Study Description

The purpose of this trial is to examine three potential mechanisms of inadequate response to Exjade® in patients with transfusion dependent iron overload including patients with thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell disease and bone marrow failure.

Hypothesis: Patients have physiologic barriers to adequately respond to deferasirox that may include absorption, pharmacokinetics of drug metabolism, hepatic clearance and/or genetic factors.

Study objectives Primary objective

To evaluate three potential mechanisms for inadequate response to deferasirox in a small cohort of patients with hemoglobinopathies.

Oral pharmacokinetics measured with Cmax and AUC following standard dose deferasirox.

Hepatobiliary excretory function

Accessibility of chelatable iron pool by deferoxamine challenge Secondary objective(s)

To identify risk factors that can predict adequate response including demographics, disease status, presence and severity of liver disease, trough levels of deferasirox at outpatient visits and pharmacogenomics.

To investigate usefulness of potential surrogate measures of response including serum deferasirox levels, Hepatobiliary Iminodiacetic Acid (HIDA)nuclear medicine scan to evaluate hepatic excretory function and urinary iron excretion by deferoxamine challenge.

This is an investigator-initiated, pilot-scale, open-label physiological assessment of patients who respond poorly to deferasirox compared with patients who respond well. We plan to study 2 groups of patients: a)10 patients who have demonstrated poor responses and b) 5 control patients with good responses as defined further in the protocol. The study has two parts.

Part I: Both groups of patients will have inpatient physiological assessments with a dose of 35mg/kg of deferasirox.

Part II: Inadequate responders eligible to continue on deferasirox will continue on a dose of 35 mg/kg for three months during which time serial pharmacokinetic levels will be studied. The control patients will resume their previous clinically appropriate dosing (likely less than 35 mg/kg) and for three months have serial pharmacokinetic levels drawn as well.

The study will begin with an outpatient screening visit when demographics and historical information as well as a physical examination will be obtained and reviewed for eligibility. At that visit patients will be able to sign informed consent. Shortly thereafter patients will be admitted to the GCRC at Children's Hospital Boston for part I of the study, a 2-3 day stay during which PK and nuclear medicine studies will be performed as well as the deferoxamine urinary iron excretion challenge. Patients who are eligible will continue on to part II of the study, and for 3 months and will be monitored for compliance, PK and ferritin changes on appropriate deferasirox doses.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment
Transfusion-dependent Hemachromatosis Thalassemia Major Sickle Cell Disease	Drug: Deferoxamine Drug: Deferasirox Radiation: HIDA

Study Design

Study Type	Interventional
Actual Enrollment	15 participants
Design Allocation	N/A
Interventional Model	Single Group Assignment
Masking	None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose	Treatment
Official Title	Pilot Pharmacokinetic Study In Patients With Inadequate Response To Deferasirox (Exjade)
Study Start Date	March 2008
Actual Primary Completion Date	October 2008
Actual Study Completion Date	November 2008

Groups and Cohorts

Group/ Cohort	Intervention/ Treatment
Single Arm All patients received the same interventions of deferoxamine challenge, deferasirox dose with pharmacokinetic monitoring and HIDA scan. Then we compared responses between patients who were known to be slow responders to deferasirox and those who were known to be rapid responders (chelated well).	Drug: Deferoxamine After a 3-day washout period from all chelation, all patients have a 12 hour infusion of 50mg/kg of deferoxamine with urine collection and pre and post blood sampling to assess iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) by atomic absorption. Drug: Deferasirox Radiation: HIDA

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

1. Area Under the Curve of Deferasirox After a Dose of 35 mg/kg [0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours post dose]
   Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0 to 24 hours post dose
2. Half-Life of Deferasirox [0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours post dose.]
   All patients received the same interventions of deferoxamine challenge, deferasirox dose with pharmacokinetic monitoring. Then we compared responses between patients who were known to be slow responders to deferasirox and those who were known to be rapid responders (chelated well).
   
   Deferoxamine: After a 3-day washout period from all chelation, all patients have a 12 hour infusion of 50mg/kg of deferoxamine with urine collection and pre and post blood sampling to assess iron and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) by atomic absorption.
3. Volume of Distribution/Bioavailability of Deferasirox After a Dose of 35 mg/kg [0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours post dose]
   Volume of distribution/bioavailability (Vd/F)
4. Volume of Distribution/Bioavailability of Deferasirox After a Dose of 35 mg/kg [0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours post dose]
   Volume of distribution/bioavailability (Vd/F), adjusted per kilogram body weight
5. Clearance/Bioavailability of Deferasirox in Patients With Poor Response to Deferasirox Compared to Patients With Good Response After a Dose of 35 mg/kg [0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours post dose.]
   Clearance/bioavailability (CL/F)

