Carotid Atherosclerosis Regression at Magnetic Resonance Assessment.
Carotid Atherosclerosis Regression at Magnetic Resonance Assessment.
The primary objective of this randomized, double blind, placebo controlled pilot study is to
 determine if therapies aimed at lowering LDL cholesterol (HMGCoA reductase inhibitor -
 simvastatin) or increasing HDL cholesterol (Niaspan) will induce regression of carotid
 atherosclerotic plaque in vivo using MRI imaging techniques. MR plaque morphology at baseline
 will be compared to that after 6 and 12 months of therapy and changes in MR characteristics
 will be compared to changes in lipoprotein parameters and urinary isoprostanes. The effect of
 moderate LDL reduction, aggressive LDL reduction and the combination of aggressive LDL
 reduction and HDL elevation on MRI plaque characteristics will be compared by randomly
 assigning subjects (n=69) with carotid disease (>30% stenosis by ultrasound criteria) to one
 of three treatment arms;

 1. Simvastatin 20 mg daily and placebo Niaspan (n=23)

 2. Simvastatin 80 mg daily and placebo Niaspan (n=23)

 3. Simvastatin 20 mg daily and active Niaspan (n=23) Treatment group 2 and 3 will have
 roughly equivalent LDL lowering because of the synergistic LDL lowering effect of the
 combination of simvastatin and Niaspan.
FULL PROTOCOL

 1.0 SYNOPSIS The primary objective of this randomized, double blind, placebo controlled pilot
 study is to determine if therapies aimed at lowering LDL cholesterol (HMGCoA reductase
 inhibitor - simvastatin) or increasing HDL cholesterol (Niaspan) will induce regression of
 carotid atherosclerotic plaque in vivo using MRI imaging techniques. MR plaque morphology at
 baseline will be compared to that after 6 and 12 months of therapy and changes in MR
 characteristics will be compared to changes in lipoprotein parameters and urinary
 isoprostanes. The effect of moderate LDL reduction, aggressive LDL reduction and the
 combination of aggressive LDL reduction and HDL elevation on MRI plaque characteristics will
 be compared by randomly assigning subjects (n=69) with carotid disease (>30% stenosis by
 ultrasound criteria) to one of three treatment arms;

 1. Simvastatin 20 mg daily and placebo Niaspan (n=23)

 2. Simvastatin 80 mg daily and placebo Niaspan (n=23)

 3. Simvastatin 20 mg daily and active Niaspan (n=23) Treatment group 2 and 3 will have
 roughly equivalent LDL lowering because of the synergistic LDL lowering effect of the
 combination of simvastatin and Niaspan.

 2.0 BACKGROUND Atherosclerotic carotid disease is the largest single etiological factor known
 to produce focal cerebral ischemia (1). Only a small percentage of patients with asymptomatic
 carotid atherosclerosis develop stroke but the majority of these have have no warning
 symptoms. The degree of internal carotid stenosis at ultrasound angiography, the commonest
 methods of assessing the risk of stroke, are poor predictors of stroke in patients with
 asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis (2) and clinical risk factors have a high prevalence but
 a low relative risk of stroke in these patients. Most plaque rupture occurs in unstable lipid
 rich plaques with thin fibrous caps weakened by inflammation and apoptosis (3). Thus, the
 morphological characteristics of carotid plaques may provide important information regarding
 ischemic risk of carotid lesions. We, and others, are using high resolution MR imaging (4-6)
 to differentiate carotid plaque elements such as the lipid core, the fibrous cap and
 hemorrhage with the ultimate goal of determining the ischemic potential of carotid
 atherosclerotic plaques.

