A study to investigate belimumab for the treatment of chronic ITP v_01

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A clinical and mechanistic proof of efficacy study with belimumab in chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients

• IRAS ID

  77912

• Sponsor organisation

  GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Ltd

• Eudract number

  2011-000241-21.

• ISRCTN Number

  N/A

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  N/A

• Research summary

  Chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a long-term disease in which the blood doesn't clot normally. This is due to a low number of blood cell fragments called platelets. Platelets clot to seal small cuts or breaks on blood vessel walls and stop bleeding. Normally the immune system makes proteins called antibodies to fight off harmful substances that enter the body. In ITP, the immune system produces antibodies that attack and destroy the body's platelets by mistake. Patients can suffer from bleeding under the skin, nosebleeds, blood in urine or stools and in very severe cases bleeding in the brain. Patients have an increased frequency of death from bleeding complications compared to normal. Chronic ITP is fairly rare , with an incidence of 32 new cases/million people each year. Existing treatments work by lowering the activity of the immune system or directly increasing platelet count. These treatments do not work effectively in all patients and can have side effects. We hope that the study medication will be a useful addition to the current treatments for ITP and other autoimmune diseases. We will test the safety, blood levels and effects of the study medication in people with chronic ITP. Patients will receive the study medication intravenously (through a needle inserted into a vein) and blood samples will be taken before and on several occasions afterwards.Up to 40 patients with chronic ITP, aged 18-75 will participate. Approximately 11 patients will take dummy medicine instead of the study medicine - neither they or their study doctor will know which one they are given. Participants will take up to 57 weeks to finish the study. They'll make 12 outpatient visits.The study will take place in hospitals in the UK. Other sites in mainland Europe may also be initiated. A pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, is funding the study.

• REC name

  Scotland A REC

• REC reference

  11/AL/0216

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Jun 2011

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion