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Tenofovir Alafenamide for Treatment of Symptoms and Neuroprotection in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Study Purpose
As the in vivo reservoir of the Epstein-Barr virus, B cells play an important role in the perpetuation of MS disease activity. B cell depletion therapy with medications like ocrelizumab or rituximab have proved very successful in preventing clinical relapses and MRI activity in MS, but incomplete in terms of neuroprotection and symptomatic outcomes. Ocrelizumab and rituximab only target naïve and memory B cells expressing the CD20 marker but do not deplete the wide spectrum of B cell lineages including plasmablasts and plasma cells, which are also key reservoirs for EBV. This is particularly relevant to the mechanism of action of TAF, since EBV lytic reactivation occurs in coordination with B-cell differentiation. In vivo, the initiation of plasma cell differentiation provides the physiological trigger for EBV lytic reactivation, and EBV utilizes the plasma cell differentiation program to replicate. As these cells are ineffectively depleted by anti-CD20 treatment, the use of TAF would be highly complementary as an add-on treatment to anti-CD20 therapy. Anti-EBV therapy with TAF in combination with ocrelizumab or rituximab will therefore provide a synergistic approach to cover the whole EBV reservoir. The primary aims of the proposed trial are to determine if TAF, at the standard dose of 25 mg/day administered for 12 months: i) is safe and well-tolerated by individuals with RRMS over a period of treatment of 12 months; ii) leads to an overall improvement in fatigue, as assessed by the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale by 12 months; and iii) causes a reduction in serum concentrations of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of neuronal damage in MS.
Recruitment Criteria
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms |
No |
Study Type
An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes. An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes. Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies. |
Interventional |
Eligible Ages | 18 Years and Over |
Gender | All |
Trial Details
Trial ID:
This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries. |
NCT04880577 |
Phase
Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans. Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data. Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs. Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use. |
Phase 2 |
Lead Sponsor
The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data. |
Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM) |
Principal Investigator
The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study. |
Michael Levy, MD, PhD |
Principal Investigator Affiliation | Massachusetts General Hospital |
Agency Class
Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial. |
Other, Industry |
Overall Status | Not yet recruiting |
Countries | |
Conditions
The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. |
Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, Fatigue |
Contact Information
This trial has no sites locations listed at this time. If you are interested in learning more, you can contact the trial's primary contact:
Michael Levy, MD, PhD
For additional contact information, you can also visit the trial on clinicaltrials.gov.
Posting a Trial
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