Decitabine for Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pneumonia- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Treatment: DART Trial (DART)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04482621 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : July 22, 2020
Last Update Posted : June 1, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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COVID-19 | Drug: Decitabine Other: Placebo Saline | Phase 2 |
This is a randomized double blind placebo controlled Phase 2 trial with a 12 patient lead-in to evaluate safety, prior to full enrollment to an additional 28 patients (for a total of 40 patients) to assess efficacy of decitabine in the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-ARDS. The patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard of care plus Decitabine or standard of care plus saline based placebo.
Eligible patients will receive decitabine 10 mg/m2 daily for 5 days, 1 cycle only. This is a dose that is half the FDA approved dose for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and using a single cycle.
If less than 2 of the first 6 (treatment arm) patients experience an unacceptable toxicity, defined as any treatment related grade III or higher adverse events, as per section 5.7, within 15 days of initiation of treatment, the drug is safe to continue. If the investigators observe more than 33% patients with unacceptable toxicity, the investigators will pause the accrual pending safety evaluation. After validating safety, the investigators will enroll additional 28 patients towards the primary efficacy endpoint. The investigators will monitor safety throughout the trial by monitoring clinical hematologic, chemistry, vital signs, respiratory parameters, medications, and clinical changes daily as per the schedule of procedures.
Bio samples from peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and Mini Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) will be collected and stored for secondary analysis and mini BAL will only be collected as an optional sub-study for patient consented to a separate study protocol either at time-point of for-cause clinically indicated bronchoscopy, or for subjects consented to a separate Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) interventional study, under the auspices of that protocol. For research bio specimens required after study drug initiation, a window period of +/-24 hours while inpatient, and +/- 4 days for outpatient monitoring will be permitted.
These objectives will allow for the planning of subsequent phase 3 studies, and strengthen implementation of a multi-center randomized trial should this study confirm safety, and suggest efficacy of therapy.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 40 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | This is a randomized double blind placebo controlled Phase 2 trial with a 12 patient lead-in to evaluate safety, prior to full enrollment to an additional 28 patients (for a total of 40 patients) to assess efficacy of decitabine in the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-ARDS. The patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard of care plus Decitabine or standard of care plus saline based placebo. |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Decitabine for COVID-19 Pneumonia-ARDS Treatment: DART Trial |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 14, 2020 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | September 2022 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | January 2023 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Active Comparator: Decitabine + Standard of Care (SOC)
Study drug Decitabine will be administered via Intravenous injection. Dosage Regimen: 10mg/m^2/day IV day x 5 days (1 cycle only)
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Drug: Decitabine
Study duration is 6 weeks after the last dose of study drug. Number of study visits is dependent on Length of hospitalization of study participant. Study visits are scheduled on days 0-7, 11, 15, 29, and may occur via telemedicine or inpatient assessment or outpatient assessment in COVID recovered participants. Decitabine will be administered via Intravenous Administration 10/mg/m^2/day Dosage: 10mg/m^2/day IV day x 5 days (1 cycle only) Other Names:
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Placebo Comparator: Standard of Care (SOC) + Placebo
Saline based placebo will be administered via Intravenous injection. Dosage Regimen: 10mg/m^2/day IV day x 5 days (1 cycle only)
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Other: Placebo Saline
Saline based placebo will be administered via Intravenous injection. Dosage Regimen: 10mg/m^2/day IV day x 5 days (1 cycle only) |
- Proportion of patients who are alive and free of respiratory failure at day 28 [ Time Frame: From the day of randomization to day 28 ]The proportion of patients who are alive and free of respiratory failure at day 28 since start of randomization.
- Safety as assessed by adverse events [ Time Frame: Up to 6 weeks ]Safety assessments using adverse events will be monitored daily while inpatient and weekly through end of study at week 6 once discharged from hospital. They will be monitored and graded using Common Terminology Criteria Adverse Events version 5.0.
- Change in oxygenation index [ Time Frame: Daily, up to 6 weeks ]Oxygenation index is used to assess severity of hypoxic respiratory failure. (OI = mean airway pressure (MAP) × Fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) × 100÷ partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2). This will be measured daily while subject is on mechanical ventilation up to 6 weeks.
- Change in fraction of inspired oxygen [ Time Frame: Up to day 29 ]Fraction of inspired oxygen in the oxygen delivery system during hospital stay. Measured at 8 am daily during hospital stay and then weekly until day 29.
