CClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07845825Updated Sep 29, 2026

Aprepitant for the Treatment of CLIFAHDD

An Early Phase 1 interventional study of Aprepitant Powder for Oral Suspension in CLIFAHDD, Congenital Contractures of the Limbs and Face, Hypotonia, and Developmental Delay and NALCN Channelopathy, sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 6 Months and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-29.

Sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
5
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
6 Months and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

There are no drug treatments for individuals with Congenital Contractures of the Limb and Face, Hypotonia, and Developmental Delay (CLIFAHDD), an ultra-rare and severe neurodevelopmental disease. The investigators have learned more about the cause of the disease and researched possible treatments based on both the cause of the disease and the way certain drugs work. The investigators are interested in understanding the safety of using aprepitant (a drug already approved by the United States Food \& Drug Administration [FDA] to treat nausea and vomiting for kids and adults who are receiving chemotherapy) on people diagnosed with CLIFAHDD. The overall goal of this Phase 1 study is to study whether this drug is safe for daily use in individuals with CLIFAHDD and to find more information on how it impacts daily functioning and quality of life. The total study will take around 8 months total. This includes the 90 days before the drug starts and the 21 days after the drug ends.

Read the detailed description

The sodium leak ion channel NALCN is responsible for a background sodium influx that contributes to the resting membrane potential and serves as a key regulator in neuronal and cell excitability. Congenital Contractures of the Limbs and Face, Hypotonia, and Developmental Delay (CLIFAHDD; OMIM 616266) is a debilitating and ultra-rare neurodevelopmental disease with early infancy onset caused by a de novo autosomal dominant mutation in NALCN, often associated with NALCN gain-of-function (GOF). CLIFAHDD is associated with global neurodevelopmental delay, hyperkinetic movement disorders (e.g., dystonia, chorea, ataxia), seizures, apnea, constipation, insomnia, and increased risk of early childhood mortality. There are currently no drug treatments for CLIFAHDD. A multidisciplinary drug repurposing pipeline identified aprepitant as a promising lead candidate with converging functional, in silico, in vitro, and in vivo preclinical data support.

The primary objective of this Phase 1 clinical trial is to determine the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics (PK) of chronic aprepitant use in individuals with CLIFAHDD. The hypothesis is that aprepitant will be safe, tolerable, and amendable to chronic use in patients with CLIFAHDD based on prior safety and PK data on aprepitant use in pediatric and adult populations, including off-label chronic use. The exploratory objectives are: (1) to identify potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers reflecting NALCN pathway modulation; (2) to assess preliminary signals of clinical efficacy and outcome measures for future trials.

The study is designed as a single-center, Phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and PK of chronically administered oral aprepitant in individuals with CLIFAHDD (n=3-5, with protocol-defined criteria allowing expansion to a max n=5).

Participants will undergo evaluations of disease severity and symptoms over a 90 day lead-in period. For the baseline visit and initiation of cycle 1, participants will travel to UTHSA for onsite clinical monitoring, collection of baseline clinical outcome assessments, and PK assessments. Following the initial dose, each participant's biological and pharmacokinetic response will be evaluated over a 72-hour period. PK sampling will include an 8-point plasma concentration-time profile followed by additional blood draws. After the initial PK assessment, participants will enter a structured dose escalation period, during which aprepitant will be increased in 1mg/kg every 4 weeks. PK analyses with an 8-point plasma concentration-time profile will be performed at the end of each 4-week cycle to establish steady state drug availability with chronic dosing. Safety evaluations, clinical outcome assessments, and pharmacodynamic biomarkers will be assessed at the end of each 4-week cycle. Safety data (rather than PK analyses) will be used to guide dose escalation and will be reviewed in real time by the study clinician and Principal Investigator, without a planned pause in study conduct. Escalation will continue until either a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is established or the maximum FDA-approved dose is reached. At the maximum dose or end of Cycle 3, participants will undergo an 8-point plasma concentration-time profile to characterize dose-dependent PK changes and elimination. Participants will undergo details safety, clinical, and pharmacodynamic biomarker assessments. Remote safety monitoring will continue for 3 weeks

02

Conditions studied

  • CLIFAHDD
  • Congenital Contractures of the Limbs and Face, Hypotonia, and Developmental Delay
  • NALCN Channelopathy
  • Ataxia - Other
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorder (Diagnosis)

Keywords

  • CLIFAHDD
  • Sodium leak ion channel
  • NALCN
  • Congenital Contractures of the Limb and Face, Hypotonia, and Developmental Delay
  • Aprepitant
  • Channelopathy
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorder
  • Neurogenetic Disorder
  • Ataxia
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
6 Months and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Diagnosis of CLIFAHDD (confirmed by clinical and genetic report per best practices)
  2. NALCN variant with predicted NALCN gain-of-function in established functional assays and/or computational assessments
  3. Age >6 months at the time of initial consent/assent
  4. Weight >6kg at the time of initial consent/assent
  5. Ability of participant or Legally Authorized Representative (LAR) to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
  6. For children (\<18y at time of consent/assent), informed assent (if developmentally appropriate) and parental informed consent to participate in the study
  7. Willingness to comply with all study-related requirements, including Aprepitant regimen and travel to San Antonio, TX for specified visits
  8. Has adequate organ functions as defined by the following laboratory parameters at baseline (laboratory parameters outside of these ranges that are deemed clinically insignificant should be discussed with the Independent Safety Monitor):

