A Study of MK-6072 and MK-3415A in Participants Receiving Antibiotic Therapy for Clostridium Difficile Infection (MK-3415A-002) (MODIFY II)

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01513239
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: January 20, 2012
• Results First Posted: December 15, 2016
• Last Update Posted: September 5, 2018
• Sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Study Description

Brief Summary:

MK-3415A is the combination of monoclonal antibodies to Clostridium (C.) difficile toxin A (MK-3415) and toxin B (MK-6072). This study will investigate whether: 1) treatment with MK-6072 or MK-3415A in addition to standard of care (SOC) antibiotic therapy will decrease Clostridium Difficile Infection (CDI) recurrence compared with placebo; and 2) MK-6072 and MK-3415A will be generally well tolerated in participants receiving SOC therapy for CDI compared with placebo.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Clostridium Difficile Infection	Biological: MK-6072; Biological: MK-3415A; Biological: Placebo; Drug: SOC	Phase 3

Detailed Description:

An extended 9-month follow-up to assess for CDI recurrence through Month 12 will be conducted in a subset of participants.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 1203 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: A Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of a Single Infusion of MK-6072 (Human Monoclonal Antibody to Clostridium Difficile Toxin B), and MK-3415A (Human Monoclonal Antibodies to Clostridium Difficile Toxin A and B) in Patients Receiving Antibiotic Therapy for Clostridium Difficile Infection (MODIFY II)
• Actual Study Start Date: February 1, 2012
• Actual Primary Completion Date: May 22, 2015
• Actual Study Completion Date: May 22, 2015