- Overall survival [ Time Frame: Up to 6 weeks ]Patients status of alive versus death at completion of study follow up period, i.e. 6 weeks from start.
- Length of stay in hospital [ Time Frame: Till hospital discharge, up to 6 weeks ]Duration of days from baseline to hospital discharge.
- Ventilator free days [ Time Frame: Up to 6 weeks ]For subjects who received mechanical ventilation, total number of days from baseline to end of study at 6 weeks that subject was not on mechanical or non invasive mechanical ventilation.
- Time to Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negativity [ Time Frame: Up to 6 weeks ]If viremic at starting date of decitabine - time from baseline to 1st recorded negative COVID nucleic acid amplification (NAT) based assay, measured in days.
- Percentage of patients with National Early Warning Score 2 of 3 or more [ Time Frame: Weekly while patient is in hospital, up to 6 weeks ]Determines the degree of illness of a patient and prompts critical care intervention. This composite score includes Respiratory Rate, Temperature, oxygen Saturation, Blood Pressure, Oxygen inspired and cognitive status. This will be measured at baseline and weekly while patient is in hospital.
- All-cause mortality at 28 days since randomization [ Time Frame: Daily upto day 28 ]Total number of death at 28 days since day of randomization
- Percentage of change of clinical score based on WHO 9-point scale at day 10 from randomization [ Time Frame: Daily from randomization to day 10 ]Determine clinical score from randomization date to day 10
- Percentage of change of clinical score based on WHO 9-point scale [ Time Frame: Weekly while patient is in hospital, up to 6 weeks ]11. Time from randomization to an at least 2-point decrease in clinical score based on WHO 9-point scale

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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:
- ≥18 years
- Use of Intermittent Mechanical Ventilation, non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) or High Flow Nasal Cannula.
- Have ARDS or Acute Lung Injury physiology confirmed by Pao2/Fio2 ratio of < 300
- Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (SARS) - Coronavirus (CoV-2) determined by lab polymerase chain reaction assay in either upper or lower respiratory tract sampling (e.g. bronchoalveolar lavage or nasopharyngeal swab)
- If childbearing age: agree to practice effective birth control from screening until at least 180 days after last dose
Exclusion Criteria:
- Hematologic cytopenias: Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) <1500/mm3, Hgb<7.0 and/or platelets <100,000/mm3
- Subjects receiving or enrolled in clinical trial for other investigational treatment for SARS- 2-CoV.
- Active malignancy, solid tumors, and current or recent chemotherapy
- Concomitant use of nonbiologic immunosuppressants (e.g. Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors, Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitors)
- Active HIV viremia, or any other uncontrolled secondary infection.
- Concurrent immunomodulating biologics or use of Palifermin, Dipyrone, Deferiprone
- Subjects with severe sepsis with vasopressors or extrapulmonary organ failure:
- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) / alanine aminotransferase (ALT) /alkaline phosphatase (ALK) Phos ≥3x upper limit of normal (ULN) and Total Bilirubin (TBILI) ≥2x ULN; or Creatinine clearance <30 mL/min
- Pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding
- Any Condition, per opinion of PI that would affect subject safety and/or compliance
- Prior hypersensitivity to decitabine

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): NCT04482621
Contact: Joby Mathew, DPT, MS | 443-416-7573 | jmathe27@jhmi.edu | |
Contact: Katrina Bazemore | kbazemo5@jhmi.edu |
United States, Maryland | |
Johns Hopkins University | Recruiting |
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287 | |
Contact: Joby Mathew, DPT, MS 410-550-6458 jmathe27@jhmi.edu | |
Principal Investigator: Franco D'Alessio, M.D. |
Principal Investigator: | Franco D'Alessio, M.D | Johns Hopkins UIniversity |
Responsible Party: | Johns Hopkins University |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04482621 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
IRB00247544 |
First Posted: | July 22, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | June 1, 2022 |
Last Verified: | May 2022 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
COVID-19 |
COVID-19 Pneumonia Respiratory Tract Infections Infections Pneumonia, Viral Virus Diseases Coronavirus Infections Coronaviridae Infections Nidovirales Infections |
RNA Virus Infections Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Decitabine Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic Antimetabolites Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antineoplastic Agents Enzyme Inhibitors |