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NCT Number: NCT06643481

A Clinical Trial to Learn About the Effects of VHB937 in People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group Phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VHB937 in participants with early-stage ALS (within 2 years of ALS symptoms onset). The study comprises a core double-blind (DB) 40-week treatment period followed by an open label extension (OLE).

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This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–100 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

Novartis Investigative Site, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia

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About this study

The main questions this trial aims to answer in comparing VHB937 to placebo are:

  • How long will participants live without needing permanent help from a machine to breathe after starting the trial treatment?
  • What is the change in the participant's ability to perform daily activities? This will be measured using a questionnaire called the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R).
  • What adverse events are reported during this trial? An adverse event is any sign or symptom that participants have during a trial. Adverse events may or may not be caused by treatments in the trial. The trial doctors will check participants' ALS and general health throughout the trial.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • are 18 years of age or older
  • male or female, if of childbearing potential, strict contraception required
  • have ALS confirmed by the trial doctors using different tests.
  • have mild symptoms of ALS as measured by the ALSFRS-R questionnaire (total score >=30).
  • have had symptoms of ALS (weakness) within 24 months of taking part in this trial.
  • have not received treatment for ALS or are currently on a stable dose of an approved treatment for ALS.
  • have the ability to slowly exhale a volume of air at least 60% of what is expected for the participant's sex, height and age.

Exclusion criteria

  • Use of other investigational drugs within 5 half-lives of screening, or within 30 days (e.g., small molecules) / or until the expected pharmacodynamic effect has returned to baseline (e.g., biologics), whichever is longer; or longer if required by local regulations.
  • Women of child-bearing potential, defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, unless they are using highly effective methods of contraception while taking study treatment and for 24 weeks after stopping study medication.
  • History or current diagnosis of cardiac conditions or ECG abnormalities indicating significant risk of safety for participants in the study.
  • Clinical evidence of liver or renal disease/injury.
  • Laboratory evidence of hematological abnormalities
  • Presence of unstable psychiatric disease, cognitive impairment, neurological disease other than ALS, dementia or substance abuse that would impair ability of the participant to provide informed consent, in the investigator's opinion.
  • Participants that reported 'yes' on any suicidal ideation section except for the "Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior" in the past 2 years as per C-SSRS.
  • Presence of cancer, HIV, Hep B, Hep C, tuberculosis, uncontrolled diabetes
  • History of active severe respiratory disease, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, interstitial lung disease or pulmonary fibrosis.
  • Taking any prohibited medications

Treatment and study plan

VHB937

Biological

VHB937 solution for infusion

Placebo

Other

Solution for infusion

Primary outcomes

  1. The composite of PAV-free survival and change in ALSFRS-R. Analysis method: Combined Assessment of Function and Survival (CAFS)

    Time frame: Baseline to DB Week 40

    To compare the efficacy of VHB937 vs. placebo on a composite of permanent assisted ventilation (PAV) free survival and function in DB epoch

Secondary outcomes

  1. ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) total score

    Time frame: Baseline to DB Week 40 or until death or PAV (whichever occurs first) and Baseline to OLE Week 100 or until death or PAV (whichever occurs first

    To assess the efficacy of VHB937 on functional decline in DB and OLE epochs.

  2. Slow Vital Capacity (SVC) (% of predicted normal value)

    Time frame: Baseline to DB Week 40 or until death or PAV (whichever occurs first) and Baseline to OLE Week 100 or until death or PAV (whichever occurs first)

    To assess the efficacy of VHB937 in delaying decline in respiratory function in DB and OLE epochs.

  3. Ratio to baseline in Neurofilament Light (NfL) concentration in serum

    Time frame: DB up to Week 40; DB and OLE up to Week 100]

    To assess the effect of VHB937 on a biomarker of neurodegeneration in DB and OLE epochs.

  4. Number of participants with Adverse Events (AEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)

    Time frame: Baseline to end of study

    To assess the safety and tolerability of VHB937 in DB and OLE epochs.

  5. Time to death and Time to event (death or PAV, whichever comes first).

    Time frame: Baseline to DB Week 40

    To assess the efficacy of VHB937 vs. placebo on survival endpoints in DB epoch.

  6. Time to death and Time to event (death or PAV, whichever comes first) - endpoints referring to treatment policy estimand

    Time frame: Baseline to OLE Week 100, and Baseline to end of study

    To assess the efficacy of early vs. delayed VHB937 administration on survival endpoints (DB VHB937 followed by OLE VHB937 vs. DB placebo followed by OLE VHB937)

  7. Patient Global Impression of change in functional ability and ALS symptom severity (PGI-C)

    Time frame: DB up to Week 40; DB and OLE up to Week 100

    To assess change in ALS condition in DB and OLE epochs.

  8. Change in QoL from baseline as measured with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assessment Questionnaire -5 (ALSAQ-5)

    Time frame: DB up to Week 40; DB and OLE up to Week 100

    To assess Quality of Life (QoL) with VHB937 in DB and OLE epochs.

  9. Change in Clinician Global Impression of change in functional ability and ALS symptom severity (CGI-C)

    Time frame: DB up to Week 40; DB and OLE up to Week 100

    To assess change in ALS condition in DB and OLE epochs.

  10. Change in QoL from baseline as measured with EuroQoL 5 Dimension 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L)

    Time frame: DB up to Week 40; DB and OLE up to Week 100

    To assess Quality of Life (QoL) with VHB937 in DB and OLE epochs.

  11. Change in QoL from baseline as measured with 12-item Short form health survey (SF-12)

    Time frame: DB up to Week 40; DB and OLE up to Week 100

    To assess Quality of Life (QoL) with VHB937 in DB and OLE epochs.

  12. Pharmacokinetics (PK) of VHB937-CMAX

    Time frame: Day 1 to end of study

    CMAX - The maximum concentration of VHB937 in serum

  13. Pharmacokinetics (PK) of VHB937-TMAX

    Time frame: Day 1 to end of study

    TMAX - The time to reach the maximum concentration of VHB937 in serum

  14. Pharmacokinetics (PK) of VHB937-CTROUGH

    Time frame: Day 1 to end of study

    CTROUGH - Minimum observed concentration of VHB937 in serum

  15. To assess immunogenicity (IG) of VHB937

    Time frame: Day 1 up to end of study

    To assess immunogenicity of Anti-VHB937 antibodies in serum

  16. Cerebralspinal Spinal Fluid Pharmacokinetics (PK) of VHB937-CMAX

    Time frame: Screening to Week 12

    CMAX - The maximum concentration of VHB937 in CSF

  17. Cerebralspinal Spinal Fluid Pharmacokinetics (PK) of VHB937-TMAX

    Time frame: Screening to Week 12

    TMAX - The time to reach the maximum concentration of VHB937 in CSF

  18. Cerebralspinal Spinal Fluid Pharmacokinetics (PK) of VHB937-CTROUGH

    Time frame: Screening to Week 12

    CTROUGH - Minimum observed concentration of VHB937 in CSF

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Parallel Group Study of VHB937 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Over 40 Weeks Followed by an Open Label Extension (ASTRALS)

Acronym: ASTRALS

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2028
First posted
Oct 16, 2024
Registry last updated
Jul 7, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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