Natalizumab Temporary Discontinuation Study (NaTDS)

University at Buffalo

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis

Treatments: Other: Natalizumab discontinuation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02775110

USTYS0910017/JNI-2010-31

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the discontinuation of natalizumab either immediately or tapered off in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Half of the fifty (50) participants will discontinue natalizumab immediately and the other half will taper off the drug, having two additional infusions, one at six weeks- and one at eight weeks-post discontinuation.

Full description

Natalizumab is a pharmaceutical intervention used in the management of multiple sclerosis.

The decision to discontinue natalizumab therapy is often raised in patients defined as high-risk for PML despite good clinical efficacy. During the therapy cessation period following large phase III trials, a return to the prestudy disease activity was reached by four months post-discontinuation. Shorter therapy was associated with a trend for a more severe disease activity pointing to a possible 'rebound' effect after natalizumab discontinuation.

This study focuses on two different approaches: an immediate versus a step-wise/tapered down natalizumab discontinuation protocol, both with reinstitution of a different disease modifying therapy (DMT) within 1-6 months from the last natalizumab infusion.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patient with relapsing-remitting or relapsing-progressive (relapsing-remitting with incomplete recovery and secondary progressive with superimposed relapses) MS according to the McDonald criteria who have been on natalizumab therapy for at least 12 months
• Age 18-65
• Have EDSS scores less than or equal to 7.0
• Positive John Cunningham (JC) virus antibody results at screening
• Signed informed consent
• None of the exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

• Patients not willing or able to personally provide informed consent (subjects with cognitive impairment that effects the ability to provide informed consent for participation)
• Patients with active disease per clinical and MRI evaluation at baseline
• Patients with renal disease that precludes having an MRI with gadolinium contrast

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Immediate Discontinuation Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will discontinue the natalizumab therapy at once and initiate another disease modifying therapy at 1 month following the last natalizumab infusion. The disease modifying therapy at 1 month following natalizumab discontinuation will be at the discretion of the neurologist and may differ among patients.

Treatment:

Other: Natalizumab discontinuation

Taper-off Group

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will be administered two more natalizumab infusion, one at six weeks and the second at eight weeks (14 weeks from study entry), followed by six months natalizumab discontinuation. Another DMT will be initiated within two months after the last natalizumab infusion.

Treatment:

Other: Natalizumab discontinuation