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
Experimental: MK-6072 + SOC; Single intravenous (IV) infusion of 10 mg/kg MK-6072 + Standard of Care (SOC) for CDI	Biological: MK-6072; Single IV infusion of MK-6072 (10 mg/kg of monoclonal antibody to C. difficile Toxin B); Drug: SOC; SOC for CDI will be prescribed for 10 to 14 days and can begin on the day of study drug infusion; but the first dose must have been administered prior to or within a few hours following study drug infusion. SOC is defined as the receipt of oral metronidazole, oral vancomycin, IV metronidazole concurrent with oral vancomycin, oral fidaxomicin, or oral fidaxomicin concurrent with IV metronidazole.
Experimental: MK-3415A + SOC; Single IV infusion of 10 mg/kg MK-3415A + SOC for CDI	Biological: MK-3415A; Single IV infusion of MK-3415A (10 mg/kg of monoclonal antibody to C. difficile Toxin A and 10 mg/kg of monoclonal antibody to C. difficile Toxin B); Drug: SOC; SOC for CDI will be prescribed for 10 to 14 days and can begin on the day of study drug infusion; but the first dose must have been administered prior to or within a few hours following study drug infusion. SOC is defined as the receipt of oral metronidazole, oral vancomycin, IV metronidazole concurrent with oral vancomycin, oral fidaxomicin, or oral fidaxomicin concurrent with IV metronidazole.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo + SOC; Normal saline IV infusion (0.9% sodium chloride) + SOC for CDI	Biological: Placebo; Single IV infusion of normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride); Drug: SOC; SOC for CDI will be prescribed for 10 to 14 days and can begin on the day of study drug infusion; but the first dose must have been administered prior to or within a few hours following study drug infusion. SOC is defined as the receipt of oral metronidazole, oral vancomycin, IV metronidazole concurrent with oral vancomycin, oral fidaxomicin, or oral fidaxomicin concurrent with IV metronidazole.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile after clinical cure of the initial CDI episode. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen.
2. Percentage of Participants With One or More Adverse Events During 4 Weeks Following Infusion Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 4 weeks ]
   An adverse event (AE) is defined as any unfavorable and unintended change in the structure, function, or chemistry of the body temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, whether or not considered related to the use of the product. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a preexisting condition which is temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, is also an adverse event.
3. Percentage of Participants With One or More Drug-related Adverse Events During 4 Weeks Following Infusion Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 4 weeks ]
   An adverse event (AE) is defined as any unfavorable and unintended change in the structure, function, or chemistry of the body temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, whether or not considered related to the use of the product. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a preexisting condition which is temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, is also an adverse event. A drug-related adverse event is determined by the investigator to be related to the drug.
4. Percentage of Participants With One or More Serious Drug-related Adverse Events During 4 Weeks Following Infusion Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 4 weeks ]
   A serious adverse event (SAE) is any AE occurring at any dose or during any use of the medicinal product that results in death; or is life threatening; or results in a persistent or significant disability/incapacity; or results in or prolongs an existing inpatient hospitalization; or is a congenital anomaly/birth defect; or other important medical events. A serious drug-related adverse event is determined by the investigator to be related to the drug.
5. Percentage of Participants Who Discontinued Study Medication Due to an Adverse Event During 4 Weeks Following Infusion Treatment [ Time Frame: Up to 4 weeks ]
   An adverse event (AE) is defined as any unfavorable and unintended change in the structure, function, or chemistry of the body temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, whether or not considered related to the use of the product. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a preexisting condition which is temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, is also an adverse event.
6. Percentage of Participants With One or More Infusion-specific Adverse Events on the Day of Infusion or the Day After Infusion [ Time Frame: Up to 24 hours ]
   An adverse event (AE) is defined as any unfavorable and unintended change in the structure, function, or chemistry of the body temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, whether or not considered related to the use of the product. Any worsening (i.e., any clinically significant adverse change in frequency and/or intensity) of a preexisting condition which is temporally associated with the use of the medicinal product, is also an adverse event.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Percentage of Participants With Global Cure [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   Global cure is defined as the clinical cure of the initial CDI episode with no CDI recurrence through Week 12. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen.
2. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those With Clinical Cure of the Initial CDI Episode [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen.
3. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those With a History of CDI in the 6 Months Prior to Enrollment [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen.
4. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those With the 027 Ribotype [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen. The 027 ribotype is a more virulent, epidemic strain responsible for several outbreaks of disease associated with an increased risk of severity and mortality.
5. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those With an Epidemic Strain [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen. An epidemic strain includes ribotypes 027, 014, 002, 001, 106 or 020.
6. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those With Clinically Severe CDI [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen. Participants with clinically severe CDI have a Zar Score greater than or equal to 2 points based on the presence of 1 or more of the following: 1) age >60 years old (1 point); 2) body temperature >38.3°C (>100°F) (1 point); 3) albumin level ˂2.5 mg/dl (1 point); 4) peripheral white blood cell count >15,000 cells/mm^3 within 48 hours (1 point); 5) endoscopic evidence of pseudomembranous colitis (2 points); and 6) treatment in Intensive Care Unit (2 points).
7. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those 65 Years and Older [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen.
8. Percentage of Participants With CDI Recurrence in Those With Compromised Immunity [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
   CDI recurrence is defined as the development of a new episode of diarrhea (3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours) and a positive lab stool test (local or central) for toxigenic C. difficile. Clinical cure is defined as no diarrhea [2 or fewer loose stools per 24 hours] for 2 consecutive days following completion of SOC therapy for the initial CDI episode in participants who received =< 14 day regimen. Compromised immunity is an active hematological malignancy (including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma), an active malignancy requiring recent cytotoxic chemotherapy, receipt of a prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant, receipt of a prior solid organ transplant, asplenia, or neutropenia/pancytopenia due to other conditions.