Secondary Outcome Measures

1. Number of Participants With Polymorphisms in Genes Known to be, or Potentially Involved, in Deferasirox Disposition [3 months]
   Polymorphisms in genes known to be, or potentially involved, in deferasirox disposition: UGT1a1 (including the Gilbert syndrome promoter polymorphism, (TA)nTAA),UGT1a3, BRCP/ABCG2, MRP2/ABCC2. These genes were chosen because deferasirox is primarily eliminated by glucuronidation and subsequent biliary excretion.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study	6 Years and Older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study	All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers	No
Inclusion Criteria	teria for Inadequate responders Male or female patients with transfusion dependent iron overload including patients with thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell disease and bone marrow failure. Patients currently on Desferal (desferrioxamine) therapy will require a one day wash out prior to the first dose of study drug. Dose of deferasirox: >30 mg/kg/day of deferasirox for at least 3 months No improvement or worsening of liver iron content (LIC) if this has been evaluated on deferasirox in the 3 months preceding the baseline studies. Age greater than 6 years Serum Ferritin: Ferritin >1500 ng/ml and rising over three month period while on deferasirox. Patients had to achieve 'failure' as described above previously and may or may not currently be on deferasirox and may currently be having adequate responses on doses greater than or equal to 35 mg/kg/day of deferasirox. Life expectancy ≥ 6 months Written informed consent by the patient or for pediatric patients consent of the patient's legal guardian. The definition of the term 'pediatric' for enrollment and study conduct will be in accordance with Children's Hospital IRB. Parents or the legal guardians will be fully informed by the investigator as to the requirements of the study. Pediatric patients themselves will be informed according to their capabilities in a language and in terms that they are able to understand. Written informed consent will be obtained from their legal guardian on the patient's behalf in accordance with national legislation. If capable, all patients should also personally sign their written informed consent. Part I: Inclusion criteria for good responders: Male or female patients with transfusion dependent iron overload including patients with thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell disease and bone marrow failure. Patients currently on Desferal (desferrioxamine) therapy will require a one day wash out prior to the first dose of study drug. Serum ferritin less than or equal to 1000 ng/ml or declining over a 3 month period on a dose of less than 30 mg/kg of deferasirox. Age greater than 6 years Life expectancy ≥ 6 months Written informed consent by the patient or for pediatric patients consent of the patient's legal guardian. The definition of the term 'pediatric' for enrollment and study conduct will be in accordance with Children's Hospital IRB. Parents or the legal guardians will be fully informed by the investigator as to the requirements of the study. Pediatric patients themselves will be informed according to their capabilities in a language and in terms that they are able to understand. Written informed consent will be obtained from their legal guardian on the patient's behalf in accordance with national legislation. If capable, all patients should also personally sign their written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria	r Part I: Pregnancy (as documented in required screening laboratory test) or breast feeding History of non-compliance to medical regimens or patients who are considered potentially unreliable and/or not cooperative Patients with transfusion requirements equal to or more frequent than every three weeks. AST or ALT > 400 U/L during screening Patients with uncontrolled systemic hypertension Severe cardiac insufficiency (NYHA III or IV), with uncontrolled and/or unstable cardiac or coronary artery disease not controlled by standard medical therapy Patients who received treatment with systemic investigational drug within the past 4 weeks or topical investigational drug within the past 7 days or are planning to receive other investigational drugs while participating in the study Allergy to deferoxamine Known contraindication to having a nuclear medicine study Any other condition which in the opinion of the investigator would prevent completion of the trial. Prior possible toxicity is not an exclusion criteria for Part I because patients require a chelating agent of which there are only two Patients who are found to be ineligible after screening procedures will have this documented on the screening log. No further data will be collected in the CRF for these patients. Exclusion criteria for Part II: Patients with unacceptable toxicity to deferasirox such as renal failure or worsening cardiac function Patients who have failed to achieve negative iron balance at the maximum tolerated dose of deferasirox Patients who require an alternative chelator for specific reasons Patients who are currently enrolled on conflicting therapeutic trials Patients with serum ferritin less than 500 ng/ml at screening Any other condition which in the opinion of the investigator would prevent completion of the trial

Contacts and Locations

Sponsors and Collaborators	Boston Children's Hospital, Novartis
	Novartis
Locations	Children's Hospital Boston | Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
Investigators	Principal Investigator: Deborah Chirnomas, MD, Boston Children's Hospital

More Information

Publications

• Chirnomas D, Smith AL, Braunstein J, Finkelstein Y, Pereira L, Bergmann AK, Grant FD, Paley C, Shannon M, Neufeld EJ. Deferasirox pharmacokinetics in patients with adequate versus inadequate response. Blood. 2009 Nov 5;114(19):4009-13. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-05-222729. Epub 2009 Sep 1.

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

• Anemia, Sickle Cell
• Thalassemia
• beta-Thalassemia
• Hemochromatosis
• Hemosiderosis
• Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital
• Anemia, Hemolytic
• Anemia
• Hematologic Diseases
• Hemoglobinopathies
• Genetic Diseases, Inborn
• Metal Metabolism, Inborn Errors
• Metabolism, Inborn Errors
• Iron Overload
• Iron Metabolism Disorders
• Metabolic Diseases