    1. Absolute neutrophil count ≥1000 cells/uL;
    2. hemoglobin ≥8.5 g/dL;
    3. platelet count ≥100,000/mm3;
    4. aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≤2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN);
    5. total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x institutional ULN (exception: subjects with known Gilbert's syndrome and total bilirubin ≤2 x institutional ULN at screening or anytime during the prior 6 months are eligible);
    6. adequate renal function defined as calculated creatinine clearance >60 mL/min using the Cockcroft Gault Method;
    7. acceptable coagulation parameters including international normalized ratio (INR) \<1.4 and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) ≤ 1.5 x institutional ULN;
    8. serum albumin ≥3.0 g/dL
  9. Women of child-bearing age participants must use highly effective forms of birth control defined as those with a failure rate of \< 1% per year. Acceptable methods include: complete sexual abstinence (anticipated given severity of neurodevelopmental symptoms in CLIFAHDD), combined hormonal contraceptives, progestogen-only hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices (IUDs), intrauterine hormone-releasing systems (IUS), bilateral tubal occlusion, or vasectomized partner (provided the partner is the sole sexual partner).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Known hypersensitivity to any component of the study treatment formulation(s)
  2. Concomitant use of pimozide, terfenadine, astemizole, cisapride, flibanserin, lomitapide (contraindicated CYP3A4 substrate)
  3. Concomitant use of strong (Clarithromycin, telithromycin, nefazodone, itraconazole, ketoconazole, atazanavir, darunavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, tipranavir) or moderate (amiodarone, erythromycin, fluconazole, miconazole, diltiazem, verapamil, delavirdine, amprenavir, fosamprenavir, conivaptan, danazol, ketoconazole) CYP3A4 inhibitors and strong CYP3A4 inducers (apalutamide, carbamazepine, dexamethasone, enzalutamide, fosphenytoin, lumacaftor, midostaurin, mitotane, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, rifampin, phenytoin) or CYP3A4 substrates (Docetaxel, paclitaxel, etoposide, irinotecan, ifosfamide, imatinib, vinorelbine, vinblastine, vincristine, colchicine, axitinib). Participants on one of these medications but unable to discontinue for the trial and considered otherwise low risk should be discussed with the Independent Safety Monitor but may be considered for enrollment.
  4. Concomitant use of high-risk cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily C member 9 (CYP2C9) substrates (e.g., warfarin or phenytoin or tolbutamide)
  5. Patients who are medically unstable or have been hospitalized for an acute medical condition in the 3 months prior to the first active drug visit
  6. Patients who are acutely ill in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU)
  7. Any other history of clinically significant acute or chronic neurologic disease, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, renal disease, endocrine disorder, infectious disease, or any other medical or psychiatric condition that in the opinion of the investigator or study clinician will significantly increase the safety risk for the subject or confound the interpretation of the study data.
  8. Currently receiving any other investigational agents or has received study treatment or used an investigational device within 30 days of the first dose of treatment
  9. Caregivers unwilling to follow study procedures or follow protocol as outlined.
  10. Pregnancy
04

Study design

Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
5 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Aprepitant treatment group

    Participant enrolled in the study will be administered oral aprepitant to evaluate safety and tolerability

    Drug: Aprepitant Powder for Oral Suspension

Interventions

  • DrugAprepitant Powder for Oral Suspension

    Administration will begin at 1mg/kg up to a maximum of 40mg in weeks 1-4, then escalate to 2mg/kg up to a maximum of 80mg in weeks 5-8, then 3mg/kg up to a maximum of 125mg in weeks 9-12

    Also known as: Emend

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Adverse events

    Adverse events will be assessed for relatedness to the study drug and assessed according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade

    Time frame: Baseline to 24 weeks

  2. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT)

    Number of events that lead to specified worsening of patients neurologic or non-neurologic condition during the treatment period which may lead to study treatment interruption for more than 14 days

    Time frame: Baseline to 24 weeks

  3. Maximum administered dose

    The highest dose at which no more than one instance of DLT is observed, or the maximum labeled dose

    Time frame: Baseline to 24 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)

    The area under the concentration vs. time curve is a useful description of exposure of drug following administration. Following the initial dose, each participant's biological and pharmacokinetic response will be evaluated over a 72-hour period over a single dosing interval.

    Time frame: Dose time to 72 hours

06

Study locations

1 site
  • UT Health San Antonio - Center for Brain Health
    San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Individual Participant Data will be deidentified and shared with Cures Within Reach and Channeling Hope Foundation (study sponsors). Aggregated data will be shared as summary results on ClinicalTrials.gov and in a peer review journal. All de-identified individual participant data will be shared with external investigators with reasonable requests and agreements in place.

Supporting information: Sap, Icf, Csr

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07845825
Lead sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Collaborators
Channeling Hope Foundation, Cures Within Reach
Responsible party
Megan Iammarino (Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 29, 2026
Start date
Oct 1, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
May 31, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 31, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 29, 2026

Study contacts

Megan Iammarino, DPT
Contact
iammarinom@uthscsa.edu
440-382-3366
Randee Kent-Baron
Contact
kentbaron@uthscsa.edu
210-450-0524
Megan Iammarino, DPT
principal investigator · The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. 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.

Start the discussion