Platform Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Multiple Drugs in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Last updated: June 6, 2025
Sponsor: Stichting TRICALS Foundation
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

3

Condition

Myasthenia Gravis (Chronic Weakness)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Als)

Scar Tissue

Treatment

Lithium Carbonate 400 MG

Clinical Study ID

NCT06008249
MAGNET
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

The objective of this phase III, placebo-controlled platform study is to investigate the efficacy of drugs for patients with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. ≥ 18 years at the time of screening.

  2. Diagnosis of ALS according to the revised El Escorial criteria (possible,probable-laboratory supported, probable or definite).

  3. Capable of providing informed consent and complying with trial procedures, includingrandomization to sub-studies.

  4. TRICALS risk profile > -6.0 and < -2.0 **

  5. The use of riluzole will be permitted during the study. Subjects taking riluzolemust be on a stable dose for at least 30 days prior to the baseline visit, orstopped taking riluzole at least 30 days prior to the baseline visit.

  6. Women of childbearing potential* must have a negative pregnancy test at baseline andbe non-lactating.

  7. Men must agree to practice contraception for the duration of the trial and for atleast 3 months after last dose of study drug.

  8. Men must not plan to father a child or to provide sperm for donation for theduration of the trial and 3 months after the last dose of study drug.

  9. Women must not be able to become pregnant (e.g. post-menopausal***, surgicallysterile or using effective birth control methods) for the duration of the study.Effective contraceptives are defined as having a failure rate of less than 1% peryear when used consistently and correctly and, when applicable, in accordance withthe product label, including: abstinence, hormonal contraception, intrauterinedevice in place for ≥ 3 months Appendix 1). Women of childbearing potential musthave a negative pregnancy test at baseline, and be non-lactating. Women who arepregnant or are actively seeking to become pregnant, and women of reproductivepotential who are not using effective contraceptives are excluded.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Laboratory Criteria at baseline:
  • ALT (alanine transaminase) ≥ 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

  • AST (aspartate aminotransferase) ≥ 3 times ULN

  • Bilirubin ≥ 1.5 times ULN

  • Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 50 mL / min / 1.73 m2 based onCystatin C, if not available eGFR can also be calculated based on creatinineclearance.

  • Platelet concentration of < 100 x109 per L

  • Absolute neutrophil count of < 1x109 per L

  • Haemoglobin < 100 g/L (<6.2 mmol/L)

  • Amylase & lipase ≥ 2 times ULN (suspected pancreatitis)

  • Lactate ≥ 2 times ULN (suspected lactate acidosis)

  1. Moderate to severe hepatic impairment according to Child-Pugh classification (ClassB or higher; score ≥ 7). Child-Pugh classification is based on bilirubin, albumin,International Normalized Ratio (INR) and presence of encephalopathy or ascites.

  2. Participation in any other investigational drug trial or using investigational drug (within 30 days prior to screening).

  3. Hypothyroidism unresponsive to thyroid hormone supplementation.

  4. Subjects using non-invasive ventilation (NIV, ≥22 h per day) or having atracheostomy.

  5. Subjects taking edaravone within 30 days prior to screening. Edaravone is approvedby the FDA, but remains an investigational product in Europe and Australia.

  6. Clinically significant history of unstable or severe cardiac (e.g. congestive heartfailure, coronary insufficiency and arrhythmias), oncological, hepatic or renaldisease, neuromuscular diseases, significant pulmonary disorder or other medicallysignificant illness.

  7. Drug or alcohol abuse.

  8. Unstable psychiatric illness defined as psychosis or untreated major depressionwithin 90 days of the screening visit. This exclusion criterion is based on a priorpsychiatric diagnosis that is unstable as determined by the subject's treatingPsychiatrist.

  9. Presence of frontotemporal dementia which prevents informed consent.

Lithium carbonate study-specific exclusion criteria:

  1. Patients heterozygous or homozygous for the A-allele of rs12608932 (UNC13A)

  2. Known allergy or hypersensitivity to lithium, or its excipients, or to thecomponents of the placebo.

  3. Brain injury with posttraumatic epilepsy or neurologic deficit, excluding aconcussion in the medical history. Brain infarction is an exclusion criterion, atransient ischemic attack is not.

  4. Addison disease.

  5. Patients with the following co-medication: antipsychotics, digoxin and calciumantagonists, carbamazepine, methyldopa, verapamil and diltiazem.

  6. Brugada Syndrome or family history of Brugada Syndrome.

  7. Plasma sodium <120 mmol/L

Study Design

Total Participants: 171
Treatment Group(s): 1
Primary Treatment: Lithium Carbonate 400 MG
Phase: 3
Study Start date:
August 09, 2021
Estimated Completion Date:
June 30, 2026

Study Description

This study uses an innovative multi-arm, adaptive trial design to investigate the efficacy of multiple treatments simultaneously. Currently one study-arm is active, investigating the efficacy and safety of lithium carbonate versus placebo in patients with ALS. Only patients with a specific UNC13A genotype (approximately 1 in 6 ALS patients) are eligible to participate.

Connect with a study center

  • Flinders Medical Centre

    Adelaide, SA 5042
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

    Brisbane, QLD 4029
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Calvary Health Care Bethlehem

    Parkdale, VIC 3195
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Perron Institute

    Perth, WA 6009
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • Concord hospital Sydney

    Sydney, NSW 2139
    Australia

    Site Not Available

  • The University of Sydney (Royal prince Alfred hospital)

    Sydney, NSW 2050
    Australia

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Hospital Leuven

    Leuven, 3000
    Belgium

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Medical Center Utrecht

    Utrecht, 3584 CX
    Netherlands

    Active - Recruiting

  • Bellvitge University Hospital

    Barcelona, 08907
    Spain

    Active - Recruiting

  • Karolinska University Hospital

    Stockholm, 171 64
    Sweden

    Active - Recruiting

  • King's College Hospital

    London, SE5 9RS
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • University College London Hospital NHS

    London, WC1N 3BG
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

  • University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

    Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 6QG
    United Kingdom

    Site Not Available

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