Study of Pioglitazone in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Summary

Primary objective: Efficacy of pioglitazone (45 mg/day) as add-on therapy to standard therapy with riluzole in patients with ALS compared to placebo in terms of survival (mortality defined exclusively as death). This is a prospective, multicentre, randomised, stratified, parallel-group, double-blind trial comparing placebo with 45 mg pioglitazone as add-on therapy to 100 mg riluzole in ALS in 220 enrolled patients. For entry, the El Escorial Criteria for diagnosis will be used. The duration of treatment will be 18 months. The primary endpoint will be subjected to a confirmatory analyses. Secondary variables will be incidence of tracheotomy or non-invasive ventilation, ALS Functional Rating Scale, Quality of life and safety variables.

Timeline

Start

2008-05

Primary completion

2010-06

Completion

2010-06

Publications

• Background Schutz B, Reimann J, Dumitrescu-Ozimek L, Kappes-Horn K, Landreth GE, Schurmann B, Zimmer A, Heneka MT. The oral antidiabetic pioglitazone protects from neurodegeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like symptoms in superoxide dismutase-G93A transgenic mice. J Neurosci. 2005 Aug 24;25(34):7805-12. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2038-05.2005.
• Background Kiaei M, Kipiani K, Chen J, Calingasan NY, Beal MF. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist extends survival in transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Exp Neurol. 2005 Feb;191(2):331-6. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2004.10.007.
• Dupuis L, Dengler R, Heneka MT, Meyer T, Zierz S, Kassubek J, Fischer W, Steiner F, Lindauer E, Otto M, Dreyhaupt J, Grehl T, Hermann A, Winkler AS, Bogdahn U, Benecke R, Schrank B, Wessig C, Grosskreutz J, Ludolph AC; GERP ALS Study Group. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of pioglitazone in combination with riluzole in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e37885. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037885. Epub 2012 Jun 8.

Drugs

Indications