NCT02110706

Brief Summary

The specific primary objective of this study is to determine whether rituximab is a safe and beneficial therapeutic for Myasthenia Gravis (MG) that warrants further study in a phase III efficacy trial.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
52

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for phase_2

Timeline
Completed

Started May 2014

Typical duration for phase_2

Geographic Reach
1 country

26 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 7, 2014

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 10, 2014

Completed
21 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 1, 2014

Completed
3.2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

July 1, 2017

Completed
10 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

May 1, 2018

Completed
5 months until next milestone

Results Posted

Study results publicly available

October 2, 2018

Completed
Last Updated

March 6, 2020

Status Verified

March 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

3.2 years

First QC Date

April 7, 2014

Results QC Date

July 31, 2018

Last Update Submit

March 4, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

Myasthenia GravisRituximabSNOMED code 31839002

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Steroid Sparing Effect

    Percent of subjects that achieve a ≥ 75% reduction in mean daily prednisone dose in the 4 weeks prior to week 52 and have clinical improvement or no significant worsening of symptoms (≤ 2 point increase in MGC score) as compared to 4-week period prior to randomization and initiation of treatment.

    4 weeks prior baseline and 4 weeks prior to week 52

  • Safety:Percentage of Study Participants With Treatment-related Adverse Experiences

    Evaluate treatment-Related Adverse Events (AEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)

    52 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

  • Change in Myasthenia Gravis Composite (MGC) Scores From Baseline to Week 52

    baseline and 52 weeks

  • Change in Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis(QMG) Scores From Baseline to Week 52

    baseline and 52 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Placebo

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

The placebo group will receive a vehicle control infusion

Drug: Placebo

Rituximab

EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention (rituximab): The treatment group will receive a total of two cycles of rituximab separated by 6 months. Each cycle is defined as one infusion (375mg/m2 IV) per week for four consecutive weeks

Drug: Rituximab

Interventions

Intervention (rituximab): The treatment group will receive a total of two cycles of rituximab separated by 6 months. Each cycle is defined as one infusion (375mg/m2 IV) per week for four consecutive weeks

Rituximab

The placebo group will receive a vehicle control infusion

Placebo

Eligibility Criteria

Age21 Years - 90 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Subjects 21 to 90 years old
  • Subjects must have generalized MG, defined as MGFA clinical classification grades 2 (mild), 3 (moderate), or 4 (severe, but not intubated) at the time of screening/randomization.
  • Elevated AChR antibody titer
  • Subject's signs and symptoms should not be better explained by another disease process.
  • Subjects must be on a stable standard immunosuppressive regimen:
  • Prednisone only: Prednisone dose must be at least 15mg/day (or the equivalent on alternate days), and the dose of prednisone must have been stable for at least 4 weeks (28 days) prior to the baseline visit.
  • Prednisone plus another immunosuppressive therapy (IST). Immunosuppressive therapies other than prednisone, specifically azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine, tacrolimus or methotrexate, are permitted, but the dose must have been stable for at least 6 months prior to the baseline visit.
  • (Note: The prednisone dose must be stable as defined in the prednisone only group. The IST dose must remain stable throughout the course of the study).
  • Subjects must be willing to complete the study and return for follow-up visits.
  • No history of thymoma, tumor, infection, or interstitial lung disease on chest CT, MRI, or chest x-ray. Note: Chest x-ray will be completed at screening to look of interstitial lung disease. A chest CT or MRI to evaluate for thymoma must be completed as part of prescreening.
  • Able and willing to give written informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study protocol.
  • Subjects must be able to give written informed consent before participating in this study. A copy of the signed consent must be kept in the subject's medical record.
  • Men and women of reproductive potential must agree to use an acceptable method of birth control during treatment and for twelve months (1 year) after completion of treatment.

You may not qualify if:

  • A history of chronic degenerative, psychiatric, or neurologic disorder other than MG that can produce weakness or fatigue.
  • Other major chronic or debilitating illnesses within six months prior to study entry.
  • Female subjects who are premenopausal and are:
  • pregnant on the basis of a serum pregnancy test,
  • breast-feeding, or
  • not using an effective method of double barrier (1 hormonal plus 1 barrier method or 2 simultaneous barrier methods) or birth control (birth control pills, male condom, female condom, intrauterine device, Norplant, tubal ligation, or other sterilization procedures).
  • Altered levels of consciousness, dementia, or abnormal mental status.
  • Thymectomy in the previous six months.
  • Subjects who have been medicated with an immunosuppressive agent such as azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine, tacrolimus or methotrexate, that is withdrawn within 8 weeks (56 days) of the Baseline Visit.
  • Subjects who have received IVIg or PLEX treatment within the last 4 weeks (28 days) prior to the baseline visit.
  • Unstable dose or a stable dose of \> 480 mg/day of pyridostigmine in 2 weeks prior to screening visit.
  • Daily use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
  • History of renal or hepatic insufficiency or elevated liver enzymes (AST or ALT \>2.5 x Upper Limit of Normal).
  • History of bone marrow hypoplasia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, significant anemia, clinical or laboratory evidence of immunodeficiency syndromes.
  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) \<50% of percent predicted.
  • +21 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (26)

