Phase 3 Efficacy and Safety Study of BG00012 in Pediatric Subjects With Relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) (CONNECT)
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02283853 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : November 5, 2014
Last Update Posted : March 2, 2023
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis | Drug: dimethyl fumarate Drug: Interferon β-1a | Phase 3 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 156 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Open-Label, Randomized, Multicenter, Multiple-Dose,Active-Controlled, Parallel-Group, Efficacy and Safety Study of BG00012 in Children From 10 to Less Than 18 Years of Age With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, With Optional Open-Label Extension |
Actual Study Start Date : | August 28, 2014 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | September 8, 2025 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | September 8, 2025 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: BG00012
Participants will receive the recommended dose of 240 mg orally, twice a day
|
Drug: dimethyl fumarate
administered orally
Other Names:
|
Active Comparator: IFN β-1a (Avonex)
Participants will receive the recommended dose of 30 μg (weekly)
|
Drug: Interferon β-1a
administered by intramuscular injection
Other Name: Avonex |
- Proportion of Participants Free of New/Newly Enlarging T2 Hyperintense Lesions on Brain MRI Scans [ Time Frame: At week 96 ]Part 1
- Number of Participants That Experience Adverse Events (AEs) or Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2 will be an optional open-label extension phase in subjects who complete Part 1 and who meet the Part 2 entry criteria.
- Number of Participants Who Discontinue Study Treatment due to an AE [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- The Number of New/Newly Enlarging T2 Hyperintense Lesions on Brain MRI Scans [ Time Frame: At Week 24 and Week 96 ]Part 1
- Proportion of Participants Free of New/Newly Enlarging T2 Hyperintense Lesions on Brain MRI Scans [ Time Frame: At Week 24 and Week 48 ]Part 1
- Proportion of Participants Free of New MRI Activity as measured by Brain MRI Scans [ Time Frame: At Weeks 24, 48 and 96 ]Part 1. New MRI Activitiy includes: Gd-enhancing MRI lesions on brain MRI scans; New T2 MRI lesions on brain MRI scans and newly enlarging MRI lesions on brain MRI scans
- Time to First Relapse [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1
- Proportion of Participants Who Do Not Experience Relapse [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1
- Annualized Relapse Rate [ Time Frame: At Weeks 48 and 96 ]Part 1
- Number of Participants That Experience Adverse Events (AEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs) [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1. Including prospective and follow-up of flushing, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea
- Fatigue as measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Multidimensional Fatigue Scale Scores [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1. Multidimensional Fatigue Scale scores - designed as a generic symptom-specific instrument to measure fatigue in patients with acute and chronic health conditions as well as healthy school and community populations.
- Quality of Life as measured by the PedsQL [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1
- Change from Baseline to Week 96 in the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) Score [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1. The EDSS measures the disability status of people with multiple sclerosis on a scale that ranges from 0 to 10. The first levels 1.0 to 4.5 refer to people with a high degree of ambulatory ability and the subsequent levels 5.0 to 9.5 refer to the loss of ambulatory ability. The range of main categories include (0) = normal neurologic exam; to (5) = ambulatory without aid or rest for 200 meters; disability severe enough to impair full daily activities; to (10) = death due to MS.
- Vital Signs, Electrocardiograms (ECGs) and Changes in Clinical Laboratory Data, including Monitoring of Liver Function, Renal Function, Hematologic, and Coagulation Parameters [ Time Frame: Up to Week 96 ]Part 1
- Annualized Relapse Rate [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Change from Baseline in EDSS Score [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2. The EDSS measures the disability status of people with multiple sclerosis on a scale that ranges from 0 to 10. The first levels 1.0 to 4.5 refer to people with a high degree of ambulatory ability and the subsequent levels 5.0 to 9.5 refer to the loss of ambulatory ability. The range of main categories include (0) = normal neurologic exam; to (5) = ambulatory without aid or rest for 200 meters; disability severe enough to impair full daily activities; to (10) = death due to MS.
- Change from Baseline in Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) Score [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2. SDMT is used to assess processing speed. Participants are given 90 seconds in which to pair specific numbers with given geometric figures using a key. The score is number of correctly coded items from 0 (worst) to 110 (best). Higher scores indicate better performance.
- Change from Baseline in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - Revised (BVMT-R) Score [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2. BVMT-R is used to assess learning/memory. The stimulus page is presented for 10 seconds, and the participant is then asked to reproduce the designs as accurately as possible and in the same location on the page. Three learning trials are administered, followed by a delay trial approximately 20 to 40 minutes later. Immediately following the delay trial a recognition trial is administered to see whether the participant recognizes the figures that were on the display.
- Change from Baseline in School Progression Query [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2. If permitted by the local regulatory authority, participants or caregivers will be posed the following question: "During the past year, did [you/the subject] progress from one [class/grade-level] to the next in school?"
