NCT03292861

The Effect and Safety Profile of Thymoglobulin® in Primary Cardiac Transplant Recipients

A Pilot Randomized Study to Assess the Effect and Safety Profile of Thymoglobulin® in Primary Cardiac Transplant Recipients: A 12-month, Single Center, Randomized, Open-label Study of Efficacy Comparing Immediate Treatment With and Without Thymoglobulin® 1.5 mg/kg/d for 5 Consecutive Days in Heart Transplant Recipients

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This is a randomized, controlled, single center study to evaluate the efficacy of Thymoglobulin induction therapy in combination with Mycophenolate Mofetil, tacrolimus, and steroids in the prevention of CAV. Approximately half of the patients will be randomized to receive a total of 5 doses of Thymoglobulin during the study. The first dose of Thymoglobulin will be administered at 1.5 mg/kg via intravenous infusion over 6 hours immediately upon arrival to the ICU post-operation (day 1). Subsequent doses of 1.5 mg/kg will be administered on days 2, 3, 4, and 5 via IV infusion over 4 hours. Mechanistic assays (T-reg cells, Lym subsets, B cell subsets, IL-1b, cytokines, TGFb, IL-21 to be drawn at Pre-transplant, 3, 6, 12 months post-transplant) will also be performed. All patients will be followed and monitored according to standard of care protocols for heart transplant recipients at our center.

Conditions

• Heart Transplantation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Thymoglobulin	Approximately half of the patients will be randomized to receive a total of 5 doses of Thymoglobulin during the study. The first dose of Thymoglobulin will be administered at 1.5 mg/kg via intravenous infusion over 8 hours immediately upon arrival to the ICU post-operation (day 1). Subsequent doses of 1.5 mg/kg will be administered on days 2, 3, 4, and 5 via IV infusion over 4-8 hours.
DRUG	Mycophenolate Mofetil	3.0 grams divided bid begun post-transplant, either IV or po as tolerated by patient. Initial dose must be given within 24 hours post-transplant. Dosing will be titrated based on recipient's body size and any adverse side effects
DRUG	Tacrolimus	Doses of 1-4 mg bid either IV or po will be prescribed to achieve a target trough level of 10-15 ng/mL before post-operative day number 5. Target trough levels are 10-15 ng/mL for post-operative days #1-30, 8-12ng/mL days#31-60 and 5-10 ng/mL thereafter.
DRUG	Sirolimus	Maintenance doses of sirolimus at 12 months post-transplantation
DRUG	Corticosteroids	125 mg IV methylprednisolone immediately post-operatively x 3 doses q12hrs, then switching to oral prednisone at 1.0 mg/kg/day po divided into bid doses that are rounded off to the next higher 5 mg increment. For example, a 76 kg person would should be dosed at 38 mg po bid, which rounded off to the next 5 mg increment would be 40 mg po bid. (Equivalent dosing via an alternative route may be used if pos not tolerated or contraindicated). Prednisone will be tapered by 10 mg qd until the dose of 10 mg po bid is reached.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-09-13
• Primary completion: 2026-03-31
• Completion: 2026-03-31
• First posted: 2017-09-26
• Last updated: 2026-01-14

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study