Not yet recruitingPhase 2

Pilot Study of Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of AIMSS

A Phase II Single-Arm Pilot Study of Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Musculoskeletal Syndrome

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 and older
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

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

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 whether hydroxychloroquine can reduce joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors, medicines used to treat breast cancer. It is for adults with breast cancer whose joint or muscle pain started or got worse after taking these medicines.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine sulfate (a type of drug commonly used to treat joint pain caused by inflammation, swelling) in reducing joint pain associated with Aromatase Inhibitor Associated Musculoskeletal Syndrome (AIMSS) for patients with breast cancer.

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

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Be age 18 or older and able to sign consent and health privacy forms.
  • Have DCIS (breast cancer inside the milk ducts) or stage I, II, or III breast cancer.
  • Have taken anastrozole, letrozole, or exemestane for at least 4 weeks as follow-up cancer treatment. Treatment to stop the ovaries from making hormones is allowed.
  • Have new or worse joint or muscle pain after starting the aromatase inhibitor.
  • Have an average pain score of at least 4 on the study's pain survey.
  • Be able to care for yourself and be out of bed or a chair for at least half of your waking hours.
  • Meet the study's blood count, kidney, and liver test limits.
  • Agree to keep doses of pain medicines and other treatments for these symptoms steady. Occasional extra acetaminophen or ibuprofen is allowed under study rules.

Who can't join

  • Used hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine in the past 6 months, or have an allergy to these or related drugs.
  • Have a history of damage to the retina (the light-sensing layer of the eye) or a blocked vein in the retina; heart failure; certain heart rhythm problems; or moderate to severe kidney problems.
  • Have G6PD deficiency (a condition affecting red blood cells), porphyria (a condition affecting how the body makes part of blood), psoriasis (a skin disease), or a history of taking seizure medicines.
  • Have inflammatory arthritis or a connective tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or scleroderma.
  • Take a CDK4/6 cancer drug or another medicine the study does not allow that cannot be stopped or changed. Starting or changing pain medicines within 4 weeks also rules you out.
  • Receive or plan to receive high-dose steroids that act throughout the body, or another drug that weakens the immune system. Skin creams and inhaled steroids are allowed.
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding; have another active cancer needing medicine that treats the whole body; or are in another trial that would interfere with this study.
  • Have a serious mental health condition that would make study rules hard to follow; current suicidal thoughts or behavior, or such thoughts, behavior, or an attempt within the past year; or another condition the study doctor considers unsafe for participation.

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

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥ 18 years at the time of informed consent 2. Ability to provide written informed consent and HIPAA authorization 3. Diagnosis of DCIS or stage I, II, or III breast cancer 4. Currently receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy (anastrozole, letrozole or exemestane) for ≥ 4 weeks prior to enrollment Note: Concurrent use of ovarian suppression is allowed Note: Concurrent use of CDK4/6 inhibitors is not allowed due to cytopenia risk 5. New or worsening self-reported musculoskeletal pain that began or significantly worsened after initiation of AI therapy 6. BPI average pain score of ≥ 4 during screening 7. ECOG PS 0-2 8. Adequate organ function: 1. Absolute neutrophil count ≥1,500/µL 2. Hemoglobin ≥11.0 g/dL 3. Platelet count ≥100,000/µL 4. Serum creatinine ≤1.5× upper limit of normal (ULN) or eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73m2 5. Total bilirubin ≤1.5× ULN (except in patients with documented Gilbert's disease, who must have a total bilirubin \< 3.0 mg/dL) 6. AST and ALT ≤1.5× ULN 9. Must agree to maintain stable doses of any analgesic medications or other AIMSS related therapies during the study period Note: rescue doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen allowed on a non-daily basis, unless not new Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current or prior use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine within 6 months 2. Known hypersensitivity to hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, or 4-aminoquinoline compounds 3. History of retinopathy or retinal vein occlusion issues Note: While there is an association between retinopathy and HCQ use, this occurs rarely and with long term use with higher cumulative doses that used here. Other clinical trials have not required retinal exam (example: CTO-TBCRC04627, approved by IU IRB) 4. History of congestive heart failure (any NYHA class) 5. QTc prolongation (\>450 msec) at screening or history of significant arrhythmias requiring treatment 6. Moderate to severe renal impairment (eGFR \<60 mL/min/1.73m2) 7. Use of a prohibited concomitant medication (refer to Section 6.3.2) that cannot be discontinued or changed to an alternate therapy 8. Known glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency 9. History of porphyria 10. History of psoriasis 11. History of antiepileptic medications 12. Known history of inflammatory arthritis (example: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis) or connective tissue disease (example: systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis) 13. Recent initiation or dose change (within 4 weeks) of medications for pain management (NSAIDs, duloxetine, gabapentin, pregabalin, opioids) Note: Patients on stable doses for \>4 weeks are eligible 14. Patients currently receiving or planned to receive high dose systemic treatment with corticosteroids defined as: cortisone \>50mg; hydrocortisone \>40mg, prednisone \>10mg, methylprednisolone \>8mg or dexamethasone \>1.5mg; or another immunosuppressive agent Note: Topical or inhaled corticosteroids are allowed 15. Other active malignancy other than breast cancer requiring systemic therapy 16. Pregnant or lactating 17. Co-enrollment in another clinical trial Note: Patients may co-enroll in other clinical trial(s) if the trial(s) does not interfere with the objectives of this trial 18. Significant psychiatric illness, in the opinion of the investigator, that would limit compliance with study requirements 19. Any active suicidality or history of active suicidal ideation/behavior/attempt within 1 year prior to screening 20. Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the patient unsuitable for study participation

Study sites (1)

IN