 Lipid lowering therapy with statins is considered standard treatment for patients with
 atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia (7-9). Statin therapy reduces LDL cholesterol
 levels, cardiovascular events and death and retards the progression of atherosclerosis as
 assessed by noninvasive intima-media thickness (IMT) on carotid ultrasound (10). However, the
 optimal degree of LDL cholesterol lowering with statins in patients with atherosclerosis
 remains unclear (7,8) - thus there are a number of ongoing large clinical trials comparing
 the effect of low dose to high doses of statins on cardiovascular effects in patients with
 coronary atherosclerosis (eg "Treatment to New Targets"). Low HDL cholesterol is an
 independent risk factor for the development and progression of atherosclerosis (11). Niacin
 is one of a few effective therapies that significantly elevates HDL levels and was shown to
 reduce cardiovascular events in patients with known coronary atherosclerosis prior to the
 development of statin drugs (12,13). Increased HDL is thought to promote reverse cholesterol
 transport from the peripheral tissues including atherosclerotic plaque (14-16). Presently,
 niacin is not considered standard therapy in patients with known atherosclerosis. Niaspan is
 a new controlled-release form of niacin that is administered once daily, is better tolerated
 than crystalline niacin which is given 3 times a day (17,18). It has been shown to result in
 a greater than 30% increase in HDL cholesterol and preliminary data suggest that it is safe
 and effective and not associated with hepatotoxicity (19). In the proposed study patients
 (n=60) with carotid disease (>30% stenosis by ultrasound criteria) will be randomly assigned
 to one of three treatment arms;

 1. Simvastatin 20 mg daily and placebo Niaspan (n=23)

 2. Simvastatin 80 mg daily and placebo Niaspan (n=23)

 3. Simvastatin 20 mg daily and active Niaspan (n=23) Thus, the effect of Simvastatin 10 mg
 (moderate LDL reduction), Simvastatin 80 mg (aggressive LDL reduction) and the
 combination of Simvastatin and Niaspan (aggressive LDL reduction and HDL elevation) on
 MRI plaque characteristics will be compared.

 3.0 OBJECTIVES

 The primary objective of this randomized, double blind, placebo controlled pilot study is to
 determine if therapies aimed at lowering LDL cholesterol (HMGCoA reductase inhibitors -
 statins) or increasing HDL cholesterol (Niaspan) will induce regression of carotid
 atherosclerotic plaque in vivo using MRI imaging techniques. MR plaque morphology at baseline
 will be compared to that after 6 and 12 months of therapy and changes in MR characteristics
 will be compared to changes in lipoprotein parameters and urinary isoprostanes.

 3.1 Primary End-Point The primary end-point is the change in carotid plaque volume at MRI
 after 12 months of treatment.

 3.2 Secondary End-Points

 1. - change in carotid plaque lipid content at MRI after 12 months

 2. - change in lipid parameters after 12 months

 3. - change in urinary isoprostane excretion after 12 months

 4.0 STUDY DESIGN

 4.1 Description

 This study will be randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled. Sixty patients will be
 randomly assigned to (1) Simvastatin 20 mg and placebo Niaspan, (2) Simvastatin 80 mg and
 placebo Niaspan or (3) Simvastatin 20 mg and active Niaspan. The study will involve 6
 outpatient visits to the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at the Hospital of the
 University of Pennsylvania. Each visit will last approximately 2 hours.

 4.2 Number of Subjects

 Sixty nine (69) subjects with known carotid atherosclerosis will be investigated.

 5.0 STUDY POPULATION

 Source of subjects

 Subjects with carotid disease, identified on (1) routine carotid ultrasound examinations at
 the vascular laboratories of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and VA Medical
 Center, and (2) through local advertisement will be invited to participate in the study.
 Subjects will be contacted by letter inviting them to participate in the study. Subjects will
 be screened according to the following inclusion and exclusion criteria;

 Inclusion Criteria Age >18 and <90 years Capacity for giving written informed consent Carotid
 stenosis of >30% by ultrasound criteria LDL cholesterol level of >100mg/dl Systolic BP < 170
 and diastolic BP < 100 under resting conditions Negative pregnancy test if female of
 child-bearing potential

 Exclusion criteria Recent (< 3 months) history of stroke, transient ischemic attack,
 myocardial infarction, unstable angina or critical limb ischemia, Contraindications to MRI
 (claustrophobia, presence of pacemakers, defibrillators, metal foreign bodies), History of
 side effect/adverse reaction on HMGCoA reductase inhibitor, Niaspan or niacin, Poorly
 controlled diabetes (HbA1c >8%), History of myositis, liver disease or abnormal LFTs, Need
 for combination therapy for the control of severe hyperlipidemia, Abnormal LFT (>2 fold upper
 limit normal), Active infection or malignancy.

