Implantation of Engineered Cartilage Grafts for Treatment of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis Versus Surgical Comparators.

Last updated: April 8, 2025
Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2

Condition

Osteoarthritis

Treatment

Engineered cartilage graft (N-TEC)

Autologous Matrix Induced Chondrogenesis (AMIC)

Patellofemoral Arthroplasty (PFA)

Clinical Study ID

NCT06576583
2024-513683-25-00
  • Ages 18-70
  • All Genders

Study Summary

ENCANTO is a randomized, controlled, multi-center phase II clinical trial for the treatment of patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) with an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP), nasal chondrocyte-based tissue engineered cartilage (N-TEC) implantation in comparison with current standard of care depending on the stage of osteoarthritis. The goal of this phase II trial is to evaluate the efficacy of N-TEC treatment in comparison to an active comparator Autologous Matrix Induced Chondrogenesis (AMIC) for early stage PFOA or patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) for late stage PFOA.

The N-TEC engineered cartilage graft is obtained by culturing expanded autologous nasal chondrocytes within a collagen type I/III membrane.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient age is ≥18 and ≤ 70 years at time of screening.

  • Symptomatic PFOA grade 1-4 according to Iwano Classification

  • Chondropathy Grade 3-4 according to ICRS classification of the patella, trochleafemoris or both

  • Baseline score of <60 on the KOOS Pain subjective knee evaluation.

  • Free range of motion of the affected knee joint or ≤ 5° of extension loss andminimum 125° flexion.

  • Patient is willing and able to give written informed consent to participate in thestudy and to comply with all study requirements, including attending all follow-upvisits and assessments and to complete postoperative rehabilitation regimen.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is the investigator or any sub-investigator, research assistant, pharmacist,study coordinator, other staff or relative thereof directly involved in the conductof the protocol or in a dependency or employment with the sponsor.

  • Patient is unwilling, unable or lacking the capacity to provide informed consent

  • Patient is unable to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

  • Prior surgical treatment of the target knee within 12 months (Note: prior diagnosticarthroscopy with debridement and lavage are acceptable within 12 months).

  • Radiologically apparent degenerative joint disease of the tibiofemoral joint asdetermined by X-ray (Kellgren and Lawrence grade > 2) or MRI or pain in thetibiofemoral joint as assessed by clinical examination

  • Patient has excessive varus or valgus deformity (>5°), unless corrected duringimplantation

  • Patient has a symptomatic meniscus lesion (or removal exceeding ½), as indicated byclinical examination (joint line tenderness and McMurray test positive) and MRI.

  • Patient has a body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2.

  • Patient has chronic rheumatoid arthritis, and/or infectious arthritis

  • Any concomitant painful or disabling disease of the spine, hips, or lower limbs thatwould interfere with evaluation of the afflicted knee.

  • Patient has a known immunological suppressive disorder or is takingimmunosuppressives.

  • Patient had any intra-articular injections into the affected knee within the last 3months before baseline visit

  • Instability of anterior, posterior and/or collateral ligaments

  • The patient has a HIV/AIDS infection. (regulatory requirement)

  • The patient has an acute Treponema pallidum (syphilis) infection. (regulatoryrequirement)

  • The patient has an active hepatitis B or C infection with verified antigens.Patients with a cured hepatitis B or C infection and/or verified antibodies are notexcluded. (regulatory requirement)

  • Patient is pregnant, breast feeding or anticipates becoming pregnant within 24months after surgery.

  • Patient is currently participating or has participated in any other clinical studywithin 3 months prior to the screening visit.

  • Patient has known current or recent history of illicit drug or alcohol abuse ordependence defined as the continued use of alcohol or drugs despite the developmentof social, legal or health problems.

  • Patient has any other condition, which, in the opinion of the investigator, wouldmake the patient unsuitable for the study.

  • Any known allergies, especially for porcine collagen, penicillin or streptomycin (manufacturing)

  • Nail-patella syndrome

Study Design

Total Participants: 150
Treatment Group(s): 3
Primary Treatment: Engineered cartilage graft (N-TEC)
Phase: 2
Study Start date:
April 01, 2025
Estimated Completion Date:
January 31, 2030

Study Description

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes for pain and disability with over 260 million people affected worldwide. Recent studies found that knee OA often starts in the patello-femoral compartment of the knee (PFOA) and is diagnosed in ~39% of people with knee pain aged above 30 years. Thus, PFOA and progression to full OA plays a crucial role in the reduction of quality of life of many people and in the raise of healthcare costs.

The goal of this multi-center phase II trial is to (i) evaluate the efficacy of N-TEC treatment in comparison to an active comparator Autologous Matrix Induced Chondrogenesis (AMIC) for early stage PFOA or patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) for late stage PFOA based on patient self-assessed questionnaires (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, KOOS) and (ii) verify the postulated mode of action, which is expected to be of regenerative nature and will be assessed by evaluation of disease-modification by x- ray and structural regeneration of the osteoarthritic joint destruction by MRI analysis. A total of 150 patients with early stage of PFOA (Iwano grade 1-2; 75 patients) or late stage of PFOA (Iwano grade 3-4; 75 patients) will be enrolled in 11 clinical centers and randomized to either N-TEC implantation or active comparator (AMIC or PFA).

Connect with a study center

  • Orthopedic Hospital Vienna-Speising

    Wien, 1130
    Austria

    Site Not Available

  • University Hospital Sveti Duh

    Zagreb, 10000
    Croatia

    Site Not Available

  • Evangelisches Waldkrankenhaus Spandau

    Berlin, 13589
    Germany

    Site Not Available

  • Orthopedic Clinic König-Ludwig-Haus

    Würzburg, 97074
    Germany

    Site Not Available

  • IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

    Milan, 20157
    Italy

    Site Not Available

  • Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico

    Rome, 00128
    Italy

    Site Not Available

  • Maastricht University Medical Center

    Maastricht, 6229 HX
    Netherlands

    Site Not Available

  • Zeromski hospital

    Krakow, 31-913
    Poland

    Site Not Available

  • Department of Orthopaedics, University of Gothenburg (UGOT)

    Mölndal, 80
    Sweden

    Site Not Available

  • Crossklinik

    Basel, 4054
    Switzerland

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Hospital Basel

    Basel, 4031
    Switzerland

    Site Not Available

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