Pre-Prostatectomy Lovastatin on Prostate Cancer
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01478828 |
Recruitment Status :
Terminated
(The study was stopped due to an unanticipated serious adverse event.)
First Posted : November 23, 2011
Results First Posted : November 9, 2015
Last Update Posted : March 27, 2019
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Prostate Cancer | Drug: Lovastatin | Not Applicable |
Pharmacodynamic Phase 0 trial of pre-prostatectomy lovastatin to downregulate MYC in localized prostate cancer.
Rationale: Based on available clinical and preclinical data, the investigators theorize that high-dose lovastatin therapy will decrease MYC levels in human prostate cancers shown to have MYC overexpression on biopsy.
Experimental Methods: The investigators propose a prospective, dose-finding pharmacodynamic study of lovastatin in intermediate/high-grade localized prostate cancer. The study will involve 30 eligible patients with localized prostate cancer with a Gleason sum of 7 to 10 who elect to undergo prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins. Five eligible men will be scheduled to receive oral lovastatin following a four times a day schedule, at the starting dose of 12 mg/kg/day. Patients will receive 2 weeks (14 days) of daily oral lovastatin prior to surgery. Following an initial safety monitoring period of a month, the investigators enroll at the next dose level (20 mg/kg/day). Similar dose de-escalation will continue over three more dose levels (1, 4 and 8 mg/kg/day) until 25 patients total are enrolled. Following surgery, prostatectomy specimens will undergo MYC immunohistochemistry (IHC) and compared to MYC IHC from matched biopsy samples. Pharmacodynamic efficacy (PE) will be defined as greater than 60% inhibition of MYC expression by IHC in greater than 60% of patients in prostatectomy tumor specimens compared to the matched biopsy.
Expected Results: The investigators expect lovastatin will enforce the downregulation of MYC levels in prostatectomy samples as compared to pre-lovastatin treatment core biopsy samples. The investigators also expect little toxicity to patients as reported in prior phase I and II trials using similar doses of lovastatin.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 2 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Pharmacodynamic Trial of Pre-Prostatectomy Lovastatin on MYC (V-myc Myelocytomatosis Viral Oncogene Homolog) Down-Regulation in Localized Prostate Cancer |
Actual Study Start Date : | July 13, 2012 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | April 8, 2013 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | April 8, 2013 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Lovastatin
After informed consent and central pathology review of the core prostate biopsy, eligible patients who decide to undergo prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins will be scheduled to receive po lovastatin following a four times a day schedule, at the starting dose of 20 mg/kg/day. Following an initial period of monitoring for safety at this entry dose level of one month, we will then accrue patients to dose de-escalation (to 1, and 10 mg/kg/day) cohorts.
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Drug: Lovastatin
oral qd varying dose escalations/de-escalations
Other Name: Altoprev®; Mevacor® |
- Number of Participants That Can Achieve 60% MYC Modulation Response [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Number of participants who achieve V-myc Myelocytomatosis Viral Oncogene Homolog (MYC) down-regulation in prostatectomy specimens in intermediate-/high-risk localized prostate cancer patients.
- Number of Participants Who Experience Specific Adverse Events at Different Dosing Points Prior to Surgery. [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Toxicity of the different doses of continuous daily oral lovastatin in generally healthy men with prostate cancer prior to surgery.
- Proportion of Men With MYC Target Inhibition in Prostate Tumor Tissue [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Proportion of men with MYC target inhibition in prostate tumor tissue using paired tumor biopsies before and after lovastatin administration.
- Change in Cholesterol Level After Lovastatin Treatments. [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Change in cholesterol level with each tested dose of oral lovastatin.
- Pharmacodynamic Changes in Participants After the Pre-treatment Biopsy as Measured by Number of Participants With Target Inhibition of MYC [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Number of participants with target inhibition of MYC in relationship with pretreatment prostate biopsy Gleason sum, Ki-67, and degree of MYC overexpression.
- Number of Participants With Target Inhibition of MYC and Increased Apoptosis and Proliferation [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Number of participants with target inhibition of MYC and markers of increased apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3) and proliferation (Ki-67).
- Study Compliance as Assessed by Number of Participants Who Follow All of the Study Rules. [ Time Frame: 1 year ]
- Number of Participants With MYC Downregulation [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Number of participants with MYC downregulation after high-dose lovastatin.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 100 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Male |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adenocarcinoma of the prostate, without evidence of spread beyond to lymph nodes, bone, or visceral organs, stage T1c or higher.
- Tumor Gleason sum of 7 (4+3 and 3+4 allowed) in at least one core, after central review of prostate biopsy at Johns Hopkins. However, in accordance with standard clinical practices, adenocarcinoma must be present in at least two discrete biopsy sections ( may vary in Gleason score).
- Age ≥18 years of age.
- Radical prostatectomy scheduled at Johns Hopkins.
- Willingness to sign and ability to understand informed consent.
- No history of treatment with any statin-class medication within 6 months of entry into the trial.
- ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status 0-1.
- Adequate bone marrow, hepatic, and renal function as determined by:
WBC (white blood cells) >3,500 cells/mm3 ANC (absolute neutrophil count) >1,500 cells/mm3 Hemoglobin >9 g/dl Platelet count >100,000 cells/mm3 Serum creatinine < 2.6 mg/dl Serum bilirubin <2 mg/dl ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and Alkaline Phosphatase <2 times the upper limit of normal Triglycerides and total cholesterol <3 times the upper limit of normal
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with evidence of metastatic prostate cancer, including bone, visceral, brain, and lymph node metastases.
- Other histologic prostate cancers, including ductal, sarcomatous, lymphoma, small cell, and neuroendocrine tumors.
- Uncontrolled medical conditions that could potentially increase the risk of toxicities or complications of this therapy including active liver disease, unexplained persistent elevation of serum transaminases, or medications that interfere with the metabolism of lovastatin, or gastrointestinal disease that would limit the ability to swallow or take oral medications or absorb them.
- Concurrent malignancy other than prostate cancer.
- Inability to provide informed consent.
- Concomitant use of azole antifungals, cyclosporine, clarithromycin, erythromycin, fibric acid derivatives, lopinavir/ritonavir, niacin, ritonavir/saquinavir
- Prior chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biologic therapy, or immunotherapy for prostate cancer.
- Poor performance status (ECOG >1).
- Prostatectomy at other hospital other than Johns Hopkins.
- Prior history of allergy or severe reaction to statins or statin derivatives.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01478828
United States, Maryland | |
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins | |
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21231 |
Principal Investigator: | Phouc Tran, M.D. | Johns Hopkins University |
Responsible Party: | Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01478828 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
J1153 NA_00048234 ( Other Identifier: JHM IRB ) |
First Posted: | November 23, 2011 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | November 9, 2015 |
Last Update Posted: | March 27, 2019 |
Last Verified: | March 2019 |
Prostatic Neoplasms Genital Neoplasms, Male Urogenital Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Prostatic Diseases Lovastatin L 647318 |
Dihydromevinolin Anticholesteremic Agents Hypolipidemic Agents Antimetabolites Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Lipid Regulating Agents Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors |