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NCT05799378PHASE3Recruiting

Effects of Stopping Hydroxychloroquine in Elderly Lupus Disease

NYU Langone Health

Start Date

6/27/2024

Completion Date

6/30/2029

Summary

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) medication that has been very effective in reducing lupus disease activity and keeping patients stable with reduced symptoms. Despite a track record of safety with regard to infection compared to traditional immunosuppressive agents, the risk of HCQ retinal toxicity escalates with continued use. Evaluation using sensitive standard of care approaches suggests nearly a third of patients accrue retinal damage. Data are needed to accurately weigh the balance between accumulating ocular exposure of HCQ versus the risk of disease flare in a population that may have more inactive disease than younger patients. The purpose of this trial is to address the safety of withdrawal of HCQ in SLE patients =60 years old. The central hypothesis is that HCQ can be safely discontinued in stable/quiescent patients assessed by validated disease activity and flare instruments in the context of serologic, cytokine and transcriptomic profiling. Patients will be randomized to either the placebo or active arm and followed every 2 months for one year to assess disease activity and flares.

Eligibility Criteria

Age Range: 60 years to No maximum

Inclusion Criteria: * Provision of signed and dated informed consent form * Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study * Age ≥ 60 years at time of enrollment * Normal OCT and VF assessment within 6 months of screening visit * Ability to take oral medication * Have established SLE (≥ 4 ACR criteria or SLICC criteria or ≥ 10 points by EULAR criteria, SLE diagnosed at least seven years ago) * Stable disease at screening visit by attaining DORIS remission (meeting all criterion listed below) and not on any immunosuppressants. * Criterion 1: Clinical SLEDAI= 0 * Criterion 2: SELENA-SLEDAI PGA ≤ 0.5 (on a scale from 0-3, where 0 is no disease activity and 3 is maximum disease activity) * Criterion 3: Current prednisolone (or equivalent corticosteroid) dose ≤ 5 mg daily * No moderate or severe flares one year prior to screening * Taking ≥ 200 HCQ daily for ≥ 7 years Exclusion Criteria: * Any patient that does not attain stable disease status by DORIS * Ophthalmologic evidence of retinopathy (these patients would be advised to discontinue HCQ and therefore unethical to randomize for this study) * Clinical SLEDAI \> 0 * Taking \> 5 mg/day prednisone * Taking any immunosuppressive drugs or biological agents (including: methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, mycophenolic acid, leflunomide, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, rituximab, and belimumab) * Any reason the treating rheumatologist is concerned about ongoing activity not captured by SLEDAI * HCQ level \< 100 ng/ml as this would support noncompliance and less reliance on HCQ to control activity * Patient unwilling or unable to comply with study procedures for any reason * Any indications of potentially diminished capacity, such as a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment (including, but not limited to stroke-related cognitive impairment)

Interventions

DRUG

Hydroxychloroquine

DRUG

Placebo

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Conditions

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Locations

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California 90095

United States

Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack, New Jersey 07601

United States

VA NY Harbor Healthcare System

New York, New York 10010

United States

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

New York, New York 10016

United States

NYU Langone Health

New York, New York 10016

United States

Hospital for Special Surgery

New York, New York 10021

United States

Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian

New York, New York 10032

United States

Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The Bronx, New York 10461

United States

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104

United States

Penn State MS Hershey Medical Center

Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033

United States