Study of Oral Ibrutinib Capsules to Assess Respiratory Failure in Adult Participants With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Pulmonary Injury (iNSPIRE)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04375397 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : May 5, 2020
Results First Posted : June 1, 2022
Last Update Posted : June 1, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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CoronaVirus Induced Disease-2019 (COVID-19) | Drug: Ibrutinib Drug: Placebo | Phase 2 |
This was a Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to evaluate the addition of ibrutinib to supportive care in hospitalized participants who presented with COVID-19- related pulmonary distress requiring supplemental oxygen. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive placebo + supportive care, denoted as SOC or standard-of-care, or ibrutinib 420 mg + SOC, with randomization stratified by prescription for remdesivir.
Participants were to be treated with either placebo or ibrutinib in addition to supportive care for up to 28 days unless they met treatment discontinuation criteria and were to be followed for 58 days following start of therapy or until death, whichever occurred first. Treatment could have been stopped at the discretion of the treating physician after 14 days if the participant was clinically stable and had been off supplemental oxygen for > 48 hours.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 46 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | IbrutiNib in SARS CoV-2 Induced Pulmonary Injury and Respiratory Failure (iNSPIRE) |
Actual Study Start Date : | June 6, 2020 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | May 10, 2021 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | June 8, 2021 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Ibrutinib 420 mg + SOC
420 mg ibrutinib administered once daily as three hard gelatin capsules (140 mg each) with approximately 240 mL of water for up to 28 days and supportive care (standard-of-care, SOC)
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Drug: Ibrutinib
Capsules were to be administered orally with water once daily. For participants who required nasogastric tube (NGT) placement while on study, capsules may have been administered by opening the capsules, mixing with water, and flushing down the NGT.
Other Name: Imbruvica |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo + SOC
Three hard gelatin placebo capsules administered once daily with approximately 240 mL of water for up to 28 days and supportive care (standard-of-care, SOC)
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Drug: Placebo
Capsules were to be administered orally with water once daily. For participants who required nasogastric tube (NGT) placement while on study, capsules may have been administered by opening the capsules, mixing with water, and flushing down the NGT. |
- Percentage of Participants Alive and Without Respiratory Failure Through Day 28 [ Time Frame: Through Day 28 ]Respiratory failure is defined as a clinical diagnosis of respiratory failure and initiation of one of the following therapies: endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation; OR extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; OR high-flow nasal cannula oxygen delivery (i.e., reinforced nasal cannula delivering heated, humidified oxygen with fraction of delivered oxygen ≥ 0.5 and flow rates of ≥ 30 L/min); OR non-invasive positive pressure ventilation; OR clinical diagnosis of respiratory failure with initiation of none of these measures only when clinical decision-making is driven solely by resource limitation.
- Change in the World Health Organization (WHO)-8 Ordinal Scale From Baseline at Study Day 14 [ Time Frame: At Day 14 ]The WHO-8 is an ordinal scale for clinical improvement with scores ranging from 0 to 8, where a lower score indicates better clinical status. A score of 0 represents uninfected; 1 (ambulatory, no limitation of activities); 2 (ambulatory, limitation of activities); 3 (hospitalized with mild disease, no oxygen therapy); 4 (hospitalized with mild disease, oxygen by mask or nasal prongs); 5 (hospitalized with severe disease, non-invasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen); 6 (hospitalized with severe disease, intubation and mechanical ventilation); 7 (hospitalized with severe disease, ventilation and additional organ support [pressors, renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation]); and 8 (death). Negative values indicate improvement from baseline.
- Median Reduction in Days Spent on Supplemental Oxygen [ Time Frame: Up to Day 28 ]Days spent on supplemental oxygen was set as the date of the participant being off of supplemental oxygen minus the date of initiation of supplemental oxygen + 1 day. If a participant received more than 1 period of supplemental oxygen therapy during the study or switched from supplemental oxygen to a more intensive therapy, then the days spent on supplemental oxygen were to be calculated as the sum of all the periods where the participant was on supplemental oxygen or a more intensive therapy through Day 28. If the date of the first initiation of supplemental oxygen was before Baseline Day 1, then the days spent on supplemental oxygen were to be calculated from Baseline Day 1 to the date of the participant being off the supplemental oxygen. Time on supplemental oxygen was to be imputed to the maximum number of days on study drug (28) for all points following the death of a participant.
- All-Cause Mortality at Study Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 [ Time Frame: At Study Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 ]The percentage of participants with mortality from any cause was recorded.
