Sign in
Taking people in United StatesPhase 2

Starting pills early for severe aplastic anemia that has not been treated

Tests early cyclosporine and eltrombopag in people with untreated severe aplastic anemia.

Key facts

Who runs it
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Where
Bethesda, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Early Initiation of Oral Therapy With Cyclosporine and Eltrombopag for Treatment Naive Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)
Status
Recruiting
Phase
Phase 2
People taking part
80 people, planned
Started
7 May 2020
Expected to end
18 Dec 2033
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groups
Treatments tested
  • Eltrombopag
  • Cyclosporine
  • Horse-Anti-thymocyte-Globulin
Record updated
9 March 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for people aged 3 and older with severe aplastic anemia who have not yet had immune-suppressing treatment or eltrombopag.

Age
3 Years to 99 Years
Sex
All sexes can join.
Disease stage
Severe aplastic anemia. Bone marrow cellularity <30% (not counting lymphocytes), plus at least two of these: neutrophil count <500/microliter, platelet count <20,000/microliter, reticulocyte count <60,000/microliter. Weight must be >12Kg (26 lb (12 kg)).
Earlier treatment
People cannot join if they had a course of immune-suppressing treatment (ATG, cyclosporine, alemtuzumab, high dose cyclophosphamide) or eltrombopag before.
Biomarker or test result
People cannot join if a chromosome test within 12 weeks shows a clonal change involving chromosome 7 or a complex karyotype.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Fanconi anemia or another inborn bone marrow failure syndrome, known or strongly suspected
  • Liver problems: cirrhosis, or SGOT or SGPT >2.5 times normal, or total bilirubin >1.5 x normal
  • Kidney filtration rate (GFR) <40 mL/min/1.73m^2
  • Serious heart disease, or QTcF >450 msec on the screening ECG
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 24 criteriaShow less

Who cannot take part

  • A course of prior immunosuppressive therapy (ATG, cyclosporine, alemtuzumab, and high dose cyclophosphamide), or eltrombopag
  • Moribund status or concurrent hepatic, renal, cardiac, neurologic, pulmonary, infectious, or metabolic disease of such severity that it would preclude the patient's ability to tolerate protocol therapy, or that death within 7-10 days is likely
  • Inability to ship the study drug to participant
  • Concurrent participation in an investigational study within 30 days prior to enrollment or within 5-half-lives of the investigational product, whichever is longer. Note: parallel enrollment in a disease registry is permitted
  • Women of child-bearing potential, defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, unless they are using basic methods of contraception during dosing of study treatment. Basic contraception methods include:; Total abstinence (when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject. Periodic abstinence (e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, post-ovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception; Female sterilization (have had surgical bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy), total hysterectomy, or tubal ligation at least six weeks before taking study treatment. In case of oophorectomy alone, only when the reproductive status of the woman has been confirmed by follow up hormone level assessment; Male sterilization (at least 6 months prior to screening). The vasectomized male partner should be the sole partner for that subject; Barrier methods of contraception: Condom or Occlusive cap. For the UK: with spermicidal foam/gel/film/cream/ vaginal suppository; Use of oral, injected or implanted hormonal methods of contraception or placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS), or other forms of hormonal contraception that have comparable efficacy (failure rate <1%), for example hormone vaginal ring or transdermal hormone contraception; In case of use of oral contraception women should have been stable on the same pill for a minimum of 3 months before taking study treatment
  • Sexually active males unless they use a condom during intercourse while taking the drug during treatment, and for 7 days after stopping treatment (and for an additional 12 weeks [for genotoxic compounds]) and should not father a child in this period. A condom is required to be used also by vasectomized men as well as during intercourse with a male partner in order to prevent delivery of the drug via semen; INCLUSION OF PREGNANT WOMEN, FETUSES OR NEONATES:; The protocol does not intentionally enroll pregnant women due to unknown fetal risk with eltrombopag. However, if a patient gets pregnant during the trial participation period, she may remain on study for non-invasive safety and outcomes follow-up
  • Known diagnosis or high suspicion of Fanconi anemia or other constitutional marrow failure syndrome
  • Evidence of a clonal disorder on cytogenetics performed within 12 weeks of study entry involving chromosome 7 or complex karyotype. Patient will not be excluded if cytogenetics are not done or are pending
  • Hypersensitivity to EPAG or its components
  • Infection not adequately responding to appropriate therapy
  • Potential subjects with cancer who are on active chemotherapeutic treatment or who take drugs with hematological effects will not be eligible
  • SGOT or SGPT >2.5 times the upper limit of normal or total bilirubin >1.5 x upper limit of normal
  • Subjects with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who are not receiving antiretroviral therapy, have detectable HIV RNA viral load and have CD4 cell count <200/microliter, or are on anti-retroviral therapy that interacts with the study drugs. subjects will not be excluded if HIV testing is pending or unavailable
  • Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <40 mL/min/1.73m\^2
  • History or current diagnosis of cardiac disease indicating significant risk of safety for patients participating in the study such as uncontrolled or significant cardiac disease, including any of the following: Recent myocardial infarction (within last 6 months), uncontrolled congestive heart failure, unstable angina (within last 6 months), clinically significant (symptomatic) cardiac arrhythmias (e.g., sustained ventricular tachycardia, and clinically significant second or third degree AV block without a pacemaker.), long QT syndrome, family history of idiopathic sudden death, congenital long QT syndrome or additional risk factors for cardiac repolarization abnormality, as determined by the investigator
  • Impaired cardiac function, such as: Corrected QTc >450 msec using Fridericia correction (QTcF) on the screening ECG (using triplicate ECGs), other clinically significant cardiovascular disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, history of labile hypertension), history of known structural abnormalities (e.g. cardiomyopathy)
  • Female subjects who are nursing or pregnant (positive serum or urine B-human chorionic gonadotrophin (B-hCG) pregnancy test) at screening or pre-dose on Day 1
  • Subjects with liver cirrhosis (as determined by the investigator)
  • Inability to understand the investigational nature of the study or to give informed consent or does not have a legally authorized representative or surrogate that can provide informed consent
  • Inability to swallow
  • Unable to participate in audio/video telecommunication
  • Known thrombophilic risk factors. Exception: Subjects for whom the potential benefits of participating in the study outweigh the potential risks of thromboembolic events, as determined by the investigator