 6.0 STUDY PROCEDURES The study will involve 6 outpatient visits to the General Clinical
 Research Center (GCRC) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Each visit will
 last approximately 2 hours.

 6.1 Pre-treatment Period All subjects will be asked to come to GCRC for a screening visit.
 During this visit, a complete medical history and physical examination will be performed.
 Dosage of all chronic medication will be recorded. Supine resting blood pressure, an
 electrocardiogram and the following fasting routine laboratory studies will be performed;
 Hematology; hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, white blood count and platelet count Blood
 chemistries; sodium, potassium, chloride, creatinine, fasting glucose, albumin, alkaline
 phosphatase, total bilirubin, AST, ALT, uric acid total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
 lipoprotein (a) and HbA1c.

 Urinalysis Urinary HCG - for women of child bearing potential. Eligible subjects will undergo
 a full dietary assessment by the GCRC research dietician using a quantitative questionnaire.
 Subjects will be instructed to comply with recommended AHA dietary guidelines so that dietary
 intake of macronutrients including fat and cholesterol will be similar across all subjects.
 Dietary compliance will be monitored at baseline and each study visit by 24-hour recall of
 dietary intake. The Dietary Analysis System (DIETSYS) will be used to analyze the food
 frequency questionnaires and the Food Processor Plus (ver 6.0) will be used to analyze
 dietary recalls.

 6.2 Concurrent Treatment The use of most concurrent medications will not be restricted during
 the study period. Indeed, aspirin use and antihypertensive therapies will be encouraged when
 appropriate. Lipid lowering medications, other than those in the study will be stopped prior
 to randomization. For example all HMGCoA reductase inhibitors will be replaced by simvastatin
 at the time of randomization.

 6.3 Treatment Period Eligible subjects will be asked to collect a 12-hour urine sample prior
 to randomization and bring them to the GCRC on the morning of randomization where they will
 be processed and stored until analysis. Baseline blood samples will be collected for
 hematology, chemistry and lipoprotein analysis as per screening. Subjects will undergo micro
 MRI scans of the carotid arteries in the MRI center adjacent to the GCRC. A subset of
 volunteers (n=10) will be asked to undergo a second baseline MRI scan within a week of the
 first scan in order to determine the reproducibility of the quantitative MRI technique.
 Subjects will then be randomized in a double blind manner to (1) Simvastatin 20 mg and
 placebo Niaspan, (2) Simvastatin 80 mg and placebo Niaspan or (3) Simvastatin 20 mg and
 active Niaspan. Simvastatin tablets will be provided by Merck Pharmaceuticals, the
 manufacturer of Simvastatin. Niaspan tablets (500mg) and matching placebo will be provided by
 KOS, the company that manufactures Niaspan. Niaspan will be titrated according to clinical
 guidelines - 500 mg at bedtime for 1 month, 1000 mg at bedtime for the next month and finally
 2000 mg at bedtime for the rest of the study. At the randomization visit, these specific
 instructions for titration of Niaspan or placebo (given in matching tablets in an identical
 way) will be discussed and given to each subject with a one-month supply of study drug.

 Both Niaspan (KOS Pharmaceuticals) and simvastatin (Zocor; Merck Pharmaceuticals) are
 commercially available drugs that are FDA approved for management of hyperlipidemia at the
 doses, formulation and route of administration proposed in this study.

 Return visits will be scheduled for 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. At each of these visits history,
 physical exam and blood testing (hematology, chemistry, fasting lipoproteins) will be
 undertaken. In addition, urine collections and MRI studies will be performed at 6 and 12
 months. Known adverse effects, such as flushing and muscle cramps will be screened for at
 each visit. Subjects will be discontinued from the study for the following reasons;

 1. intolerable side effects from the study medications

 2. increase in either ALT or AST greater than 3 times upper limit of normal

 3. HbA1c>9%

 4. uric acid >11.0

 5. pregnancy

 Eligible subjects will be asked to increase study medication to 2000mg daily at bedtime after
 the second month. Every attempt will be made to titrate the Niaspan/placebo to 2000mg per
 day, but if this is not possible the subject will be maintained on the maximal achievable
 dose. The duration of the study is 12 months. All assessments will be made by personnel
 blinded to the study treatment.

