Clinical Trial: EPI-743 in Cobalamin C Defect: Effects on Visual and Neurological Impairment

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Phase 2, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial of EPI-743 in Subjects With Cobalamin C Defect

Brief Summary: The aim of the research is to investigate the safety and efficacy of EPI-743 treatment in patients with Cbl-C defect and related visual and neurological impairment. Primary Endpoints will be the improvement in visual function as assessed by visual acuity and eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity. Secondary Endpoints will be the improvement in neurologic function, evaluated by a battery of age-appropriated psychophysical tests, and/or in objective electrophysiological tests such as Visual Evoked potentials (VEP) and Electroretinogram (ERG) and/or the change in serum markers of redox state.

Detailed Summary:

Cobalamin C (Cbl-C) defect is the most common inborn error of cobalamin metabolism causing methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria. Cbl-Cdefect is due to impaired activity of MMACHC, a cobalamin trafficking protein, involved in the decyanation of cyanocobalamin as well as in the dealkylation of alkylcobalamins through a glutathione transferase activity. Despite pharmacological treatment with hydroxycobalamin, betaine, folic acid, (and carnitine), long-term outcome in early-onset patients is in most cases unsatisfactory with progression of visual and neurological impairment, mainly expressed in the form of retinal degeneration and/or maculopathy. Moreover, despite some hypotheses have been proposed, the pathophysiological mechanism causing progressive eye and brain damage still remains unclear. Recently, the contribution of oxidative stress has been hypothesized based on in vitro studies showing in Cbl-C fibroblasts a significant increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and in vivo studies documenting severe alteration of glutathione species, the main cellular redox buffer.

EPI-743 is a small molecule therapeutic that has demonstrated beneficial effects in diseases characterized by oxidative stress and alterations in glutathione redox balance including Leigh syndrome and other inherited respiratory chain diseases.

Based on the principle that Cbl-C defect causes both in vivo and in vitro perturbations of redox state, the aim of our study is to verify the potential beneficial effects of EPI-743 in preventing/reducing progression of neurological and visual signs, as well as in ameliorating redox abnormalities in Cbl-C patients, in combination with standard therapy.

Primary Endpoints will include the improvement in visual function as assessed by visual acuity and eye-hand coo
Sponsor: Bambino Gesù Hospital and Research Institute

Current Primary Outcome: Change in Visual Function [ Time Frame: Baseline, six months, twelve months ]

Visual acuity: - Patients age 0-2: Durand acuity cards procedure: Improvement from baseline or nadir by greater than 2 lines when converted to EDTRS values.-Patients age 2-4: LEA Symbols for crowding binocular acuity: Improvement from baseline or nadir by greater than 2 lines when converted to EDTRS values; -Patients age > 4 years: Cambridge acuity cards: Improved from baseline or nadir by greater than 2 lines on the EDTRS acuity testing chart at 4 meters. Eye-hand coordination: -Patients age 0-2: Improvement over baseline of 20% on Griffiths Mental Development Scale subscales D,E; - Patients age > 2: Improvement over baseline of 20% on Movement Assessment Battery for Children


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Change in steady-state luminance Visual Evoked Potentials [ Time Frame: Baseline, six months, twelve months ]
    Steady-state luminance VEPs to sinusoidal flicker at the optimal frequency of 8 Hz.
  • Evaluation of neurological function [ Time Frame: Baseline, six months, twelve months ]
    Evaluation of neurological function with Gross motor function measure, movement ABC


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Bambino Gesù Hospital and Research Institute

Dates:
Date Received: February 8, 2013
Date Started: January 2013
Date Completion:
Last Updated: April 22, 2017
Last Verified: April 2017