Other criteria

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:; Age >= 3 years old; Weight >12Kg; Severe aplastic anemia:
  • Bone marrow cellularity <30% (excluding lymphocytes) AND At least two of the following:; Absolute neutrophil count <500/microliter; Platelet count <20,000/microliter; Absolute reticulocyte count <60,000/microliter

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 3 and 99 years old?

Where in United States

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical CenterBethesda, United StatesContact: Olga J Rios, R.N.Taking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Background:

Read full original descriptionShow less

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a rare and serious blood disorder. It causes the immune system to turn against bone marrow cells. Standard treatment for SSA is a combination of 3 drugs (Cyclosporine [CsA], Eltrombopag [EPAG], and horse anti-thymocyte globulin [h-ATG]). Researchers want to see if starting people at a lower dose of CsA with EPAG before giving them h-ATG is helpful.

Objective:

To learn if early initiation of oral therapy with CsA and EPAG is safe and effective in people who have SAA and have not been treated with a course of immunosuppressive therapy and EPAG.

Eligibility:

People ages 3 and older with SAA

Design:

Participants will be screened with:

* medical history * physical exam * electrocardiogram * blood tests * family history * bone marrow biopsy * current medicines.

Participants may be screened remotely via telephone conference.

Participants will take a lower oral dose of CsA and EPAG. They will take CsA twice a day for 6 months. They will take EPAG for 6 months. Those who cannot visit the NIH Clinical Center within 72 hours will start taking the drugs at home. They will have weekly telephone calls with NIH staff until they visit the Clinical Center.

Participants may get h-ATG at the Clinical Center for 4 days. For this, they will have a central line placed. It is a plastic tube inserted into a neck, chest, or arm vein.

Participants will repeat most screening tests throughout the study.

Participants will have follow-up visits at the Clinical Center at 3 months, 6 months, and annually for 5 years after the start of the study....

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Participants with Severe Aplastic Anemia in Early Initiation of Cyclosporine and EltrombopagTreatment being tested

    Treatment-naïve Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA) participants start Cyclosporine (CsA) on Day 1 at 2 mg/kg/day. At initiation of Horse Anti-Thymocyte-Globulin (h-ATG), dosing increases to 3 mg/kg every 12 hours for those ≥12 years (6 mg/kg/day total) and 6 mg/kg every 12 hours for those \<12 years (12 mg/kg/day total). Actual body weight is used unless \>125% ideal body weight (IBW), where adjusted IBW applies. CsA is titrated to a trough of 200-400 mcg/L. At 6 months, responders reduce to 2 mg/kg/day through 24 months, with return to full dosing if relapse occurs. h-ATG is given at 40 mg/kg/day for 4 days IV, unless the patient already shows a complete response at the initial NIH visit after remote oral therapy. Eltrombopag (EPAG) starts on Day 1 at 150 mg/day for ages 12-17, 75 mg/day for ages 6-11, and 2.5 mg/kg/day for ages 3-5. For East and Southeast Asian patients, starting doses are reduced to 75 mg/day (ages 12-85), 37.5 mg/day (ages 6-11), and 1.25 mg/kg/day (ages 3-5).

    Treatment: Eltrombopag, Cyclosporine, and Horse-Anti-thymocyte-Globulin

  • Extension CohortTreatment being tested

    Treatment-naïve Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA) participants start Cyclosporine (CsA) on Day 1 at 2 mg/kg/day. At initiation of Horse Anti-Thymocyte-Globulin (h-ATG), dosing increases to 3 mg/kg every 12 hours for those ≥12 years (6 mg/kg/day total) and 6 mg/kg every 12 hours for those \<12 years (12 mg/kg/day total). Actual body weight is used unless \>125% ideal body weight (IBW), where adjusted IBW applies. CsA is titrated to a trough of 200-400 mcg/L. At 6 months, responders reduce to 2 mg/kg/day through 24 months, with return to full dosing if relapse occurs. h-ATG is given at 40 mg/kg/day for 4 days IV, unless the patient already shows a complete response at the initial NIH visit after remote oral therapy. Eltrombopag (EPAG) starts on Day 1 at 150 mg/day for ages 12-17, 75 mg/day for ages 6-11, and 2.5 mg/kg/day for ages 3-5. For East and Southeast Asian patients, starting doses are reduced to 75 mg/day (ages 12-85), 37.5 mg/day (ages 6-11), and 1.25 mg/kg/day (ages 3-5).

    Treatment: Eltrombopag, Cyclosporine, and Horse-Anti-thymocyte-Globulin

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Early Initiation of Oral Therapy With Cyclosporine and Eltrombopag for Treatment Naive Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)
Plain-language title
Starting pills early for severe aplastic anemia that has not been treatedGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
Fit questions
Built from NCT04304820, who can take part
Record updated
9 March 2026