Defibrotide Therapy for SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04530604 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : August 28, 2020
Last Update Posted : November 12, 2021
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This clinical trial will enroll participants that have pneumonia caused by the COVID-19 virus. During the study patients will receive 7 to up to 14 days of defibrotide. After completing the treatment, participants will have 30 day follow-up check-up to assess for adverse events and clinical status. This final assessment can be done virtually, by telephone or electronically (email) if the patient cannot be contacted by phone. No in-person visit is required.
The hypothesis of this trial is that defibrotide therapy given to patients with severe SARS-CoV2 ARDS will be safe and associated with improved overall survival, within 28 days of therapy initiation.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
COVID Sars-CoV2 COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome | Drug: Defibrotide | Phase 1 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 12 participants |
Allocation: | N/A |
Intervention Model: | Single Group Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Defibrotide Therapy for SARS-CoV2 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) |
Actual Study Start Date : | October 1, 2020 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | March 26, 2021 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | April 9, 2021 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Defibrotide |
Drug: Defibrotide
All patients will receive 25 milligram/kilogram/day (mg/kg/day) of defibrotide, given in 4 divided doses (approximately every 6 hours), each dose infused over 2-hours intravenously (IV). The planned duration of study therapy is 7 days (while in the hospital), with the following qualifications:
Other Name: defitelio |
- Number of major hemorrhagic complications within 14 days of initiation of treatment [ Time Frame: 14 days ]
Major hemorrhagic complications will be based on the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Bleeding scale.
- Fatal Bleeding, and/or
- Symptomatic bleeding in a critical area or organ, such as intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, retroperitoneal, intra-articular, pericardial, or intramuscular with compartment syndrome, and/or
- Bleeding associated with a decline in hemoglobin level of > 2.0 g/dl, leading to transfusion of two or more units of whole blood or red cells.
- In addition, symptomatic alveolar hemorrhage, macroscopic hematuria, uncontrolled menorrhagia or epistaxis or bleeding from any wound site would also be considered a major hemorrhagic event.
- Overall survival [ Time Frame: 28 days ]Proportion of the twelve patients who are alive at day 28 after starting treatment.
- Overall survival [ Time Frame: 14 days ]Proportion of the twelve patients who are alive at Day 14 after starting treatment.
- Ventilator free survival [ Time Frame: 14 days ]Day 14 ventilator-free survival will be summarized by the proportion of the twelve patients who are both alive and not using a ventilator at Day 14 after starting treatment.
- Number of ventilator free days within 14 days of study entry [ Time Frame: 14 days ]
- The time to improvement in oxygenation [ Time Frame: up to 14 days ]Improvement in oxygenation defined as an increase in atio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) of 50 (or greater) compared to the nadir of PaO2/FiO2.
- Mean change in the WHO COVID-19 Ordinal Scale during therapy [ Time Frame: up to 14 days ]
Ordinal scale:
Ambulatory (1) - No limitation of activities (2) - Limitations of activities
Hospitalized: (3) no oxygen therapy (4) oxygen by mask or nasal prongs
Hospitalized: (5) Non-invasive ventilation or high-flow oxygen (6) Intubation and mechanical ventilation (7) Mechanical ventilation plus additional organs support-pressors, renal replacement therapy (RRT), Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
Dead: (8) Death

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Presence of SARS-CoV2 infection, confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay from a nasopharyngeal swab specimen or other diagnostic test for SARS-CoV2.
- Serum D-Dimer ≥ 2.0 mcg/ml.
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Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) as determined by the following criteria (Berlin criteria adaptation):
- Radiographic evidence of bilateral lung disease (opacities or ground glass opacification) on chest radiograph (CXR) or computed tomography (CT), and the opacities not fully explained by pleural effusions, cardiac failure or fluid overload.
- Impairment of oxygenation, as defined by the ratio of arterial oxygen tension to fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) ≤ 300 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).
- Patients must provide voluntary written informed consent to be eligible for study. For patients who are medically unable to provide consent, their designated proxy or legal guardian will provide informed consent. The consenting process is described in Appendix II.
- Patients actively participating in another clinical trial for the management of SARS-CoV2 are eligible provided those trials do not directly involve an anti-platelet, anti-coagulant or anti-fibrinolytic agent. (Patients enrolled on investigational trials utilizing anti-viral specific agents, cytokine inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or other anti-inflammatory agents are still eligible).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Concomitant use of heparin, systemic anticoagulants, and/or fibrinolytics are not permitted within 12 hours, with the exception of heparin flushes for centrally placed catheters, fibrinolytic instillation for central venous line occlusion, or in the in-flow circuit for patients on continuous veno-venous hemodialysis.
- Clinically significant acute bleeding, including (but not limited to one of the following): pulmonary hemorrhage (diffuse alveolar hemorrhage), intracranial bleed, gastro-intestinal hemorrhage (gross hematemesis or hematochezia), gross hematuria or uncontrolled epistaxis irrespective of the amount of blood loss, within the prior 3 days.
- On mechanical ventilation for > 96 consecutive hours.
- Serum platelet count < 50,000/Microliters (uL). Transfusion of platelets to achieve a level > 50,000/uL is not allowed for eligibility.
- Serum fibrinogen < 150 mg/dl. Transfusion of fresh frozen plasma or cryoprecipitate to achieve a level > 150 mg/dl is not allowed for eligibility.
- Positive blood culture for a bacterial pathogen within the prior 24 hours prior to study entry, and/or the presence of bacterial pneumonia.
- Hemodynamic instability as defined by a requirement for 2 or more vasopressors (not including renal-doses of dopamine).
- Concurrent use of Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
- Patients with a previously known hypersensitivity reaction to defibrotide, or any of its excipients.
- Females who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- History of cerebrovascular accident (i.e. thrombotic or hemorrhagic stroke) within 3 months prior to study entry.

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): NCT04530604
United States, Michigan | |
University of Michigan | |
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109 |
Principal Investigator: | Gregory Yanik, MD | University of Michigan |
Responsible Party: | Gregory Yanik, Professor of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT04530604 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
HUM00182089 |
First Posted: | August 28, 2020 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | November 12, 2021 |
Last Verified: | November 2021 |
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 Respiratory Distress Syndrome Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn Acute Lung Injury Syndrome Disease Pathologic Processes Respiratory Tract Infections Infections Pneumonia, Viral Pneumonia Virus Diseases Coronavirus Infections Coronaviridae Infections |
Nidovirales Infections RNA Virus Infections Lung Diseases Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiration Disorders Infant, Premature, Diseases Infant, Newborn, Diseases Lung Injury Defibrotide Fibrinolytic Agents Fibrin Modulating Agents Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors |