NCT05280405

Early Proactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Infliximab in Children: EPIC Study

Impact of Early Proactive Therapeutic Drug Monitoring on the Durability and Efficacy of Infliximab Therapy in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a Multicenter Open-label Randomized-control Trial

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 86 (estimated)
• Sponsor: IRCCS Burlo Garofolo · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of the study is to assess whether a proactive therapeutic drug monitoring strategy, introduced early during treatment, improves Infliximab (IFX) durability, efficacy and safety in children and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease. Patients with an indication to receive IFX, based on current clinical practice recommendations, will receive the drug either based on IFX concentrations determined before every IFX infusion, starting from the third infusion, or at standard dosing. Approximately 90 patients will be included in this research study. Patients enrolled will be in the study for approximately 12 months.

Detailed description

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are relapsing disorders with progressive bowel damage leading to long-term disability. Infliximab (IFX), is a highly effective and commonly used biologic in IBD. However, up to 40% of patients do not respond to treatment or lose response over time. Low-serum IFX concentrations and the development of antibodies to IFX (ATI) are two major factors affecting IFX efficacy, durability and safety. Standard IFX dose is administered as an IV (in the vein) infusion at 5 mg/kg in a 0, 2, and 6 weeks induction regimen followed by a maintenance regimen with infusions every 8 weeks. This standard dosing is extrapolated from adult studies. IFX has a highly variable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics that is dependent on body weight, disease extent, levels of inflammation and the presence of ATI. In children and young adults with IBD all these factors often result in low-serum IFX concentrations. Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring, consists in the measurement of drug concentrations on patient's blood, in order to adjust the following administrations (dosing or interval) and maintain a desired concentration of the medication in the body. This study seeks to determine whether a proactive therapeutic drug monitoring strategy can improve IFX durability, efficacy and safety in children and young adults with IBD. The study will involve approximately 90 patients, aged 6 to 17 years, with IBD. All the patients enrolled in the study will receive IFX at 5mg/kg at week 0, 2 and 6. At week 6 patients will be randomly assigned to receive IFX treatment either based on IFX concentrations determined before every IFX infusion (intervention group) or at standard dosing (control group). Patients will participate in the study for 54 weeks (approximately 12 months) or until IFX discontinuation. During the study, patients will visit the study center at the time of every IFX infusion or in case of disease flares.

Conditions

• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Infliximab	Infliximab

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-03-09
• Primary completion: 2024-01-31
• Completion: 2025-01-31
• First posted: 2022-03-15
• Last updated: 2023-08-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy