Prednisolone Versus Vigabatrin in the First-line Treatment of Infantile Spasms (PREDVGB)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02299115 |
Recruitment Status :
Withdrawn
(Most centres are now using oral steroids as 1st line treatment so question of efficacy is no longer of high interest.)
First Posted : November 24, 2014
Last Update Posted : November 14, 2019
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Infantile Spasms | Drug: Prednisolone Drug: Vigabatrin | Phase 3 |

Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 0 participants |
Allocation: | Non-Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Prednisolone vs. Vigabatrin in the First-line Treatment of Infantile Spasms |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 5, 2017 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | March 6, 2019 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | March 6, 2019 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Prednisolone
Single center, prospective, observational, open trial using high-dose oral prednisolone as first-line treatment for newly diagnosed Infantile Spasms (non-Tuberous Sclerosis)
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Drug: Prednisolone
Corticosteroid
Other Name: pms-prednisolone |
Active Comparator: Vigabatrin
Retrospective controls composed of our cohort of non-Tuberous Sclerosis Infantile Spasms patients from January 2010- September 2013 who received Vigabatrin as first-line treatment.
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Drug: Vigabatrin
Antiepileptic
Other Name: Sabril |
- Resolution of Infantile spasms and Hypsarrhythmia [ Time Frame: 14 days ]
Clinical response: cessation of spasms: no reported spasms for at least 48 hours including day 14 of the trial.
EEG response: complete resolution of hypsarrhythmia or modified hypsarrhythmia pattern, on follow up EEG at approximately 2 weeks of the trial.
- Clinical or EEG relapse of Infantile Spasms [ Time Frame: 6 months ]
Clinical relapse: any spasm occurring after 2 weeks up to and including final clinical assessment at approximately 5 months (+/- 2weeks) post-treatment in an infant who had cessation of spasms.
EEG Relapse: recurrence of hypsarrhythmia/modified hypsarrhythmia pattern after one previous EEG showing resolution of hypsarrhythmia
- Seizure outcome at final follow up (presence or absence of any seizure types at final follow up as assessed by seizure diary and on history at final follow up visit) [ Time Frame: 6 months ]Clinical assessment of the presence or absence of any seizure types at final follow up as assessed by seizure diary and on history at final follow up visit.
- Time to cessation of Infantile spasms [ Time Frame: 14 days ]Length of time in days to achieve cessation of Infantile spasms
- Time to relapse [ Time Frame: 6 months ]Length of time (in days) from the initial resolution of Infantile spasms to the relapse of Infantile spasms

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 2 Months to 24 Months (Child) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria:
- Age 2-24 months
- Clinical spasms
- Initial EEG with hypsarrhythmia or modified hypsarrhythmia
The inclusion criteria do not quantify the initial severity or frequency of infantile spasms. Infantile spasms is a unique epileptic disorder characterized by clusters of brief infantile spasms, where each one lasts a few seconds and cluster may last minutes. The diagnosis of infantile spasms and response to medication depends on the presence or absence of these events and the frequency of infantile spasms has not been used to determine medication efficacy in previous studies. A seizure diary will be used to quantify the seizure burden, however efficacy will depend on complete resolution of clinical spasms and resolution of hypsarrhythmia on EEG -
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age <2months or older than 24 months
- Tuberous sclerosis (if known at the time of enrolment)
- Previous treatment (within 28 days) with VGB or hormonal treatments
- Contraindications to hormonal therapy: This includes untreated systemic fungal infections, known hypersensitivity to prednisolone or other corticosteroids, or to any of the non-medicinal ingredients present in the solution. Active or latent tuberculosis, ocular herpes simplex, hypothyroidism, hepatic cirrhosis, nonspecific ulcerative colitis, abscess or other pyogenic infection, fresh intestinal anastomoses, active or latent peptic ulcer, renal insufficiency, hypertension, osteoporosis, cardiac disease, thromboembolic disorders and diabetes mellitus. All patients with cardiac risk factors will receive an electrocardiogram (ECG), chest xray (CXR) and cardiology referral if indicated. Patients diagnosed with cardiac disorders will be excluded from the study since high dose steroids may exacerbate arrhythmias.
- Inability of parents or guardians to give consent
- Enrolment in a concurrent treatment trial that might affect outcome measures of this trial -

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): NCT02299115
Canada, Ontario | |
Hospital for Sick Children | |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G1X8 |
Principal Investigator: | Carter Snead, MD | The Hospital for Sick Children |
Responsible Party: | Carter Snead, Staff Neurologist, The Hospital for Sick Children |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02299115 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
1000045463 |
First Posted: | November 24, 2014 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 14, 2019 |
Last Verified: | November 2019 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | No |
Vigabatrin Prednisolone |
Spasm Spasms, Infantile Neuromuscular Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Nervous System Diseases Epilepsy, Generalized Epilepsy Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Epileptic Syndromes Prednisolone Methylprednisolone Acetate Methylprednisolone Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate Prednisolone acetate |
Vigabatrin Prednisolone hemisuccinate Prednisolone phosphate Anti-Inflammatory Agents Glucocorticoids Hormones Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists Physiological Effects of Drugs Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal Antineoplastic Agents Antiemetics Autonomic Agents Peripheral Nervous System Agents Gastrointestinal Agents Neuroprotective Agents |