CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease) Quinacrine Study

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2012-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine the effectiveness of the medication quinacrine on survival in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD).

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
• Collaborator: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• Treatments: Quinacrine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of probable or definite sCJD: Definite--biopsy confirmed sCJD; Probable--a progressive dementia with either a typical EEG or a typical MRI consistent with sCJD, and at least two of the following clinical features: myoclonus, pyramidal or extrapyramidal signs, visual symptoms, cerebellar signs, akinetic mutism, other focal higher cortical neurologic signs (e.g. neglect, apraxia, aphasia)

• 18 years of age or older

• Able to swallow

• Able to follow simple one-step commands

• Have had a brain MRI within 6 months and an EEG within 3 months ruling out other etiologies such as masses, strokes, or non-convulsive status epilepticus

• Consent to autopsy in the event of their death during or after the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of other significant or life-threatening disease, including: cancer; end-stage liver or renal disease; severe heart disease

• History of other disease requiring regular supportive care

• Liver disease

• Active alcoholism

• Bone marrow suppression

• Severe hypotension

• Severe psoriasis

• Poorly controlled diabetes

• Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding

• Men, or women of childbearing age, not practicing reliable contraception

• Serious allergies to quinacrine or other acridines

• Current or recent use of quinacrine (within 6 months)

• < 18 years of age

• Any other contraindication to taking quinacrine

• Genetic form of prion disease is identified prior to study enrollment

• Current use of anti-arrhythmics (at discretion of investigator)

• G6PD (Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase) deficiency (at discretion of investigator)