A Study to Evaluate Guselkumab for the Treatment of Participants With New-onset or Relapsing Giant Cell Arteritis (THEIA)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04633447 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : November 18, 2020
Last Update Posted : May 31, 2023
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Giant Cell Arteritis | Drug: Guselkumab Drug: Placebo | Phase 2 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 51 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase 2, Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Proof-of-Concept Study to Evaluate Guselkumab for the Treatment of Participants With New-onset or Relapsing Giant Cell Arteritis |
Actual Study Start Date : | December 10, 2020 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | November 23, 2023 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | June 24, 2024 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: Guselkumab
Participants will receive guselkumab subcutaneously (SC) every 4 weeks from Week 0 through Wweek 48. This will be in combination with a protocol specified 26-week GC taper. Participants of the long-term extension (LTE) period will continue to receive subcutaneous (SC) injections every 4 weeks starting at Week 52 (LTE Week 0) through Week 100 (LTE Week 48) or until the participants have a Giant cell arteritis (GCA) flare, or the participants discontinues treatment due to unblinding after the Week 60 DBL for the Main study, or until a decision is made not to continue clinical development in this GCA population, whichever occurs first.
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Drug: Guselkumab
Guselkumab will be administered subcutaneously.
Other Names:
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Experimental: Placebo
Participants will receive matching placebo SC every 4 weeks from Week 0 through Week 48. This will be in combination with a protocol-specified 26-week GC taper. Participants of the LTE period will continue to receive SC injections every 4 weeks starting at Week 52 (LTE Week 0) through Week 100 (LTE Week 48) or until the participants have a GCA flare, or the participants discontinues treatment due to unblinding after the Week 60 DBL for the Main study, or until a decision is made not to continue clinical development in this GCA population, whichever occurs first.
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Drug: Placebo
Matching placebo will be administered subcutaneously. |
- Percentage of Participants Achieving Glucocorticoid (GC)-Free Remission [ Time Frame: At Week 28 ]Percentage of participants achieving GC-free remission will be assessed.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving GC-Free Remission [ Time Frame: From Week 28 up to Week 52 ]Percentage of participants achieving GC-free remission will be assessed.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving GC-Free Remission and Normalization of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) [ Time Frame: At Week 28 and up to Week 52 ]Percentage of participants achieving GC-free remission and normalization of ESR will be assessed using the Westergren method.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving GC-Free Remission and Normalization of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) [ Time Frame: At Week 28 and up to Week 52 ]Percentage of participants achieving GC-free remission and normalization of CRP will be assessed.
- Percentage of Participants Achieving GC-Free Remission and Normalization of Both ESR and CRP [ Time Frame: At Week 28 and up to Week 52 ]Percentage of participants achieving normalization of both ESR and CRP will be assessed.
- Cumulative GC dose [ Time Frame: Through Week 28 up to Week 52 ]Cumulative GC dose will be assessed.
- Time to First GCA Disease Flare or Discontinuation of Study Intervention due to AE of Worsening of GCA [ Time Frame: Through Week 28 up to Week 52 ]The time to first GCA disease flare or discontinuation of study intervention due to AE of worsening of GCA will be assessed. Flare is defined as the recurrence of signs and symptoms of GCA, with or without elevation of inflammatory markers, and the necessity for an increase in GC dose for GCA.
- Number of GCA Disease Flares or Discontinuation of Study Intervention due to AE of Worsening of GCA [ Time Frame: Through Week 28 up to Week 52 ]Number of GCA disease flares or discontinuation of study intervention due to AE of worsening of GCA will be assessed.
- Number of Participants with Treatment Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) [ Time Frame: Up to Week 60 ]An adverse event (AE) occurring at or after the initial administration of study intervention through the day of last dose plus 12 weeks (up to Week 60) is considered to be treatment emergent. An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non investigational) product. An adverse event does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the intervention and can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product, whether or not related to that medicinal product.
- Number of Participants with TEAEs by System Organ Class With a Frequency Threshold of 5 percent (%) or More [ Time Frame: Up to Week 60 ]An AE occurring at or after the initial administration of study intervention through the day of last dose plus 12 weeks is considered to be treatment emergent. An adverse event is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non investigational) product. An adverse event does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the intervention and can therefore be any unfavorable and unintended sign, symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of a medicinal product, whether or not related to that medicinal product.
- Number of Participants with Treatment Emergent Serious Adverse Event (SAEs) [ Time Frame: Up to Week 60 ]SAE is any untoward medical occurrence that at any dose results in death, is life-threatening, requires inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, is a congenital anomaly/birth defect, is a suspected transmission of any infectious agent via a medicinal product.
- Number of Participants with Clinically Significant Abnormalities in Vital Signs [ Time Frame: Up to Week 60 ]Number of participants with clinically significant abnormalities in vital signs (Temperature, pulse/heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) will be assessed.
- Number of Participants with Clinically Significant Abnormalities in Laboratory Parameters [ Time Frame: Up to Week 60 ]Number of participants with clinically significant abnormalities in laboratory parameters (blood chemistry, hematology, coagulation, serology) will be assessed.
- Serum Concentrations of Guselkumab [ Time Frame: Up to Week 52 ]Serum concentrations of guselkumab will be assessed in participants receiving active study intervention.
- Number of Participants with Antibodies to Guselkumab [ Time Frame: Up to Week 60 ]Number of participants with antibodies to guselkumab will be assessed in participants receiving active study intervention.