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant has a diagnosis of CDI defined as: a) presence of diarrhea (passage of 3 or more loose stools in 24 or fewer hours); and b) positive test for toxigenic C. difficile from a stool collected no more than 7 days before study infusion.
• Participant is receiving SOC therapy (i.e., oral metronidazole, oral vancomycin, IV metronidazole concurrent with oral vancomycin, oral fidaxomicin, or oral fidaxomicin concurrent with IV metronidazole) for CDI.
• Participant is highly unlikely to become pregnant or to impregnate a partner by meeting at least one of the following criteria: a) females not of reproductive potential (i.e., one who has either (1) reached natural menopause, defined as 6 months of spontaneous amenorrhea with serum follicle stimulating hormone [FSH] levels in the postmenopausal range, or 12 months of spontaneous amenorrhea not including cases with an underlying disease, such as anorexia nervosa, that causes amenorrhea; (2) 6 weeks post surgical bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy; or (3) bilateral tubal ligation); or b) participants of reproductive potential who agree to remain abstinent or use (or have their partner use) two acceptable methods of birth control (i.e., intrauterine device [IUD], diaphragm with spermicide; contraceptive sponge, condom, vasectomy and any registered and marketed hormonal contraceptives that contain an estrogen and/or progestational agent including oral, subcutaneous, intrauterine, or intramuscular agents) starting at enrollment and throughout the 12-week study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participant with an uncontrolled chronic diarrheal illness such that their normal 24-hour bowel movement habit is 3 or more loose stools.
• Participant with planned surgery for CDI within 24 hours.
• Female participant with a positive pregnancy test in the 48 hours before infusion and pre-menopausal females who are not sterilized and therefore have the potential to bear a child who are unwilling to undergo pregnancy testing.
• Female participant breast feeding or planning to breast feed before completion of the 12-week study.
• Female participant planning to donate ova before completion of the 12-week study and male participants planning to impregnate or donate sperm before completion of the 12-week study.
• Participant has previously participated in this study, has previously received MK-3415 or MK-6072 (either alone or in combination), has received a C. difficile vaccine, or has received another experimental monoclonal antibody against C. difficile toxin A or B.
• Participant plans to donate blood and/or blood products within 6 months after infusion.
• Participant has received immune globulin within 6 months before infusion or is planning to receive immune globulin before completion of the 12-week study.
• Treatment with SOC therapy is planned for longer than 14 days.
• Participant has received more than a 24-hour regimen of cholestyramine, colestimide, rifaximin, or nitazoxanide within 14 days before infusion or plans to receive these medication before completion of the 12-week study period.
• Participant plans to take medications that are given to decrease gastrointestinal peristalsis, such as loperamide (Imodium™) or diphenoxylate hydrochloride/atropine sulfate (Lomotil™) any time during the 14 days after infusion. Participants receiving opioid medications at the onset of diarrhea may be included if they are on a stable dose or if there is anticipation of a dose decrease or cessation of use.
• Participant plans to take the probiotic Saccaromyces boulardii or plans to receive fecal transplantation therapy, or any other therapies that have been demonstrated to decrease CDI recurrence at any time after infusion (Day 1) and through completion of the 12-week study period.
• Participant has received another investigational study agent within the past 30 days or is currently participating in or scheduled to participate in any other clinical study with an investigational agent during the 12-week study.
• Participant is not expected to survive for 72 hours.
• Participant has any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would jeopardize the safety or rights of the participant, would make it unlikely for the participant to complete the study, or would confound the results of the study.

Contacts and Locations

Sponsors and Collaborators

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Investigators

• Study Director: Medical Director; Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

More Information

Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Bouza E, Cornely OA, Ramos-Martinez A, Plesniak R, Ellison MC, Hanson ME, Dorr MB. Analysis of C. difficile infection-related outcomes in European participants in the bezlotoxumab MODIFY I and II trials. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020 Oct;39(10):1933-1939. doi: 10.1007/s10096-020-03935-3. Epub 2020 Jun 6.

Shen J, Mehrotra DV, Dorr MB, Zeng Z, Li J, Xu X, Nickle D, Holzinger ER, Chhibber A, Wilcox MH, Blanchard RL, Shaw PM. Genetic Association Reveals Protection against Recurrence of Clostridium difficile Infection with Bezlotoxumab Treatment. mSphere. 2020 May 6;5(3):e00232-20. doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00232-20.

Zhang H, Zhao N, Mehrotra DV, Shen J. Composite Kernel Association Test (CKAT) for SNP-set joint assessment of genotype and genotype-by-treatment interaction in Pharmacogenetics studies. Bioinformatics. 2020 May 1;36(10):3162-3168. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa125.

Cornely OA, Mullane KM, Birch T, Hazan-Steinberg S, Nathan R, Bouza E, Calfee DP, Ellison MC, Wong MT, Dorr MB. Exploratory Evaluation of Bezlotoxumab on Outcomes Associated With Clostridioides difficile Infection in MODIFY I/II Participants With Cancer. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Jan 31;7(2):ofaa038. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa038. eCollection 2020 Feb.

Goldstein EJC, Citron DM, Gerding DN, Wilcox MH, Gabryelski L, Pedley A, Zeng Z, Dorr MB. Bezlotoxumab for the Prevention of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection: 12-Month Observational Data From the Randomized Phase III Trial, MODIFY II. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 14;71(4):1102-1105. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz1151.

