Safety Study of Idebenone to Treat Friedreich's Ataxia

Summary

This study will determine the highest dose of idebonone that can safely be given to patients with Friedrich's ataxia, an inherited degenerative disease that causes loss of muscle coordination, speech problems, weakness and sensory loss. Enlargement of the left ventricle (the large pumping chamber of the heart) is also common in this disease. In studies in France and Canada, patients with Friedrich's ataxia who were given idebonone, an antioxidant similar to the dietary supplement coenzyme Q, had a decrease in the size of their left ventricle. Patients 5 years and older with Friedrich's ataxia may be eligible for this study. Pregnant and lactating women may not participate. Candidates will be screened with a medical history and physical examination and a review of genetic studies. Patients who have not had genetic studies will be offered genetic counseling and testing to confirm or rule out Friedrich's ataxia. Participants will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for 3 days. They will have blood and urine tests and a heart evaluation, including an echocardiogram-a procedure that uses sound waves to produce images of the heart, and an electrocardiogram-a study of the electrical activity of the heart. When these tests have been completed, patients will take an idebonone capsule. They will be monitored for side effects for 72 hours. Blood samples will be collected through an intravenous catheter (flexible plastic tube placed in a vein) 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after the drug is taken to determine how long it takes for the drug to be eliminated from the body. Patients will return for a follow-up visit within 1 to 8 weeks. Those who experienced no serious side effects may receive another, higher dose of the drug, with at least 6 days between doses.

Timeline

Start

2001-05

Primary completion

—

Completion

2006-04

Publications

• Background Babcock M, de Silva D, Oaks R, Davis-Kaplan S, Jiralerspong S, Montermini L, Pandolfo M, Kaplan J. Regulation of mitochondrial iron accumulation by Yfh1p, a putative homolog of frataxin. Science. 1997 Jun 13;276(5319):1709-12. doi: 10.1126/science.276.5319.1709.
• Background Beal MF. Energetics in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Trends Neurosci. 2000 Jul;23(7):298-304. doi: 10.1016/s0166-2236(00)01584-8.
• Background Campuzano V, Montermini L, Molto MD, Pianese L, Cossee M, Cavalcanti F, Monros E, Rodius F, Duclos F, Monticelli A, Zara F, Canizares J, Koutnikova H, Bidichandani SI, Gellera C, Brice A, Trouillas P, De Michele G, Filla A, De Frutos R, Palau F, Patel PI, Di Donato S, Mandel JL, Cocozza S, Koenig M, Pandolfo M. Friedreich's ataxia: autosomal recessive disease caused by an intronic GAA triplet repeat expansion. Science. 1996 Mar 8;271(5254):1423-7. doi: 10.1126/science.271.5254.1423.
• Di Prospero NA, Sumner CJ, Penzak SR, Ravina B, Fischbeck KH, Taylor JP. Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of high-dose idebenone in patients with Friedreich ataxia. Arch Neurol. 2007 Jun;64(6):803-8. doi: 10.1001/archneur.64.6.803.

Drugs

Indications