Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01232738

Trial of Safety and Efficacy of Rasagiline in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

ALS is a disorder that weakens motor strength and lung function. Rapid loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord of ALS patients causes the symptoms of increasing weakness and loss of muscle function. While there are drugs to help relieve symptoms of ALS, there is no cure for ALS.

Rasagiline is a drug with possible neuroprotective characteristics. Neuroprotective means that the nervous system may be protected against weakening. It is known that rasagiline has possible neuroprotective characteristics and it is approved for use for patients with another disorder, the effectiveness of rasagiline for patients with ALS has not been tested.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Central Nervous System Diseases Metabolic Diseases Motor Neuron Disease Nervous System Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuromuscular Diseases Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Proteostasis Deficiencies Spinal Cord Diseases TDP-43 Proteinopathies

Age range

21 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Loading trial locations.

About this study

The specific aim of this screen study is to determine whether rasagiline is safe in this patient population and if the drug has the potential to slow ALS disease progression

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • A clinical diagnosis of laboratory-supported probable, probable, or definite ALS, according to a modified El Escorial criteria, by the study investigator (Appendix IV).
  • 21 to 80 years of age inclusive.
  • VC greater or equal to 75% of predicted at screening and baseline.
  • Onset of weakness within 3 years prior to enrollment.
  • If patients are taking riluzole for ALS, they must be on a stable dose for at least thirty days prior to the baseline visit.
  • Women of childbearing age must be non-lactating and surgically sterile or using an effective method of birth control and have a negative pregnancy test.
  • Willing and able to give signed informed consent that has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Exclusion criteria

  • Requirement for tracheotomy ventilation or non-invasive ventilation for > 23 hours per day.
  • Patients on sympathomimetic agents. This includes pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, and ephedrine.
  • Patients on analgesics with serotoninergic properties such as meperidine, tramadol, methadone and propoxyphen, flexeril.
  • Patients on fluoxetine or fluvoxamine.
  • Patients taking amitriptyline > 50 mg/d, trazodone and sertraline > 100 mg/d, citalogram > 20 mg/d or paroxetine > 30 mg/d.
  • Diagnosis of other neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, etc).
  • Clinically significant history of unstable medical illness (unstable angina, advanced cancer, etc) over the last 30 days.
  • History of renal disease.
  • History of liver disease.
  • Current pregnancy or lactation.
  • Limited mental capacity such that the patient cannot provide written informed consent or comply with evaluation procedures.
  • History of recent alcohol or drug abuse or noncompliance with treatment or other experimental protocols.
  • VC < 75% of predicted.
  • Receipt of any investigational drug within the past 30 days.
  • Women with the potential to become pregnant who are not practicing effective birth control.

Treatment and study plan

Rasagiline

Drug

rasagiline 2 mg daily for 12 months

Primary outcomes

  1. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale - Revised (ALSFRS-R)

    Time frame: up to 12 months

    The primary outcome measure is the difference in the rate of decline in function, as detected by the ALS Functional Rating Scale - Revised (ALSFRS-R) in patients taking rasagiline compared to a database of patients from randomized clinical trials conducted during 1997-2007. Minimum score is 0 (no function) to Maximum score is 48 (normal function)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Difference in Time to Treatment Failure

    Time frame: up to 12 months

    This group is defined as death, endotracheal intubation, tracheostomy-assisted ventilation or use of noninvasive ventilation >= 23 hours/day for 14 days or more.

Other outcomes

  1. Change in JC-1 Mitochondrial Biomarkers

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months

    The 12 month change in mitochondrial biomarkerJC-1 red/green fluorescence ratio. We measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

  2. Change in Mitotracker Mitochondrial Biomarkers

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months

    The 12 month change in mitochondrial biomarkerMitotracker. We measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

  3. Change in Percent Annexin V Mitochondrial Biomarkers

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months

    The 12 month change in mitochondrial biomarker Annexin V %. We measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

  4. Change in BCL2/BAX Mitochondrial Biomarkers

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months

    The 12 month change in mitochondrial biomarker BCL2/BAX. We measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

  5. Change in ORAC Mitochondrial Biomarkers

    Time frame: Baseline, 6 months, 12 months

    The 12 month change in mitochondrial biomarker Oxygen Radical Antioxidant Capacity. We measured at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yunxia Wang, MD

Other

Collaborators

  • Western ALS Study Group

Registry information

Official study title

A Multi-Center Controlled Screening Trial of Safety and Efficacy of Rasagiline in Subjects With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Nov 2, 2010
Registry last updated
May 18, 2018

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.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.