 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. hospital length of stay

    number of days from admission to discharge

    Time frame: up to 21 days

  2. change the patient score from the PROMIS survey provided to subjects at days 7, 14, and 21.

    Determination of number of days to improved quality of life (QOL) from start of study treatment

    Time frame: up to 21 days

Other outcomes

  1. number of return visits to hospital

    any readmission to hospital after discharge

    Time frame: up to 21 days

  2. assignment of COVID-19 outcomes

    based on WHO classification

    Time frame: up to 21 days

06

Study locations

1 site
  • University Medical Center of El Paso
    EL Paso, Texas 79905, United States
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05077917
Lead sponsor
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso
Responsible party
Edward Michelson, MD (Professor and Chair, Dept of Emergency Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso) — Principal investigator
First posted
Oct 14, 2021
Start date
Nov 15, 2021
Primary completion
May 23, 2024
Completion
May 23, 2024
Last update
Nov 18, 2024

Study contacts

Edward A Michelson, MD
principal investigator · Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Emergency Medicine

Oversight

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

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