Using recombinant human serum albumin to treat Alzheimer's disease

An Open-label, Parallel-group Exploratory Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of Recombinant Human Serum Albumin Injection in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease

This study is testing if a new treatment called recombinant human serum albumin can help people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease feel better.

Quick facts

• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Ages: 50 Years to 85 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Protgen Ltd (Industry-sponsored)
• Locations: 1 site (Shang'ai)
• Trial ID: NCT06489015 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This exploratory clinical trial investigates the effects of recombinant human serum albumin (rHSA) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study will enroll 30 participants who meet specific criteria for probable AD dementia and will randomly assign them to receive different doses of the investigational drug. The primary focus is on assessing the safety and preliminary efficacy of rHSA, with participants stratified based on the severity of their condition. The trial aims to provide insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of rHSA for AD patients.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are individuals aged 50 to 85 with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease as defined by specific clinical criteria.

Not a fit: Patients with severe Alzheimer's disease or those who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could offer a new therapeutic option for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

How similar studies have performed: While this approach is exploratory, similar studies using novel treatments for Alzheimer's have shown promise, though the specific use of rHSA is less common.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria：

1. Aged between 50 and 85 years (inclusive), with no gender restrictions;
2. Meet the 2011 National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria for "Probable AD Dementia";
3. Mild to moderate disease stage, as indicated by a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale - Global Score (CDR-GS) ≤ 2;
4. Hachinski Ischemia Scale (HIS) ≤ 4;
5. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score between 0 and 10 (inclusive);
6. Memory impairment present for at least 12 months with evidence of progression;
7. Availability of a qualified brain MRI scan within 1 month prior to enrollment, or willingness to undergo an MRI scan, showing: No more than 2 infarcts larger than 2 cm, no infarcts in key areas such as the thalamus, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex, angular gyrus, cortical or subcortical gray matter nuclei, and imaging features highly suggestive of Alzheimer's Disease (Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy \[MTA\] scale rating ≥ 2);
8. Female participants must be postmenopausal for at least 24 weeks, have undergone sterilization surgery, or if of childbearing potential, along with fertile males, agree to use effective contraception during the study. Women of childbearing potential or those postmenopausal for less than 24 weeks require a negative pregnancy test at screening;
9. If patients were on Alzheimer's medications such as cholinesterase inhibitors, NMDA receptor antagonists, or Oligomannate capsules, or taking other drugs that could affect cognition (e.g., Ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo leaf extract, Vitamin E, Selegiline, Folic acid, Estrogen, traditional Chinese medicines including compound sea snake capsules, Citicoline, Piracetam, Aniracetam, etc.), they must have been on a stable dose for at least 30 days before screening, with the investigator determining suitability and the patient agreeing to maintain this stable dose throughout the trial;
10. Patients must have a stable and dependable caregiver or adequate care arrangements (a minimum of 4 days weekly, 2 hours daily), with the caregiver willing to assist in the patient's full participation in the trial, including accompanying them to visits and helping with assessment scales;
11. Patients should have an educational level of primary school completion or above, capable of completing cognitive assessments and other tests as required by the protocol;
12. Written informed consent obtained.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Dementia secondary to other causes: frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease dementia, dementia due to epilepsy, post-traumatic dementia, central nervous system infections, and immune-mediated dementias, among others;
2. Known history of allergy or allergic reactions to yeast or yeast-derived products, any component of the study formulation, individuals with an allergic constitution (multiple drug or food allergies), a history of severe systemic allergic reactions to biologics, or those deemed unsuitable for trial drug treatment by the investigator;
3. Active or historical cardiovascular disorders at screening or conditions deemed inappropriate for human albumin treatment by the investigator, specifically including but not limited to: hypertension (systolic blood pressure \>160 mmHg or diastolic \>100 mmHg, unless well-controlled with medication and stable in the investigator's judgment), severe anemia, acute cardiac events, significant heart or pulmonary structural diseases, severe arrhythmias, decompensated heart failure (in normal or high volume states), unstable angina, myocardial infarction within 6 months prior to screening, medically treated tachycardia/bradycardia, third-degree atrioventricular block, etc.;
4. Active metabolic disorders or history thereof at screening, or concurrent renal impairment deemed unsuitable for serum albumin therapy by the investigator, such as diabetic kidney disease, hyperuricemia-related renal injury, sleep apnea-associated renal damage, hyperlipidemia-induced renal impairment, etc.;
5. Presence of severe underlying diseases at screening that the investigator deems inappropriate for study participation, including but not limited to active malignancy, pulmonary edema, bleeding tendencies or active bleeding disorders, uncontrolled infections (including spontaneous bacterial peritonitis), thyroid dysfunction (Grade 3 or higher according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events \[NCI CTCAE\], version 5.0), etc.;
6. Positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), positive for hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) with detectable hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA), positive for hepatitis C antibody (HCV Ab) with detectable hepatitis C ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA), positive for human immunodeficiency virus antibody (HIV Ab), or positive for Treponema pallidum (syphilis) antibodies at screening;
7. Presence of the following laboratory abnormalities at screening:

   * Liver function: Alanine transaminase (ALT) \>3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN); Aspartate transaminase (AST) \>3 ULN; Total bilirubin (TBIL) \>1.5 ULN or deemed unsuitable for the trial by the investigator;
   * Renal function: Creatinine clearance (Ccr) \<50 mL/min (calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula: Ccr(mL/min) = \[(140 - age) × weight(kg)\] / \[72 × Scr(mg/dL)\], multiplied by 0.85 for females);
   * Bone marrow function: Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \<1.5 × 10\^9/L; Platelets (PLT) \<100 × 10\^9/L; Hemoglobin (HGB) \<90 g/L;
8. History or presence of neurological disorders at screening, such as stroke, neuromyelitis optica, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, etc.;
9. Patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia or other mental illnesses, bipolar disorder, depression, or delirium;
10. Contraindications to MRI scanning, including incompatible cardiac pacemakers/defibrillators, magnetic metal implants, etc.;
11. Irreversible visual or auditory impairments preventing completion of assessments related to cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and activities of daily living;
12. Alcohol or drug abusers;
13. Pregnant or lactating women;
14. Received plasma derivatives (including human albumin) within 3 months prior to screening, history of organ transplantation, or planned to undergo invasive procedures or treatments during the study;
15. Participated in another clinical trial (excluding non-drug intervention trials) within 30 days prior to the screening visit for this trial or planning to participate in another trial during this study;
16. The investigator judges that the AD patient is unlikely to complete the trial, such as poor adherence to medication or scheduled visits.

Where this trial is running

Shang'ai

• Shanghai Mental Health Center — Shang'ai, China (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: xia li, Ph.D

Conditions Alzheimer's Disease