- Number of Participants with Incidences of Clinically Relevant Vital Signs Abnormalities [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Number of Participants with Incidences of Clinically Relevant ECG Abnormalities [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Number of Participants with Incidences of Clinically Relevant Laboratory Assessment Abnormalities [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Change from Baseline in Height [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Change from Baseline in Weight [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Change from Baseline in Bone Age [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2
- Tanner Stage [ Time Frame: Up to 7 years ]Part 2. Information regarding Tanner staging will be collected at baseline for all male participants and for female participants who are premenarche and will be stopped once the participant's bone age reaches ≥16 years or once the participant is postmenarche.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 10 Years to 17 Years (Child) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Key Inclusion Criteria:
- Must have a body weight of ≥30 kg.
- Must have a diagnosis of RRMS (consensus definition for pediatric RRMS [Krupp 2007]).
- Must be ambulatory with a baseline EDSS score between 0 and 5.5, inclusive.
- Must have experienced at least 1 of the following 3 conditions: a) at least 1 relapse within the last 12 months prior to Day 1 with a prior brain MRI demonstrating lesions consistent with MS; b) at least 2 relapses within the last 24 months prior to Day 1, with a prior brain MRI demonstrating lesions consistent with MS; c) evidence of Gd-enhancing lesions of the brain on an MRI performed within the 6 weeks prior to Day 1.
- Must be neurologically stable, with no evidence of relapse within 50 days prior to Day 1 and no evidence of corticosteroid treatment within 30 days prior to Day 1.
- Subjects of childbearing potential who are sexually active must be willing to practice effective contraception during the study and be willing and able to continue contraception for at least 30 days after their final dose of study treatment.
Key Exclusion Criteria:
- Primary progressive, secondary progressive, or progressive relapsing MS (as defined by [Lublin and Reingold 1996]). These conditions require the presence of continuous clinical disease worsening over a period of at least 3 months. Subjects with these conditions may also have superimposed relapses but are distinguished from relapsing-remitting subjects by the lack of clinically stable periods or clinical improvement.
- Disorders mimicking MS, such as other demyelinating disorders (e.g., acute disseminated encephalomyelitis), systemic autoimmune disorders (e.g., Sjögren disease, lupus erythematosus), metabolic disorders (e.g., dystrophies), and infectious disorders.
- History of premalignant or malignant disease. Subjects with basal cell carcinoma that has been completely excised prior to screening will remain eligible.
- History of severe allergic or anaphylactic reactions, or known drug hypersensitivity to DMF, fumaric acid esters, or interferon beta-1a (IFN Beta-1a).
- History of abnormal laboratory results indicative of any significant endocrinologic, hematologic, hepatic, immunologic, metabolic, urologic, renal, and/or any other major disease that would preclude participation in a clinical study.
-
History of clinically significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, GI, dermatologic, growth, developmental, psychiatric (including depression), neurologic (other than MS), and/or other major disease that would preclude participation in a clinical study.
-.History of human immunodeficiency virus.
- An MS relapse that has occurred within 50 days prior to Day 1 AND/OR the subject has not stabilized from a previous relapse prior to Day 1.
- Other unspecified reasons that, in the opinion of the Investigator or Biogen Idec, make the subject unsuitable for enrollment.
- For the PD/PK subset of subjects: subjects unable to swallow the BG00012 capsule whole.
Key Treatment history
- Any previous treatment with Fumaderm (fumaric acid esters) or BG00012.
- Prior treatment with any of the following: total lymphoid irradiation, cladribine, T-cell or T-cell receptor vaccination, any therapeutic monoclonal antibody, with the exception of rituximab or natalizumab.
- Prior treatment with any of the following medications within the 12 months prior to Day 1: mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, rituximab.
- Prior treatment with any of the following medications or procedures within 6 months prior to Day 1: fingolimod; teriflunomide; natalizumab; cyclosporine; azathioprine; methotrexate; mycophenolate mofetil; laquinimod; intravenous (IV) immunoglobulin; plasmapheresis or cytapheresis
- Treatment with any of the following medications within 30 days prior to Day 1: steroids (IV or oral corticosteroid treatment, including agents that may not act through the corticosteroid pathway [e.g.low dose naltrexone]), 4-aminopyridine or related products (except subjects on a stable dose of controlled-release fampridine for 3 months)
NOTE: Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply

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): NCT02283853

Study Director: | Medical Director | Biogen |
Responsible Party: | Biogen |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02283853 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
109MS306 2013-002318-11 ( EudraCT Number ) |
First Posted: | November 5, 2014 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 2, 2023 |
Last Verified: | March 2023 |
Pediatrics |
Multiple Sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting Sclerosis Pathologic Processes Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Demyelinating Diseases Autoimmune Diseases Immune System Diseases Interferons |
Interferon-beta Interferon beta-1a Dimethyl Fumarate Antineoplastic Agents Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Dermatologic Agents Immunosuppressive Agents Immunologic Factors Physiological Effects of Drugs Adjuvants, Immunologic |