Long-Term Neuropsychological Outcomes from an Open-Label Phase I/IIa Trial of 2-Hydroxypropyl-ß-Cyclodextrins (VTS-270) in Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C1.

BACKGROUND: Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1) is a neurodegenerative condition that arises from mutations of NPC1 and is often diagnosed in children. Recently, several drug trials have been implemented to minimize neurodegeneration, including a trial of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrins (VTS-270). OBJECTIVES: The current study extends findings from a previous report of 18 months of disease severity data by describing neuropsychological outcomes over the course of 36 months post-baseline. DESIGN: An open-label, dose-escalation phase I/IIa study of VTS-270 was performed in participants with NPC1 aged 4-23 years. METHODS: Fourteen participants were sequentially assigned to receive monthly initial intrathecal VTS-270 at doses of 50, 200, 300, or 400 mg per month. After initial dosing, participants were dose-escalated (to 600 or 1200 mg) as tolerated. Participants were evaluated at 6-month intervals using a standardized neuropsychological battery, including tests of cognition and adaptive behavior. A random effects model with restricted maximum likelihood estimation was constructed for each outcome, and the slope was the parameter of interest. RESULTS: Findings based on IQ scores and both standard scores and age equivalents of adaptive functioning indicate that there were not meaningful declines in these areas during the study period. The average annualized change in Full Scale IQ was negative: B = - 1.28, standard error (SE) = 0.70, t(34.2) = - 1.83, p = 0.076. The Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Composite standard score decreased by 1.76 points per year [SE = 0.67, t(59.1) = - 2.62, p = 0.011], but annualized slopes for each of the domain age equivalents were positive: Communication [B = 0.71, SE = 3.12, t(60.7) = 0.23, p = 0.82], Socialization [B = 2.99, SE = 2.92, t(60.4) = 1.03, p = 0.30], Daily Living Skills [B = 2.76, SE = 2.76, t(60.3) = 1.18, p = 0.24], and Motor Skills [B = 1.42, SE = 0.94, t(50.5) = 1.51, p = 0.14], indicating not worsening but slower-than-average acquisition of skills. CONCLUSION: In conjunction with previous findings, these results provide support for the slowing of disease progress up to 36 months post-initiation of intrathecal VTS-270. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01747135: Hydroxypropyl Beta Cyclodextrin for Niemann-Pick type C1 Disease.

Gait, Balance, and Coordination Impairments in Niemann Pick Disease, Type C1.

This is the first study to objectively measure gait, balance, and upper limb coordination in a group of patients with NPC1 and compare the results to age and gender matched controls. This is also the first study to report effect sizes in these measures. Spatiotemporal gait analysis, static and dynamic posturography, and upper limb reaching motion analysis were performed. The findings showed that the NPC1 subjects had statistically significant deficits on 12 out of the 16 parameters investigated compared to controls, and large effect sizes for all but 1 parameter. When ranking the variables in terms of the effect sizes, the top 5 included at least 1 parameter from each of the 3 motor domains investigated. These results can provide insight to clinical researchers on the selection of outcome measures for longitudinal and interventional studies.

Intrathecal 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin decreases neurological disease progression in Niemann-Pick disease, type C1: a non-randomised, open-label, phase 1-2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1) is a lysosomal storage disorder characterised by progressive neurodegeneration. In preclinical testing, 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrins (HPßCD) significantly delayed cerebellar Purkinje cell loss, slowed progression of neurological manifestations, and increased lifespan in mouse and cat models of NPC1. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of lumbar intrathecal HPßCD. METHODS: In this open-label, dose-escalation phase 1-2a study, we gave monthly intrathecal HPßCD to participants with NPC1 with neurological manifestation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA. To explore the potential effect of 2-week dosing, three additional participants were enrolled in a parallel study at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC), Chicago, IL, USA. Participants from the NIH were non-randomly, sequentially assigned in cohorts of three to receive monthly initial intrathecal HPßCD at doses of 50, 200, 300, or 400 mg per month. A fifth cohort of two participants received initial doses of 900 mg. Participants from RUMC initially received 200 or 400 mg every 2 weeks. The dose was escalated based on tolerance or safety data from higher dose cohorts. Serum and CSF 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol (24[S]-HC), which serves as a biomarker of target engagement, and CSF protein biomarkers were evaluated. NPC Neurological Severity Scores (NNSS) were used to compare disease progression in HPßCD-treated participants relative to a historical comparison cohort of 21 NPC1 participants of similar age range. FINDINGS: Between Sept 21, 2013, and Jan 19, 2015, 32 participants with NPC1 were assessed for eligibility at the National Institutes of Health. 18 patients were excluded due to inclusion criteria not met (six patients), declined to participate (three patients), pursued independent expanded access and obtained the drug outside of the study (three patients), enrolled in the RUMC cohort (one patient), or too late for the trial enrolment (five patients). 14 patients were enrolled and sequentially assigned to receive intrathecal HPßCD at a starting dose of 50 mg per month (three patients), 200 mg per month (three patients), 300 mg per month (three patients), 400 mg per month (three patients), or 900 mg per month (two patients). During the first year, two patients had treatment interrupted for one dose, based on grade 1 ototoxicity. All 14 patients were assessed at 12 months. Between 12 and 18 months, one participant had treatment interrupted at 17 months due to hepatocellular carcinoma, one patient had dose interruption for 2 doses based on caregiver hardship and one patient had treatment interrupted for 1 dose for mastoiditis. 11 patients were assessed at 18 months. Between Dec 11, 2013, and June 25, 2014, three participants were assessed for eligibility and enrolled at RUMC, and were assigned to receive intrathecal HPßCD at a starting dose of 200 mg every 2 weeks (two patients), or 400 mg every two weeks (one patient). There were no dropouts in this group and all 3 patients were assessed at 18 months. Biomarker studies were consistent with improved neuronal cholesterol homoeostasis and decreased neuronal pathology. Post-drug plasma 24(S)-HC area under the curve (AUC8-72) values, an indicator of neuronal cholesterol homoeostasis, were significantly higher than post-saline plasma 24(S)-HC AUC8-72 after doses of 900 mg (p=0·0063) and 1200 mg (p=0·0037). CSF 24(S)-HC concentrations in three participants given either 600 or 900 mg of HPßCD were increased about two fold (p=0·0032) after drug administration. No drug-related serious adverse events were observed. Mid-frequency to high-frequency hearing loss, an expected adverse event, was documented in all participants. When managed with hearing aids, this did not have an appreciable effect on daily communication. The NNSS for the 14 participants treated monthly increased at a rate of 1·22, SEM 0·34 points per year compared with 2·92, SEM 0·27 points per year (p=0·0002) for the 21 patient comparison group. Decreased progression was observed for NNSS domains of ambulation (p=0·0622), cognition (p=0·0040) and speech (p=0·0423). INTERPRETATION: Patients with NPC1 treated with intrathecal HPßCD had slowed disease progression with an acceptable safety profile. These data support the initiation of a multinational, randomised, controlled trial of intrathecal HPßCD. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health, Dana's Angels Research Trust, Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, Hope for Haley, Samantha's Search for the Cure Foundation, National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation, Support of Accelerated Research for NPC Disease, Vtesse, Janssen Research and Development, a Johnson & Johnson company, and Johnson & Johnson.