Regimen for the Treatment of Cachexia in Subjects With NSCLC (VT-122)

Vicus Therapeutics

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Cachexia

Treatments: Drug: VT-122 low dose; Drug: VT-122 high dose

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Industry

Identifiers

NCT00527319

VT-1 CAX-001

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cachexia is a presentation of a chronic manifestation of acute metabolic stress, a hypercatabolic nutritional state in which the normal fat and protein sparing mechanisms are not functioning and increased nutrition is not utilized.

To switch the nutritional system from a hypercatabolic to a normal nutritional state, therapy must block multi-factorial stress signaling a threshold of activation. Consistent with the synergistic hypothesis, propranolol and etodolac have been evaluated in subjects with advanced cancer demonstrating cachexia. This trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of VT-122 in subjects with NSCLC who have hypercatabolic cachexia.

Full description

The objective of this trial is to evaluate the safety and dose tolerability of VT-122 regimen and to evaluate the efficacy of VT-122 regimen

This trial is to be conducted on patients who have a diagnosis of Stage IV NSCLC, are not on chemotherapy, have lost 5% of their body weight in the previous 2 months and are deemed to be hypercatabolic.

Enrollment: 37 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects with NSCLC
• Demonstrating average weight loss of 5% within 2 months prior to enrollment
• Heart rate of 72 bpm or greater
• Negative pregnancy test (female patients of child bearing age)
• Able to give informed consent
• Able to be administered medication
• Able to take food and defined nutritional support
• Have not been on beta-blockers for a minimum of 1 week prior to administration of the medication screening dose
• Have not undergone surgery for at least 2 weeks prior to entry into trial
• Have not been on chemotherapy, immunotherapy, biologic therapy, radio therapy, and experimental therapy for a minimum of two weeks prior to medication screening dose and during their participation in this trial
• An expected survival for a minimum of 12 weeks

Exclusion criteria

• Contraindication to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and beta blockers
• Blood pressure less than 100/65
• Weight loss of 15% within 2 months prior to recruitment
• Hypersensitivity reaction to the active components in VT-122
• History of myocardial infraction within the past 3 months
• Congestive heart failure (as determined by symptoms and ECG)
• A-V block of second or third degree
• Unstable angina
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Unable to be assessed for grip strength
• A positive pregnancy test
• Chronic infection or sepsis
• History of bleeding disorders
• Patients with peripheral edema
• Patients on digoxin or other chronotropic drugs
• Patients with evidence of severe dehydration
• Patients with evidence of ascites

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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37 participants in 3 patient groups

Group A, control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Supportive care only

Group B, Low Dose VT-122

Active Comparator group

Description:

VT-122 (dose of etodolac: 400 mg/day) + supportive care

Treatment:

Drug: VT-122 low dose

Group C, High Dose VT-122

Active Comparator group

Description:

VT-122 (dose of etodolac: 800 mg/day) + supportive care

Treatment:

Drug: VT-122 high dose