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Study of Add-on Ambrisentan Therapy to Background Phosphodiesterase Type-5 Inhibitor (PDE5i) Therapy in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (ATHENA-1)

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Gilead Sciences

Status and phase

Completed
Phase 4

Conditions

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Treatments

Drug: Ambrisentan
Drug: Tadalafil
Drug: Sildenafil
Drug: Placebo

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Industry

Identifiers

NCT00617305
GS-US-300-0117

Details and patient eligibility

About

To evaluate the change from baseline in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and other hemodynamic parameters, following the addition of ambrisentan to background phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (PDE-5i) therapy in subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who have demonstrated a sub-optimal response to PDE-5i monotherapy.

The study was originally designed as a 2-arm, double-blind, randomized study in which patients received ambrisentan or placebo for 24 weeks, and then received ambrisentan blinded to dose for 24 weeks. With Protocol Amendment 2 (12 June, 2009), the study was switched to single-arm, open-label treatment, and all patients remaining in the placebo arm were switched to open-label ambrisentan treatment. Patients who enrolled after Amendment 2 all received open-label ambrisentan.

Full description

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the change from baseline in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and other hemodynamic parameters, following the addition of ambrisentan to background phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (PDE-5i) therapy in subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who have demonstrated a sub-optimal response to PDE-5i monotherapy.

The secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate the change from baseline in other clinical measures of PAH following the addition of ambrisentan to background PDE-5i therapy in subjects with PAH who have demonstrated a sub-optimal response to PDE-5i monotherapy.

The safety and tolerability of ambrisentan/PDE-5i combination therapy will be evaluated throughout the study. In addition, long-term efficacy will be examined.

Enrollment

38 patients

Sex

All

Ages

16 to 75 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Selected Inclusion Criteria

  • Must be between 16 and 75 years of age;
  • Must weigh at least 40 kg;
  • Have a current diagnosis of idiopathic PAH, familial PAH, or PAH that is primarily due to connective tissue disease, congenital heart defects, drug or toxin use, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
  • Have WHO functional class III symptoms;
  • Be receiving sildenafil or tadalafil monotherapy for the treatment of PAH for at least the past 12 weeks and at a stable dose for at least 8 consecutive weeks;
  • Meet all of the following hemodynamic criteria by means of a right heart catheterization: mPAP of at least 25 mmHg; PVR of at least 400 dyne*sec/cm5; pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) of not more than 15 mmHg;
  • Meet all of the following pulmonary function test criteria no more than 12 weeks before the screening visit: total lung capacity at least 60% of predicted normal and forced expiratory volume in 1 second of at least 65% of predicted normal;
  • Able to walk at least 150 meters during the screening 6-minute walk test (6MWT);
  • If receiving calcium channel blockers or 5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (i.e., statins) must be on stable therapy for at least 4 weeks;
  • If diagnosed with HIV, must have stable disease status.

Selected Exclusion Criteria:

  • Have a current pulmonary hypertension diagnosis other than idiopathic PAH, familial PAH, or PAH that is primarily due to connective tissue disease, congenital heart defects, drug or toxin use, or HIV;
  • Have left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40% or clinically significant ischemic, valvular, or constrictive heart disease;
  • Have received chronic prostanoid or endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA) therapy (eg, bosentan, sitaxsentan) within the past 12 weeks;
  • Have discontinued ERA treatment for any adverse reaction other than those associated with liver function test abnormalities;
  • Have received IV inotropes within 2 weeks;
  • Have a serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) value that is greater than 2.0x the upper limit of normal.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Triple Blind

38 participants in 2 patient groups

Ambrisentan
Experimental group
Description:
Patients were assigned ambrisentan at open-label enrollment or randomization, and received at least one dose of ambrisentan plus an approved phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor (PDE-5i; sildenafil or tadalafil).
Treatment:
Drug: Sildenafil
Drug: Tadalafil
Drug: Ambrisentan
Placebo
Active Comparator group
Description:
Patients were assigned placebo at randomization and received at least one dose of placebo plus an approved PDE-5i (sildenafil or tadalafil).
Treatment:
Drug: Sildenafil
Drug: Tadalafil
Drug: Placebo

Trial contacts and locations

30

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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