Status:

TERMINATED

Oral Prednisone Taper Versus Placebo for the Treatment of Acute Relapses in Multiple Sclerosis

Lead Sponsor:

Claudio Gobbi

Collaborating Sponsors:

Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Ticino, Switzerland

Conditions:

Multiple Sclerosis

Eligibility:

All Genders

18-80 years

Phase:

PHASE4

Brief Summary

The management of MS-patients requires treatment with immune-modifying or immune-suppressive agents to prevent new relapses and progression of disability. Several studies have evaluated the effect of ...

Detailed Description

The purpose of this double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, prospective, parallel group, single centre study is to evaluate the effect of tapering oral doses of prednisone or placebo taken durin...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • female or male
  • aged between 18 and 80 years;
  • with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis diagnosed according to McDonald's criteria, including RR-MS and relapsing SP-MS, CIS, PP;
  • with EDSS score between 0 and 8;
  • experiencing an acute relapse with a documented clinical worsening of at least one point of the EDSS scale or a worsening of at least 2 points in one of the EDSS functional systems;
  • having agreed to have MRI and having already received at least one enhanced MRI before study procedures without major side effects;
  • having agreed to adhere to the study procedures;
  • having signed the written informed consent form.

Exclusion

  • secondary progressive MS without superimposing relapses;
  • primary progressive MS without superimposed relapses;
  • patients suffering from any clinical condition contraindicated for steroid, in particular
  • Systemic fungal infection
  • Severe osteoporosis
  • Uncontrolled hypertension or congestive heart failure.
  • Existing or previous history of severe affective disorders (especially previous steroid psychosis).
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • History of tuberculosis
  • Glaucoma
  • Previous corticosteroid-induced myopathy
  • Liver failure or cirrhosis
  • Renal insufficiency
  • Active epilepsy
  • Peptic ulceration
  • Fresh intestinal anastomoses
  • Predisposition to thrombophlebitis
  • Abscess or other pyogenic infections
  • Diverticulitis
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Ocular herpes simplex
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Recent myocardial infarction
  • Kaposi's sarcoma;
  • any disease other than multiple sclerosis that would better explain the patient's signs and symptoms;
  • women of potential childbearing without active contraceptive methods;
  • pregnancy (urine pregnancy test at baseline visit) or breast feeding;
  • history of affective disorders;
  • history of attempted suicide or current suicidal ideas;
  • medical or psychiatric conditions that compromise the ability to give informed consent, to comply with the protocol, or to complete the study;
  • inability, in the opinion of the principal investigator or staff, to comply with protocol requirements for the duration of the study;
  • known hypersensitivity to prednisone or excipients of the study medications;
  • any contraindication for concomitant medications;
  • any contraindication for MRI or contrast administration;
  • a history of drug abuse in the 6 months prior to screening;
  • use of steroids during the previous 30 days (disease-modifying therapies for the treatment of MS are allowed);
  • treatment with drugs that might interfere with the evaluation of study drugs during the study protocol (see Section 4.2.2);
  • likelihood of requiring treatment during the study period with drugs not permitted by the study protocol;
  • participation in an other clinical trial within 30 days prior to entry in this study or current participation in another trial.

Key Trial Info

Start Date :

August 1 2011

Trial Type :

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation :

ACTUAL

End Date :

January 1 2015

Estimated Enrollment :

27 Patients enrolled

Trial Details

Trial ID

NCT01411514

Start Date

August 1 2011

End Date

January 1 2015

Last Update

December 18 2015

Active Locations (1)

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Osepdale Civico

Lugano, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, 6903