RecruitingPhase 2

PHENOGENE-1A (Cromolyn) Treatment in Patients With Mild to Moderate ALS

A Phase IIB Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Dose Study to Evaluate the Effects of PHENOGENE-1A (Cromolyn) as an Adjuvant Treatment in Subjects With Mild to Moderate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

  • Procedures mentioned: Pills

Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.

Show the study's own words
  • "Eligible subjects will be randomized to receive either low dose PHENOGENE-1A (34.2 mg per day: in 2 doses of 17.1 mg and matching placebo BID), high dose PHENOGENE-1A (68.4 mg per day: 34.2 mg BID), or placebo (2 matching placebo capsules BID) (see table below), in a 2:2:1 ratio."
Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study tests PHENOGENE-1A (cromolyn) in adults with mild to moderate ALS, a disease that weakens muscles. Researchers will check daily function, breathing, and blood markers of swelling and irritation linked to nerves.

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of PHENOGENE-1A, which is the treatment under investigation in this study. This research will investigate if PHENOGENE-1A can help people with ALS by measuring their function using the ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R), measuring lung function using pulmonary function tests (PFTs), such as forced vital capacity (FVC), and measuring neuro-inflammatory biomarkers in the blood.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Be 18 to 75 years old and have ALS confirmed by exams and tests, with other causes ruled out.
  • Have started having muscle weakness from ALS no more than 24 months ago.
  • Sign a written consent form and be able to complete all study tests, tasks, and visits.
  • Score at least 38 on the ALS daily function scale, with scores of at least 9 each for breathing and for speech, swallowing, and saliva control.
  • Have lung capacity above 70% of the expected level and peak breathing-in airflow of at least 100 liters per minute.
  • Have taken a steady dose of riluzole for 4 weeks before signing the consent form.
  • Women who can become pregnant must use highly effective birth control during the study and for 3 months after treatment. Women must not donate eggs during the study or for 3 months after the last dose.
  • Men who have sex with women who can become pregnant must use the required birth control during the study and for 3 months after the last dose. Men must not donate sperm during that time.

Who can't join

  • Your ALS function score drops by 2.5 or more points between screening and the first treatment day, or ALS began with speech or swallowing problems and that score is below 9.
  • You use any breathing machine or extra oxygen, have moderate to severe lung disease, or cannot use an inhaler that delivers dry powder.
  • You have another major nerve or brain disorder that affects study testing, or a serious mental illness. Depression is allowed only if stable, with no major episode in the past year.
  • You have severe heart disease, certain serious heart rhythm problems, major heart failure, or a heart attack or unstable chest pain within 6 months before screening.
  • You recently used an experimental treatment: within 30 days or the time for 5 drug half-lives, whichever is longer. A half-life is the time for half the drug to leave your body. Regular use of inhaled protein drugs, such as insulin, also excludes you.
  • You weigh 32 kilograms or less, or your body mass index (BMI, a measure based on height and weight) is below 17.5 or above 35.
  • You have moderate to severe liver or kidney disease, or another health problem or abnormal test result that the study doctor believes could make participation unsafe or affect the results.
  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of ALS; the diagnosis of ALS defined by revised El Escorial criteria as follows: 1. Evidence of lower motor neuron (LMN) degeneration by clinical, electrophysiological, or neuropathological examination. 2. Evidence of upper motor neuron (UMN) degeneration by clinical examination. 3. Progressive spread of symptoms or signs within a region or to other regions, as determined by clinical examination or the history of disease progression. 4. Absence of electrophysiological, neuroimaging, or pathological evidence of other diseases that might explain the UMN or LMN degeneration and exclusion of other causes. 2. Male or female subjects aged 18 to 75 years inclusive. 3. Must provide written informed consent for study-related procedures. 4. Must be capable of completing all study-related procedures, assessments, and visits in the judgment of Investigator. 5. Disease duration from ALS symptom onset of motor weakness ≤24 months. 6. ALSFRS-R total score ≥38 at screening visit. 7. ALSFRS-R Breathing subscore should be ≥9 at the time of screening. 8. ALSFRS-R Bulbar subscore should be ≥9 at the time of screening. 9. Forced vital capacity \>70% of predicted value. 10. PIFR ≥100 L/minute. 11. Must be receiving a stable dose of standard-of-care treatment Riluzole for 4-weeks before signing informed consent. 12. Female subjects who are of childbearing potential must agree to use of highly effective methods of contraception consistent with local regulations during the study, and for 3 months after the study drug administration. Examples include the following, but not limited to: 1. Combined (estrogen and progestogen containing) or progestogen-only hormonal contraceptives; 2. Intrauterine device or intrauterine hormone-releasing system; OR 3. Post-menopausal status must have experienced their last menstrual period minimum of 1 year prior to study drug administration; OR 4. Surgically sterilized. Female subject should be willing to not donate egg during the trial and for 3 months after the last dose of the study drug. 13. Male subjects who are sexually active with a female of childbearing potential must agree to use highly effective contraception as described above, or a combination of 2 acceptable methods of contraception (e.g., a barrier method along with a female partner using a hormonal contraceptive method), in accordance with local regulations, throughout the duration of the study, and for 3 months after the last dose of the study drug. (Male subject should be willing to not donate sperm during the trial and for 3 months after the last dose of the study drug.) Exclusion Criteria: 1. ALSFRS-R score change (decrease) by 2.5 or more points between the screening visit and Day 1 (baseline) score. 2. Bulbar onset ALS (\<9 bulbar subscore) 3. Any use of non-invasive ventilation (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure, non-invasive bi-level positive airway pressure or non-invasive volume ventilation) for any portion of the day, or mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy, or on any form of oxygen supplementation. 4. Any other significant neurological disorder which can interfere with study assessments, e.g., significant cognitive impairment and/or clinical dementia. 5. Significant psychiatric illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder etc. Subjects with depression can be included, only if the depression has been stable and no episode of major depression has occurred in the past year. 6. Severe cardiac disease (e.g., QTc\>500 ms), Torsade de Pointes, evidence of significant heart failure (New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] Class 3 or greater, myocardial infarction or unstable angina in the 6 months prior to screening). 7. Any moderate-to-severe pulmonary disease or difficulty taking inhaled drugs. 8. Inability to tolerate the administration of an oral inhaled powder via DPI. 9. Has taken any investigational product within 30 days or 5 half lives of the drug, whichever is longer, prior to dosing. 10. Taking inhaled protein products on a chronic basis (such as insulin, parathyroid hormone, etc). 11. Subjects with a body weight of 32 kg or less, or a body mass index of \<17.5 or \>35.0 at time of screening. 12. Moderate-to-severe liver disease: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \>3 times the upper limit of normal; total bilirubin \> 1.5 x ULN.; subjects with hepatic diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis, hepatic cancer and active hepatitis. 13. Moderate-to-severe renal disease: creatinine clearance \<45 mL/min/1.73 m2 (by Cockcroft-Gault calculation). 14. Any clinically significant disorder or laboratory abnormality that, in the Investigator's opinion, could interfere with the subject's participation in the study, place the subject at increased risk, or confound interpretation of the study results. 15. Pregnant or breast-feeding females.

Study sites (5)

AZ

CA

FL

NY