Zeng Z, Zhao H, Dorr MB, Shen J, Wilcox MH, Poxton IR, Guris D, Li J, Shaw PM. Bezlotoxumab for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection recurrence: Distinguishing relapse from reinfection with whole genome sequencing. Anaerobe. 2020 Feb;61:102137. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.102137. Epub 2019 Dec 14.

Kelly CP, Poxton IR, Shen J, Wilcox MH, Gerding DN, Zhao X, Laterza OF, Railkar R, Guris D, Dorr MB. Effect of Endogenous Clostridioides difficile Toxin Antibodies on Recurrence of C. difficile Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 24;71(1):81-86. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz809.

Montgomery DL, Matthews RP, Yee KL, Tobias LM, Dorr MB, Wrishko RE. Assessment of Bezlotoxumab Immunogenicity. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev. 2020 Apr;9(3):330-340. doi: 10.1002/cpdd.729. Epub 2019 Aug 14.

Basu A, Prabhu VS, Dorr MB, Golan Y, Dubberke ER, Cornely OA, Heimann SM, Pedley A, Xu R, Hanson ME, Marcella S. Bezlotoxumab Is Associated With a Reduction in Cumulative Inpatient-Days: Analysis of the Hospitalization Data From the MODIFY I and II Clinical Trials. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Nov 15;5(11):ofy218. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy218. eCollection 2018 Nov.

Yee KL, Kleijn HJ, Kerbusch T, Matthews RP, Dorr MB, Garey KW, Wrishko RE. Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Bezlotoxumab in Adults with Primary and Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 Jan 29;63(2):e01971-18. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01971-18. Print 2019 Feb.

Kelly CP, Wilcox MH, Glerup H, Aboo N, Ellison MC, Eves K, Dorr MB. Bezlotoxumab for Clostridium difficile Infection Complicating Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gastroenterology. 2018 Oct;155(4):1270-1271. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.06.080. Epub 2018 Sep 15. No abstract available.

Prabhu VS, Cornely OA, Golan Y, Dubberke ER, Heimann SM, Hanson ME, Liao J, Pedley A, Dorr MB, Marcella S. Thirty-Day Readmissions in Hospitalized Patients Who Received Bezlotoxumab With Antibacterial Drug Treatment for Clostridium difficile Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Oct 1;65(7):1218-1221. doi: 10.1093/cid/cix523.

Birch T, Golan Y, Rizzardini G, Jensen E, Gabryelski L, Guris D, Dorr MB. Efficacy of bezlotoxumab based on timing of administration relative to start of antibacterial therapy for Clostridium difficile infection. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2018 Sep 1;73(9):2524-2528. doi: 10.1093/jac/dky182.

Gerding DN, Kelly CP, Rahav G, Lee C, Dubberke ER, Kumar PN, Yacyshyn B, Kao D, Eves K, Ellison MC, Hanson ME, Guris D, Dorr MB. Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection in Patients at Increased Risk for Recurrence. Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Aug 16;67(5):649-656. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy171.

Wilcox MH, Gerding DN, Poxton IR, Kelly C, Nathan R, Birch T, Cornely OA, Rahav G, Bouza E, Lee C, Jenkin G, Jensen W, Kim YS, Yoshida J, Gabryelski L, Pedley A, Eves K, Tipping R, Guris D, Kartsonis N, Dorr MB; MODIFY I and MODIFY II Investigators. Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jan 26;376(4):305-317. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1602615.

• Responsible Party: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01513239
• Other Study ID Numbers: 3415A-002; 132231 ( Registry Identifier: JAPIC-CTI ); 2011-004994-94 ( EudraCT Number )
• First Posted: January 20, 2012
• Results First Posted: December 15, 2016
• Last Update Posted: September 5, 2018
• Last Verified: August 2018

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: Yes
• Plan Description: https://www.merck.com/clinical-trials/pdf/ProcedureAccessClinicalTrialData.pdf
• URL: http://engagezone.msd.com/ds_documentation.php

Keywords provided by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC:

Clostridium difficile; Clostridium difficile infection (CDI); recurrent Clostridium difficile; vancomycin; metronidazole; monoclonal antibody

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Infections; Communicable Diseases; Clostridium Infections; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Infections and Mycoses