 6.4 Duration of the Study The duration of the entire study will be approximately 18 months.
 Actual study drug treatment will be of 12 months duration. Each subject will undergo
 screening approximately 2 weeks prior to randomization and it is anticipated that subjects
 will be enrolled over a 6 month period.

 6.5 Premature Withdrawal from the Study

 A volunteer may be withdrawn from the trial for the following reasons:

 -  Any adverse event thought to warrant withdrawal by the investigator,

 -  Poor compliance thought to warrant withdrawal by the investigator,

 -  Volunteer's desire to withdraw from the study at any time,

 -  Protocol or entry criteria violation,

 -  Pregnancy.

 The reasons for withdrawal and the final outcome in cases of adverse events will be
 documented on the Case Report Form. Subjects who do not complete the study will be replaced.

 7.0 EFFICACY ASSESSMENT

 7.0 Variables to be measured for Efficacy Assessment Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Carotid
 Atherosclerotic Plaques: A variety of MRI techniques have been optimized to permit sufficient
 resolution to determine size and composition of atherosclerotic plaque. These include
 "black-blood" imaging techniques, fast spin echo sequences, and fat suppression techniques in
 addition to customized coils (4-6). Customized surface coils will be constructed to further
 improve the signal-to-noise ratio. While the coils and some of the sequences are not FDA
 approved as they are custom built, they all fall under the category of "non-significant risk
 devices". These techniques have already been established for this purpose at the MRI center
 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The imaging protocol consists of a
 combination of black blood (fast spin echo and double inversion recovery fast spin echo
 sequences) and bright blood imaging (time-of-flight MRA sequence) to achieve optimal contrast
 between the arterial lumen and the vessel wall. Specifically, the following sequences are
 obtained: (1) 3D time of flight (TOF) MRA of the carotid bifurcation; (2) axial T1-weighted
 fast spin echo; (3) axial proton density-weighted weighted double inversion recovery fast
 spin echo (DIR-FSE) through plaque; and (4) axial T2-weighted weighted DIR-FSE through
 plaque. Total plaque volume will be quantified as follows;

 Plaque volume = (computer assisted calculation of region of interest-ROI) x (slice thickness)
 x (no. of slices).

 Plaque composition will be estimated using established imaging criteria for the 4 image
 contrast weightings (Table 1).

 Table 1 Criteria used for identification of plaque constituents. TOF T1-W PD-W T2-W
 Calcification Low Low Low Low Hemorrhage High High/Moderate Variable Variable Lipid core
 Moderate High High Variable Fibrous cap Moderate/Low Moderate High Variable Note: Intensity
 descriptors are relative to intensity of sternocleidomastoid muscle.

 Lipoprotein Determination: Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, lipoprotein
 (a) and triglyceride levels will be determined by standardized techniques in the routine
 chemistry laboratory of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

 Urinary Isoprostanes: Urinary isoprostanes will be measured by mass spectrometry / gas
 chromatography (GC / MS) as previously described by the PI (20). Following the addition of a
 deuterated isoprostane internal standard, urine samples are extracted from the aqueous matrix
 by solid phase extraction techniques, purified by thin layer chromatography, derivatized, and
 analyzed by GC / MS in the negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) mode. Quantification is
 accomplished by taking the ratio of the area under the peak of the ion representing the
 endogenous compound to that of the internal standard.All subjects who complete the study will
 be considered evaluable for efficacy assessment.

 7.2 Criteria for Evaluability of Efficacy Assessment

 All subjects who complete the study will be considered evaluable for efficacy assessment.

 8.0 SAFETY ASSESSMENT

 8.1 Variables to be Measured for Safety Assessment

 Safety measures to be monitored include

 1. symptoms (flushing, abdominal pain, tiredness)

 2. transaminases

 3. HbA1c

 4. uric acid

 8.2 Criteria for Evaluability of Safety Assessment

 All subjects entered into the trial will be considered evaluable for safety assessment.