- Percentage of Participants Experiencing Respiratory Failure or Death on Study Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 [ Time Frame: At Study Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 ]Respiratory failure is defined as a clinical diagnosis of respiratory failure and initiation of one of the following therapies: endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation; OR extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; OR high-flow nasal cannula oxygen delivery (i.e., reinforced nasal cannula delivering heated, humidified oxygen with fraction of delivered oxygen ≥ 0.5 and flow rates of ≥ 30 L/min), OR non-invasive positive pressure ventilation; OR clinical diagnosis of respiratory failure with initiation of none of these measures only when clinical decision-making is driven solely by resource limitation.
- Mechanical Ventilation-Free Survival [ Time Frame: Up to Day 28 ]Mechanical ventilation-free survival is defined as the number of days from Baseline Day 1 to the date when a participant initiated mechanical ventilation or died, whichever occurred first, during the 28 days post baseline. If the specified event did not occur by Day 28, participants were to be censored. Specifically, a participant without any post-baseline assessment record was to be censored at Baseline Day 1, a participant who prematurely discontinued from study without a record of death or start of mechanical ventilation was to be censored at the earlier timepoint of the date of study discontinuation or Day 28, an ongoing participant in the study without a record of death or start of mechanical ventilation was to be censored at the earlier timepoint of the date of the last evidence that the participant is not on mechanical ventilation or Day 28.
- Days on Mechanical Ventilation [ Time Frame: Up to Day 28 ]Days spent on mechanical ventilation was defined as the date of the participant being off mechanical ventilation - date of initiation of mechanical ventilation + 1 day. If a participant received more than 1 period of mechanical ventilation during the study or switched from mechanical ventilation to a more intensive therapy, then the days spent on mechanical ventilation were to be calculated as the sum of all the periods where the participant is on mechanical ventilation or a more intensive therapy through Day 28.
- Median Duration of Hospitalization [ Time Frame: Up to Day 28 ]Median duration of hospitalization is defined as the hospitalization discharge date - hospitalization admission date + 1 day. If a participant was hospitalized more than once during the study then the hospitalization time was to be calculated as the sum of all the periods when the participant was hospitalized through Day 28.
- Time to Discharge From Hospital [ Time Frame: Up to Day 28 ]Time to discharge from hospital is defined as the number of days from Baseline Day 1 to the date of the last evidence that a participant is last discharged from hospital, during the 28 days post baseline. If the specified event did not occur by Day 28, participants were censored. Specifically, a participant without any postbaseline assessment record was to be censored at Baseline Day 1, a participant who died was to have time to discharge from hospital censored at Day 28, a participant who prematurely discontinued from study without a record of hospitalization discharge was to be censored at the earlier timepoint of the date of study discontinuation or Day 28, an on-going participant in the study without a record of hospitalization discharge was to be censored at the earlier timepoint of the date of the last evidence that the participant is hospitalized or Day 28.
- Partial Pressure of Oxygen in Arterial Blood (PaO2) to Fraction of Inspired Oxygen (FiO2) Ratio [ Time Frame: At Study Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 ]The PaO2/FiO2 ratio is the ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2 in mmHg) to fractional inspired oxygen (FiO2). A PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 300 to 200 is mild, 200 to 100 moderate, and <100 is severe Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
- Oxygenation Index [ Time Frame: At Study Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 ]The oxygenation index is used to assess the intensity of ventilatory support required to maintain oxygenation. An index of 0 to < 25 is predictive of a good outcome; 25 to <40 indicates a chance of death >40%; and an index of 40 to 1000 warrants consideration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
- Number of Participants With Adverse Events [ Time Frame: From first dose of study drug until 30 days following last dose of study drug (up to 70 days) ]An adverse event (AE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical investigation participant administered a pharmaceutical product which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with this treatment. The investigator assesses the relationship of each event to the use of study. A serious adverse event (SAE) is an event that results in death, is life-threatening, requires or prolongs hospitalization, results in a congenital anomaly, persistent or significant disability/incapacity or is an important medical event that, based on medical judgment, may jeopardize the participant and may require medical or surgical intervention to prevent any of the outcomes listed above. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) are defined as any event that began or worsened in severity on or after the first dose of study drug.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Requires hospitalization for COVID-19 infection
- Has Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 infection confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test before study entry
- Requires supplemental oxygen for pulmonary distress related to COVID-19 infection, and has been on supplemental oxygen for no more than 5 days, and on breathing room air have oxygen saturation levels of 94% or less
- Has radiographic evidence of pulmonary infiltrates
- Females of childbearing potential (FCBP) must use 1 reliable form of contraception or have complete abstinence from heterosexual intercourse during the following time periods related to this study: while participating in the study; and for at least 1 month after discontinuation of study drug. FCBP must be referred to a qualified provider of contraceptive methods if needed. FCBP must have a negative serum pregnancy test as of screening.
