Olaparib for PAH: a Pilot Study

• Status: Terminated
• Trial end date: 2019-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The main OBJECTIVE of this proposal is to extend our preclinical findings on the role of DNA damage and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) inhibition as a therapy for a devastating disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), to early-phase clinical trials. We, and others, have published strong evidence that DNA damage accounts for disease progression in PAH and showed that PARP1 inhibition can reverse PAH in several animal models1. Interestingly, PARP1 inhibition is also cardioprotective. Olaparib, an orally available PARP1 inhibitor, can reverse cancer growth in animals and humans with a good safety profile, and is now approved for the treatment of ovarian cancer in Canada, Europe and the USA. The time is thus right to translate our findings in human PAH. The industry-sponsored clinical research on PARP1 inhibitor is currently entirely cancer-oriented. Nonetheless, AstraZeneca Canada accepted to support an early phase clinical trial through in-kind contribution, but the support from foundations and federal agencies is critical to catalyze early-stage development of PARP1 inhibitors for other indications, especially for orphan diseases. A CIHR Project Scheme grant will thus be submitted on September 15 2017, proposing a Phase 1, followed by a Phase 2 trial that will be conducted in recognized PAH programs throughout Canada. At this stage, however, we propose a pilot study to assess the feasibility of the proposed trials in the PAH population. The overall HYPOTHESIS is that PARP1 inhibition with olaparib is a safe and effective therapy for PAH.

The primary objective of the study is to confirm feasibility, to support the safety of using olaparib in PAH patients, and precise the sample size of the coming Phase 1B trial. The feasibility of the comprehensive patient phenotyping that will be proposed within the phase 1B trial will thus be assessed, in addition to adverse events and efficacy signals.

***OPTION pilot trial was merged with the new OPTION multicenter trial (NCT03782818)***

• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Laval University
• Treatments: Olaparib

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1) adults (18-75 yrs) with PAH of idiopathic/ hereditary/drug or toxin-induced origin or associated with connective tissue diseases; 2) mean PA pressure ≥25mmHg, PA wedge pressure ≤15mmHg, PVR >480 dyn.s.cm-5 and absence of acute vasoreactivity (we expect PARP1 inhibition will be most effective in patients with significant PA remodelling); 3) WHO functional class II or III; 4) clinically stable with unchanged vasoactive therapy for ≥4 months; 5) two 6MWD of 150-550m and within ±15% of each other (the latter being used as baseline value); 6) a negative serum pregnancy test prior to receiving the first dose of study treatment and willing to use adequate contraception from enrolment through 3 months after the last dose of study treatment for patients of childbearing potential

Exclusion Criteria:

• 1) other types of pulmonary hypertension; 2) significant restrictive (total lung capacity <60% predicted) or obstructive (FEV1/FVC<60% after a bronchodilator) lung disease; 3) systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg; 4) acute RV failure within the last 3 months; 5) received any investigational drug within 30 days; 6) BMI <18 or >40 kg/m2; 7) cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program planned or started ≤12 weeks prior to Day 1; 8) presence of ≥3 risk factors for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (BMI >30 kg/m2, diabetes mellitus, hypertension or coronary artery disease); 9) organ dysfunction other than RV failure; 10) anticipated survival <1 year due to concomitant disease