Short Term Efficacy and Safety of Perispinal Administration of Etanercept in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease
| Status: | Active, not recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Alzheimer Disease |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Neurology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 60 - 85 |
| Updated: | 4/21/2016 |
| Start Date: | February 2010 |
| End Date: | December 2015 |
Open Label,Crossover,Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy & Safety of Perispinal Admin.of Etanercept(Enbrel®) in Comb.w/Nutritional Supplements vs. Nutritional Supplements Alone in Subj. w/Mild to Mod. Alzheimer's Disease Receiving Std. Care.
While the cause of AD is still unknown, evidence suggests it develops because of a complex
series of events in the brain that occur over time. Two pathways possibly involved in
development of AD are inflammation and oxidative stress. Scientists have linked chronic
inflammatory events in the brain with the onset and progression of Alzheimer's Disease.
Oxidative stress has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of neurological
disorders including Alzheimer's Disease.
Etanercept (Enbrel®) is an approved drug for the treatment of several forms of arthritis
when administered by injection. Some research suggests that etanercept, when administered by
injection into the tissues close to the spinal column (perispinally), may modulate certain
aspects of the immune system and provide some beneficial effect for people with Alzheimer's
disease. Studies suggest that supplementation with specific nutrients may also have a
positive effect in support of cognitive function.
This study will be conducted at one research office with volunteers who have been diagnosed
with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Each qualifying participant will be randomly
assigned to receive an etanercept injection plus nutritional supplements for 6 weeks
followed by a crossover and a washout period of 4 weeks to then receiving nutritional
supplements alone or vice versa for another 6 weeks.
Participants will undergo blood and urine safety assessments at the beginning and end of
each 6 week treatment period. During 4 of the 6 weekly visits in the treatment period with
the injections, you will complete the cognitive tests twice; once before and once 2 hours
after the injection. During 4 of the 6 weekly visits in the treatment period without the
injections, you will also complete the cognitive tests twice; once before and once 2 hours
after being asked to lie down onto a table for 5 minutes. You will be allowed to continue
your standard of care for Alzheimer's disease throughout your participation in the study.
series of events in the brain that occur over time. Two pathways possibly involved in
development of AD are inflammation and oxidative stress. Scientists have linked chronic
inflammatory events in the brain with the onset and progression of Alzheimer's Disease.
Oxidative stress has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of neurological
disorders including Alzheimer's Disease.
Etanercept (Enbrel®) is an approved drug for the treatment of several forms of arthritis
when administered by injection. Some research suggests that etanercept, when administered by
injection into the tissues close to the spinal column (perispinally), may modulate certain
aspects of the immune system and provide some beneficial effect for people with Alzheimer's
disease. Studies suggest that supplementation with specific nutrients may also have a
positive effect in support of cognitive function.
This study will be conducted at one research office with volunteers who have been diagnosed
with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Each qualifying participant will be randomly
assigned to receive an etanercept injection plus nutritional supplements for 6 weeks
followed by a crossover and a washout period of 4 weeks to then receiving nutritional
supplements alone or vice versa for another 6 weeks.
Participants will undergo blood and urine safety assessments at the beginning and end of
each 6 week treatment period. During 4 of the 6 weekly visits in the treatment period with
the injections, you will complete the cognitive tests twice; once before and once 2 hours
after the injection. During 4 of the 6 weekly visits in the treatment period without the
injections, you will also complete the cognitive tests twice; once before and once 2 hours
after being asked to lie down onto a table for 5 minutes. You will be allowed to continue
your standard of care for Alzheimer's disease throughout your participation in the study.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Subject is aged 60-85 years
- Subject has a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease according to the NINCDS- ADRDA
criteria (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke
NINCDS] and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association [ADRDA]).
- Subject is not institutionalized (for example, lives independently, lives
independently in a residential home for the elderly, or is a day patient at a care
center)
- Subject has a Hachinski Ischemia Score of ≤ 4.
- Subject has a total MoCA score of < 26 at screening.
- Subject has an MMSE score of 11 to 24 at screening.
- Subject has an ADAS-cog score of 12 to 25 at screening.
- Subject has experienced a gradual and progressive cognitive decline in the 6 months
before the screening visit.
- Subject provides informed consent to participate in the study or has a legally
acceptable representative who provides consent.
- Subject has a responsible caregiver who consents to supporting the subject in his/her
study participation (for example, by accompanying the subject on each study visit).
- Subject is surgically sterile, agrees to use an acceptable method of birth control as
defined in section 5.4 or, for females, is post- menopausal.
- Subject agrees to stop taking any vitamin, mineral, or dietary supplements he/she is
currently taking that have any components of the nutritional supplements utilized in
the study at least 7 days before randomization (Visit 2) and agrees to not use any
new vitamin, mineral, or dietary supplement product other than those provided by the
investigator until after the subject is discharged from the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- A neurologic disorder, such as seizures, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative
disorders (eg, Parkinson's disease), or dementia other than Alzheimer's type
(including that caused by small strokes or cerebrovascular disease)
- Cognitive impairment from any condition other than Alzheimer's disease, such as that
resulting from acute cerebral trauma, cerebral damage due to a lack of oxygen,
infections such as meningitis or AIDS, significant endocrine or metabolic disease,
mental retardation, or a brain tumor
- Cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, such as congestive heart failure,
uncontrolled hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg at screening), and a history of stroke
- Renal impairment/disease, defined as serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL
- Hepatic impairment, defined as Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) or Aspartate
Aminotransferase (AST) > 3 times the upper limit of normal OR has a history of a
positive blood screen for hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C antibody.
- Type I or II diabetes mellitus
- Significant or uncontrolled psychiatric disease
- Gastrointestinal disease, such as active peptic ulcer, gallstones, gallbladder
disease, or biliary tract obstruction, or a history of cholecystectomy
- Hematologic disorders
- Pulmonary or lung disorders
- Immune system disorder, such as HIV/AIDS
- History of cancer within 10 years before screening (except localized skin cancer
without metastases or in situ cervical cancer)
- History of chronic or recurrent infection (including tuberculosis) OR, in the 7 days
before Visit 2 (randomization), any known infection or body temperature > 38.6º C
(101.5º F)
- Subject is pregnant or breastfeeding at screening.
- Subject has intolerance or allergy to Enbrel®, latex, or any of Enbrel's components.
- Subject is currently consuming more than 6 standard alcoholic beverages a week. A
standard alcoholic beverage is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5
ounces of liquor.
- Subject is currently taking and unable or unwilling to stop taking anticoagulant or
antiplatelet herbs and supplements such as angelica, clove, danshen, garlic, ginger,
ginkgo, Panax ginseng, red clover, or willow for at least 7 days before the
randomization visit (Visit 2) and throughout the study.
- Subject is currently taking and unable or unwilling to stop taking any of the
prohibited medications in protocol section 5.3.2 for at least 7 days before the
randomization visit (Visit 2) and throughout the study.
- Subject had major surgery within the 4 weeks before screening.
- Subject has any condition or abnormality that, in the opinion of the investigator,
would compromise the safety of the subject or the quality of the study data.
- Subject is participating or has participated in another research study within 30 days
before the screening visit
- Subject or subject's caregiver is unable or unwilling to comply with the study
procedures.
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