- Men must agree to use a latex condom during treatment and for up to 3 months after the last dose of ibrutinib during sexual contact with a FCBP.
- Adequate hematologic, hepatic and renal function as described in the protocol
- Must be within 10 days of confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19
Exclusion Criteria:
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Respiratory failure at time of screening as defined per protocol with any of these following therapies:
- Endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
- High flow nasal cannula oxygen at flow rates ≥ 30 L/min and fraction of delivered oxygen ≥ 0.5
- Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation
- Unable to swallow capsules or malabsorption syndrome, disease significantly affecting gastrointestinal function, or resection of the stomach or small bowel, symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis, or partial or complete bowel obstruction
- On a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK)-inhibitor, anti-interleukin 6 (IL6), anti-interleukin 6R (IL6R), or Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi)
- Has received rituximab within 180 days from study entry.
- Known bleeding disorders
- Major surgery within 4 weeks of study entry
- Participants in whom surgery is anticipated to be necessary within 72 hours
- History of stroke or bleeding around or within brain within 6 months prior to enrollment
- Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or active with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- Currently active, clinically significant cardiovascular disease
- Asymptomatic arrythmias and or history of ejection fraction < 40% on an echo
- Participants receiving a strong cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 inhibitor with the exception of those receiving anti-fungal therapy/prophylaxis
- Chronic liver disease and hepatic impairment meeting Child Pugh class C
- Female participants who are pregnant, or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant while enrolled in this study or within 1 month of last dose of study drug. Male participants who plan to father a child while enrolled in this study or within 3 months after the last dose of study drug.
- Unwilling or unable to participate in all required study evaluations and procedures
- Vaccinated with a live, attenuated vaccine within 4 weeks
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- On therapeutic anticoagulation at baseline
- Participants with cancer, history of interstitial lung disease, and/or history of malignancies as defined in the protocol
- Co-enrolled in another interventional trial
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥ 3.0 × ULN, and total bilirubin > 2.0 × ULN
- International normalized ratio (INR) ≥ 1.5 × ULN attributable to coagulation disorders

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): NCT04375397
United States, California | |
Stanford University School of Med /ID# 221954 | |
Stanford, California, United States, 94305-2200 | |
United States, District of Columbia | |
Medstar Washington Hospital Center /ID# 221886 | |
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20010-3017 | |
Duplicate_GW Medical Faculty Associates /ID# 222023 | |
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20037 | |
United States, Florida | |
Midway Immunology and Research /ID# 222004 | |
Fort Pierce, Florida, United States, 34982 | |
University of Miami /ID# 223227 | |
Miami, Florida, United States, 33136 | |
Triple O Research Institute /ID# 222944 | |
West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, 33407-3100 | |
United States, Massachusetts | |
Brigham & Women's Hospital /ID# 221847 | |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115 | |
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center /ID# 222994 | |
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215-5400 | |
United States, Utah | |
Intermountain Healthcare /ID# 221955 | |
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84103 |
Study Director: | ABBVIE INC. | AbbVie |
Documents provided by AbbVie:
Responsible Party: | AbbVie |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04375397 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
M20-310 |
First Posted: | May 5, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | June 1, 2022 |
Last Update Posted: | June 1, 2022 |
Last Verified: | May 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | AbbVie is committed to responsible data sharing regarding the clinical trials we sponsor. This includes access to anonymized, individual and trial-level data (analysis data sets), as well as other information (e.g., protocols and clinical study reports), as long as the trials are not part of an ongoing or planned regulatory submission. This includes requests for clinical trial data for unlicensed products and indications. |
Supporting Materials: |
Study Protocol Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) Clinical Study Report (CSR) |
Time Frame: | Data requests can be submitted at any time and the data will be accessible for 12 months, with possible extensions considered. |
Access Criteria: | Requests for access to individual participant data from ibrutinib clinical studies conducted by AbbVie can be submitted through Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project site at http://yoda.yale.edu |
URL: | http://yoda.yale.edu/ |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.: | Yes |
CoronaVirus Induced Disease-2019 COVID-19 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pulmonary Injury |
Ibrutinib Imbruvica Respiratory failure |
COVID-19 Coronavirus Infections Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Respiratory Insufficiency Lung Injury Pneumonia, Viral Pneumonia Respiratory Tract Infections Infections |
Virus Diseases Coronaviridae Infections Nidovirales Infections RNA Virus Infections Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiration Disorders Thoracic Injuries Wounds and Injuries |