NCT04789044

Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Mediated Fusion (PEG Fusion)

A Phase 2a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Mediated Fusion (PEG Fusion) Compared to Standard of Care in the Repair of Mixed Motor-sensory Acute Peripheral Nerve Injuries (PNI) for Rapid and Immediate Improvement in Outcome

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The overall objective of this study is to determine the safety of PEG fusion when used with primary repair or reconstruction in patients with an acute upper extremity peripheral nerve injury. PEG is safe and effective for extending the half-life of circulating pharmaceutical products, when used in conjunction with a topical hemostatic agent in surgical wounds, and when used as a colon cleanser for endoscopic surgical procedures. However, PEG fusion has not been rigorously tested as a safe reagent to promote nerve regeneration in humans. Therefore, the goal of this Phase 2a clinical trial is to establish safety data and to examine the effect of PEG fusion on clinical outcomes including recovery of sensory and motor function. Results will be externally validated using data collected in the DoD funded prospective NERVE study and will provide preliminary evidence to power a larger phase II efficacy trial.

Detailed description

The study will enroll 40 patients receiving autograft reconstruction within 24 hours of injury. Patients will be randomized to either PEG mediated reconstruction (n=20); or conventional nerve reconstruction (n=20). The investigators hypothesize that (1) the rate of complications within 1 month of surgery in patients treated with PEG fusion will be comparable to that of patients treated with conventional autograft reconstruction, (2) there will be no detrimental effects from PEG fusion on nerve regeneration over 2 years compared to patients treated with conventional nerve reconstruction, ((3) recovery of sensory and motor function will occur earlier (within 6 months) among patients treated with PEG fusion compared to patients treated with conventional autograft reconstruction (4) patients treated with PEG fusion will have better range of motion, greater hand strength, less disability, less pain, and higher rates of treatment satisfaction compared with patients treated with conventional autograft reconstruction.

Conditions

• Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	NTX-001	• PEG fusion is the application of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) using a combination of sequenced reagents to a freshly performed nerve coaptation, or neurorrhaphy, to allow the axonal membranes of the proximal and distal axonal stumps to fuse back together and re-establish full axonal continuity.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-06-01
• Primary completion: 2027-10-01
• Completion: 2028-10-01
• First posted: 2021-03-09
• Last updated: 2026-02-27

Locations

7 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study