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: | 50 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion criteria
- Diagnosis of Giant cell arteritis (GCA) according to the revised American College of Rheumatology criteria
- GCA diagnosis confirmed by either temporal artery biopsy revealing features of GCA either at time of diagnosis or at other timepoint during disease history; or evidence of cranial GCA either at time of diagnosis or at other timepoint during disease history by cranial doppler-ultrasound; or cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Magnetic Resonance Angiography; or other imaging modality upon agreement with the sponsor or evidence of GCA by angiography or cross-sectional imaging (ultrasound, MRI, computed tomography [CT], positron emission tomography [PET])
- Have new onset or relapsing GCA
- Have active GCA within 6 weeks of first study intervention: Active GCA: presence of signs and symptoms of GCA and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) greater than or equal to (>=) 30 millimeter per hour (mm/hour), or C-reactive protein (CRP) >= 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (or 1 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL]), attributed to active GCA. ESR >= 30 mm/hour or CRP >= 10 mg/L (or 1 mg/dL) is not required if active GCA has been confirmed by a positive temporal artery biopsy or ultrasound or other imaging modality within 6 weeks of first study intervention
- Clinically stable GCA disease on a glucocorticoid (GC) dose between 20 and 60 milligrams per day (mg/day) (prednisone or equivalent) at randomization such that the participant is able to safely participate in the protocol defined prednisone taper regimen, in the opinion of the investigator
Exclusion criteria
- Has any known severe or uncontrolled GCA complications
- Has any rheumatic disease other than GCA such that could interfere with assessment of GCA
- Has a current diagnosis or signs or symptoms of severe, progressive, or concomitant medical condition that places the participant at risk by participating in this study)
- Has or has had any major ischemic event, within 12 weeks of first study intervention. Has a personal history of arterial thrombosis or venous thromboembolism (including deep venous thrombosis [DVT] and Pulmonary Embolism [PE])
- Has any comorbidities requiring 3 or more courses of systemic GCs within 12 months of first study intervention, AND, inability, in the opinion of the investigator, to withdraw GC therapy through protocol-defined taper regimen due to suspected or established adrenal insufficiency, OR, currently on systemic chronic GC therapy for reasons other than GCA and be GC dependent and have the potential to flare due to GC tapering (e.g. unstable asthma, unstable COPD)
- Has a history of, or ongoing, chronic or recurrent infectious disease
- Has received within specified timeframe, or 5 half-lives (whichever is greater) , or has failed treatment with any investigational or approved biologic agents or Janus Kinase Inhibitor prior to first study intervention
- Use of any of the following systemic immunosuppressant treatments within the specified timeframe prior to study start: Any cytotoxic agents (cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, nitrogen mustard, or other alkylating agents) with 6 months; Hydroxychloroquine, cyclosporine A, azathioprine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, sulfasalazine, leflunomide with cholestyramine washout or mycophenolate mofetil/mycophenolic acid within 3 months; Intramuscular, intra-articular, intrabursal, epidural, intra-lesional or IV GCs within 6 week; and Methotrexate (MTX) within 12 weeks. If started MTX >12 weeks prior to first study intervention MTX must have been at a stable dose for minimally 4 weeks and must not be receiving more than 25 mg oral or SC MTX per week
- Has chronic continuous use of systemic GCs for greater than (>) 4 years or inability, in the opinion of the investigator, to withdraw GC treatment through protocol-defined taper regimen due to suspected or established adrenal insufficiency

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): NCT04633447
Contact: Study Contact | 844-434-4210 | Participate-In-This-Study@its.jnj.com |

Study Director: | Janssen Research & Development, LLC Clinical Trial | Janssen Research & Development, LLC |
Responsible Party: | Janssen Research & Development, LLC |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04633447 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
CR108887 2020-000622-26 ( EudraCT Number ) CNTO1959GCA2001 ( Other Identifier: Janssen Research & Development, LLC ) |
First Posted: | November 18, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | May 31, 2023 |
Last Verified: | May 2023 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | The data sharing policy of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson is available at www.janssen.com/clinical-trials/transparency. As noted on this site, requests for access to the study data can be submitted through Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project site at yoda.yale.edu |
URL: | https://www.janssen.com/clinical-trials/transparency |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Polymyalgia Rheumatica Giant Cell Arteritis Arteritis Vasculitis Vascular Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Vasculitis, Central Nervous System Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders |
Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Skin Diseases, Vascular Skin Diseases Autoimmune Diseases Immune System Diseases Muscular Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Rheumatic Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases |