Safety and Efficacy of Repeated Administrations of NurOwn® in ALS Patients

Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3

Conditions: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Treatments: Other: Placebo; Other: Bone Marrow aspiration; Biological: NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT03280056

BCT-002-US

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated administration of NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) therapy, which is based on transplantation of autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), which are enriched from the patient's own bone marrow, propagated ex vivo and induced to secrete Neurotrophic factors (NTFs).

The autologous NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) are back-transplanted into the patient intrathecally by standard lumbar puncture where neurons and glial cells are expected to take up the neurotrophic factors secreted by the transplanted cells

Full description

Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) are potent survival factors for embryonic, neonatal, and adult neurons and are considered potential therapeutic candidates for ALS. Delivery of multiple NTFs to the immediate environment of afflicted neurons in ALS patients is expected to improve their survival and thus slow down disease progression and alleviate symptoms. NTF-secreting mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC-NTF cells) are a novel cell-therapeutic approach aimed at effectively delivering NTFs directly to the site of damage in ALS patients.

Participants meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be randomized and will undergo bone-marrow aspiration. MSC of the participants randomized to the treatment group will be induced into MSC-NTF cells. Participants will undergo a total of three intrathecal (IT) transplantations with NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) or matching placebo at three bi-monthly intervals

Enrollment: 196 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• ALS diagnosed as possible, laboratory-supported probable, probable, or definite as defined by revised El Escorial criteria.
• Having onset of ALS disease symptoms, including limb weakness within 24 months at the Screening Visit.
• ALSFRS-R ≥ 25 at the screening Visit.
• Upright slow vital capacity (SVC) measure ≥ 65% of predicted for gender, height, and age at the screening Visit.
• Rapid progressors
• Participants taking a stable dose of Riluzole are permitted in the study
• Citizen or permanent resident of the United States or Canadian citizen able to travel to a US site for all follow-up study visits

Exclusion criteria

• Prior stem cell therapy of any kind
• History of autoimmune or other serious disease (including malignancy and immune deficiency) that may confound study results
• Current use of immunosuppressant medication or anticoagulants (per Investigator discretion)
• Exposure to any other experimental agent or participation in an ALS clinical trial within 30 days prior to Screening Visit
• Use of RADICAVA (edaravone injection) within 30 days of screening or intent to use edaravone at any time during the course of the study including the follow up period
• Use of non-invasive ventilation (BIPAP), diaphragm pacing system or invasive ventilation (tracheostomy)
• Feeding tube
• Pregnant women or women currently breastfeeding

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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196 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Three Intrathecal administrations of NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells) at bi-monthly intervals

Treatment:

Other: Bone Marrow aspiration

Biological: NurOwn® (MSC-NTF cells)

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Three Intrathecal administrations of Placebo at bi-monthly intervals

Treatment:

Other: Bone Marrow aspiration

Other: Placebo