A Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Test the Safety and Efficacy of Etravirine in Friedreich Ataxia Patients (FAEST1)

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04273165. February 17, 2020, Sponsor: IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Collaborator: University of Rome Tor Vergata.

A drug repositioning effort provided evidence supporting the possible use of Etravirine, a drug approved for the treatment of HIV infections in patients starting from 2 years of age, as a treatment for FA. We found that Etravirine is able to increase Frataxin protein both in vitro - in cells derived from FA patients - and in vivo - in the heart and skeletal muscle of Frataxin-deficient YG8 mice. Because of these findings, and since Etravirine displays a generally favorable safety profile, we plan to launch an open-label, phase 2 clinical trial aimed at assessing the safety and efficacy of Etravirine in FA patients. We aim at recruiting 30 FA patients. 15 will be treated with Etravirine for 4 months at 200 mcg/day and 15 will be treated with Etravirine for 4 months at 400 mg/day. Efficacy primary endpoint will be represented changes in peak VO2 as measured by incremental cycle ergometer exercise test. Secondary endpoints will include maximal workload, SARA score, cardiac measures, Frataxin protein levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and molecular analysis of Frataxin mRNA translation efficiency. Complete sets of data will be collected 4 months before the start of the treatment (T -4), at the start (T0), after 2 months (T2), at the end of the treatment (T4) and 4 months after the termination of the treatment (T8).


A Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Test the Safety and Efficacy of Etravirine in Friedreich Ataxia Patients (FAEST1)