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States

Location

University of California - Davis

Davis, California, 95616, United States

Location

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location

University of Colorado - Denver

Denver, Colorado, 80217, United States

Location

Yale School of Medicine, Department of Neurology

New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States

Location

University of Miami School of Medicine

Miami, Florida, 33136, United States

Location

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States

Location

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois, 60208, United States

Location

University of Kansas Medical Center

Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States

Location

Brigham & Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

Location

Washington University

St Louis, Missouri, 63130, United States

Location

SUNY Downstate Medical Center

Brooklyn, New York, 11203, United States

Location

SUNY Buffalo

Buffalo, New York, 14260, United States

Location

Columbia University Medical Center

New York, New York, 10032, United States

Location

Weill Cornell Medical Center

New York, New York, 10065, United States

Location

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York, 14627, United States

Location

SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, New York, 11790, United States

Location

Montefiore Medical Center

The Bronx, New York, 10461, United States

Location

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45220, United States

Location

Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

Location

Oregon Health and Science University

Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States

Location

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, United States

Location

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, Texas, 75235, United States

Location

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States

Location

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia, 22904, United States

Location

Swedish Medical Center

Seattle, Washington, 98107, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

  • Nowak RJ, Coffey CS, Goldstein JM, Dimachkie MM, Benatar M, Kissel JT, Wolfe GI, Burns TM, Freimer ML, Nations S, Granit V, Smith AG, Richman DP, Ciafaloni E, Al-Lozi MT, Sams LA, Quan D, Ubogu E, Pearson B, Sharma A, Yankey JW, Uribe L, Shy M, Amato AA, Conwit R, O'Connor KC, Hafler DA, Cudkowicz ME, Barohn RJ; NeuroNEXT NN103 BeatMG Study Team. Phase 2 Trial of Rituximab in Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Generalized Myasthenia Gravis: The BeatMG Study. Neurology. 2022 Jan 25;98(4):e376-e389. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000013121.

  • Di Stefano V, Lupica A, Rispoli MG, Di Muzio A, Brighina F, Rodolico C. Rituximab in AChR subtype of myasthenia gravis: systematic review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2020 Apr;91(4):392-395. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2019-322606. Epub 2020 Feb 25.

  • Hehir MK, Hobson-Webb LD, Benatar M, Barnett C, Silvestri NJ, Howard JF Jr, Howard D, Visser A, Crum BA, Nowak R, Beekman R, Kumar A, Ruzhansky K, Chen IA, Pulley MT, LaBoy SM, Fellman MA, Greene SM, Pasnoor M, Burns TM. Rituximab as treatment for anti-MuSK myasthenia gravis: Multicenter blinded prospective review. Neurology. 2017 Sep 5;89(10):1069-1077. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000004341. Epub 2017 Aug 11.

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Myasthenia Gravis

Interventions

Rituximab

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous SystemNervous System NeoplasmsNeoplasms by SiteNeoplasmsParaneoplastic SyndromesAutoimmune Diseases of the Nervous SystemNervous System DiseasesNeurodegenerative DiseasesNeuromuscular Junction DiseasesNeuromuscular DiseasesAutoimmune DiseasesImmune System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-DerivedAntibodies, MonoclonalAntibodiesImmunoglobulinsImmunoproteinsBlood ProteinsProteinsAmino Acids, Peptides, and ProteinsSerum GlobulinsGlobulins

Results Point of Contact

Title
Dr. Richard Nowak, MD,MS
Organization
Yale School of Medicine

Study Officials

  • Richard J Nowak, MD, MS

    Yale University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

PI is Sponsor Employee
Yes

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 2
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
TRIPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 7, 2014

First Posted

April 10, 2014

Study Start

May 1, 2014

Primary Completion

July 1, 2017

Study Completion

May 1, 2018

Last Updated

March 6, 2020

Results First Posted

October 2, 2018

Record last verified: 2020-03

Locations