 9.0 STATISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 There is currently no data available on the effect of therapies on carotid atherosclerotic
 plaque morphology using MRI on which to base sample size estimations. Therefore, sample sizes
 are based on the desire to acquire pilot data to allow the determination of the actual
 numbers required for a study examining both MR characteristics and clinical endpoints. A
 sample size of 69 (23 subjects per arm) will provide 80% power to detect the hypothesized
 difference (15%) in the primary endpoint (plaque volume) between 2 different treatment arms
 at an alpha of 0.05. The number of subjects needed for future full-scale clinical studies
 will be dependent on the coefficient of variation of repeated baseline quantitative MRI scans
 and the change in plaque volume (primary end-point) following an intervention. These
 parameters will be defined by the proposed pilot study.

 10.0 DATA COLLECTION, MONITORING AND AE REPORTING

 10.1 Case Report Forms

 Case Report Forms (CRFs) will be provided for each subject. Subjects must not be identified
 by name on any study documents. Subjects will be identified by the Patient Identification
 Number (PIN) and Study Identification Number (SID). All data on the CRF will be legibly
 recorded in black ink or typed. Corrections will be made by striking the incorrect entry with
 a single line through it and then adding the correct information adjacent to it. The
 corrections will be initialed and dated by the investigator or designated qualified
 individual. Any requested information that is not obtained as specified in the protocol will
 be indicated on the CRFs as "not done" (ND) or "not applicable" (NA).

 10.2 Data Management

 The CRF design and data management will be performed by the PI and research assistants.

 10.3 Monitoring

 The PI will review the research records for accuracy, completeness and legibility. The
 investigator or designated qualified individual will make study documents (eg consent forms,
 drug distribution forms, case report forms) and pertinent hospital or clinic records
 available for inspection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for conformation of the
 data.

 10.4 Adverse Experience (AE) Reporting

 Adverse Experiences (AEs) will be monitored throughout the study and such events will be
 recorded on the Adverse Experience Case Report Forms. An AE is defined as any unfavorable and
 unintended change in the structure, function or chemistry of the body temporally associated
 with the use of the study medication, whether or not considered related to the use of the
 product. The AEs will be graded on a three-point scale (mild, moderate severe) and a drug
 relationship assigned.

 Any serious or unexpected adverse events will be reported within 24 hours to the FDA and the
 IRB of the University of Pennsylvania. Adverse events are defined as serious when they are
 fatal, life-threatening or result in in-patient hospitalization or prolongation of
 hospitalization. In addition the occurrence of malignancy is always considered serious
 adverse advents. Adverse events are considered unexpected if their occurrence, or severity or
 frequency have not been previously reported in concomitance with Niaspan or HMGCoA reductase
 inhibitor therapy.

 11.0 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 11.1 Institutional Review Board (IRB)

 The study protocol will be reviewed by the committee on Studies involving Human Beings at the
 University of Pennsylvania. A copy of the letter of approval and correspondence with the IRB
 will be retained by the investigators.

 11.2 Informed Consent

 Written informed consent will be obtained from every volunteer participating in the study
 after adequate explanation of the object of the study and possibly adverse effects of the
 drug treatment.

 11.3 Subject Confidentiality

 The medical information gathered during this study will be treated confidentially except as
 may be required by law. Regulatory authorities, including the US Food and Drug
 Administration, might review the medical records to verify the accuracy of the information
 collected. Subjects will not be identified by name on any study documents and, if the results
 are published the subjects' identity will not be disclosed.

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Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Age > 18 and < 90 years

 -  Capacity for giving written informed consent

 -  Carotid stenosis of > 30% by ultrasound criteria

 -  LDL cholesterol level of > 100mg/dl

 -  Systolic BP < 170 and diastolic BP < 100 under resting conditions

 -  Negative pregnancy test if female of child-bearing potential

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Recent (< 3 months) history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial
 infarction, unstable angina or critical limb ischemia

 -  Contraindications to MRI (claustrophobia, presence of pacemakers, defibrillators,
 metal foreign bodies)

 -  History of side effect/adverse reaction on HMGCoA reductase inhibitor

 -  Niaspan or niacin

 -  Poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c > 8%)

 -  History of myositis, liver disease or abnormal LFTs

 -  Need for combination therapy for the control of severe hyperlipidemia

 -  Abnormal LFT (> 2 fold upper limit normal)

 -  Active infection or malignancy