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A Study of the Safety and Effectiveness of Infliximab (Remicade) in Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis

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What is being tested

Infliximab

Drug
Who is being recruted

Giant Cell Arteritis

Over 50 Years
+5 Eligibility Criteria

See all eligibility criteria

How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 2
Interventional
Study Start: November 2003

See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorCentocor, Inc.
Last updated: May 17, 2011
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner
Study start date: November 1, 2003Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy (effectiveness) of Infliximab (Remicade) in patients with Giant Cell Arteritis. Infliximab (Remicade) targets specific proteins in the body's immune system to help control the development of inflammation to help reduce painful disease. The purpose of this study is to see if infliximab is safe and effective in treating GCA. Currently, the only treatment for GCA is prednisone. GCA is a long lasting inflammatory disease. The cause is unknown. It may affect all the arteries, but it focuses on the big vessels such as those around the heart, the vessels in the neck and head, and their major branches. It can lead to vision loss, blindness, stroke, stenosis (narrowing of blood vessels) and aneurysms (a weakening in the lining of the blood vessel wall, which may eventually lead to rupture of the blood vessel). The damage to the arteries is caused by an immune response. A naturally occurring substance in the immune system called "tumor necrosis factor alpha" (TNFa) plays a significant role in this immune response against the blood vessels. This response is thought to cause the long-lasting inflammation (irritation and swelling of the vessels). By blocking the effect of TNFa we think that we may reduce the signs and symptoms associated with GCA. This trial will study patients who are stable on prednisone treatment by evaluating whether infliximab can control their symptoms as the dose of prednisone is reduced. Patients will receive infusions of either 5mg/kg of infliximab or placebo at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, 22, 30, 38, and 46. Safety evaluations will be performed at specified intervals throughout the study and will consist of laboratory tests, vital signs (such as blood pressure), physical examinations and the occurrence and severity of adverse events as well as other study specific procedures. Patients will receive receive infusions of either 5mg/kg infliximab or placebo infusions at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, 22, 30, 38, and 46.

Official TitleA Randomized, Double-Masked, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Infliximab in Subjects With Giant Cell Arteritis 
Principal SponsorCentocor, Inc.
Last updated: May 17, 2011
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details
44 patients to be enrolledTotal number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.
Treatment Study
These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.

How participants are assigned to different groups/arms
In this clinical study, participants are placed into groups randomly, like flipping a coin. This ensures that the study is fair and unbiased, making the results more reliable. By assigning participants by chance, researchers can better compare treatments without external influences.

Other Ways to Assign Participants
Non-randomized allocation: Participants are assigned based on specific factors, such as their medical condition or a doctor's decision.
None (Single-arm trial): If the study has only one group, all participants receive the same treatment, and no allocation is needed.

How treatments are given to participants
Participants are divided into different groups, each receiving a specific treatment at the same time. This helps researchers compare how well different treatments work against each other.

Other Ways to Assign Treatments
Single-group assignment: Everyone gets the same treatment.
Cross-over assignment: Participants switch between treatments during the study.
Factorial assignment: Participants receive different combinations of treatments.
Sequential assignment: Participants receive treatments one after another in a specific order, possibly based on individual responses.
Other assignment: Treatment assignment does not follow a standard or predefined design.

How the interventions assigned to participants is kept confidential
Neither participants nor researchers know who is receiving which treatment. This is the most rigorous way to reduce bias, ensuring that expectations do not influence the results.

Other Ways to Mask Information
Open-label: Everyone knows which treatment is being given.
Single-blind: Participants do not know which treatment they are receiving, but researchers do.
Triple-blind: Participants, researchers, and outcome assessors do not know which treatment is given.
Quadruple-blind: Participants, researchers, outcome assessors, and care providers all do not know which treatment is given.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria
Any sexBiological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.
Over 50 YearsRange of ages for which participants are eligible to join.
Healthy volunteers allowedIf individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.
Conditions
Pathology
Giant Cell Arteritis
Criteria
3 inclusion criteria required to participate
Patients who have a diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)
Patients who have a diagnosis of GCA of = 4 weeks' duration
Patients who are receiving = 40 mg/day of prednisone/prednisolone
2 exclusion criteria prevent from participating
Patients must not have a prior diagnosis of GCA > 4 weeks
Patients must not have failed to respond to glucocorticosteroid therapy within 5 days of initiation of therapy

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Study Objectives
Study Objectives
Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.
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SuspendedNo study centers