An Open, Randomized-controlled, Multi-center Phase-II Clinical Trial of Individualized Immunosuppression With Intravenously Administered Donor Modified Immune Cells (MIC) Compared to Standard-of-care in Living Donor Kidney Transplantation
In this clinical trial the investigational medicinal product MIC is to be examined for its efficacy and safety in patients with living kidney transplantation. For this purpose the patients participating in the clinical trial and their associated kidney donors are randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups during the screening procedure. For the production of the investigational medicinal product MIC for the patients in the MIC therapy group mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood are obtained from the donors in a leukapheresis procedure. In the subsequent treatment phase, the patients in the MIC therapy group receive MIC as a weight-adjusted single dose administered intravenously. As part of the 12-month follow-up phase the kidney transplant and the corresponding immunosuppressive therapy will take place seven days later. Patients in the control group will receive a conventional standard immunosuppressive regimen without prior administration of the investigational medicinal product MIC after kidney transplantation. All patients taking part in this clinical trial are followed up for one year after kidney transplantation with regard to the efficacy and safety of MIC in regular visits at their study site. As the investigational medicinal product is an advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) all subjects will be monitored for a further 2 years after the end of the follow-up phase of the clinical trial. A total of 63 transplant pairs, consisting of donor and transplant recipient, are to be included in the clinical trial. The 63 patients will be randomized 2:1 to be treated with MIC (MIC group) or without MIC (control group). Additionally, low immunosuppression or minimal immunosuppression treatments will be used in the patients in the MIC group.
• Donors:
• Age ≥18 years and able to consent
• Ability to understand the nature and scope of the clinical trial
• Written consent form given prior to any trial-related procedures (including PBMC donation)
• Patients:
• Patient with CKD in stage 5 (e.g., estimated glomerular filtration rate \[eGFR\] \<15 mL/min and/or on renal replacement therapy), who are in preparation for kidney transplantation from a live donor
• Age ≥18 years, \<70 years
• ABO-blood group identical or compatible with donor
• First kidney transplantation
• Complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC)-panel reactive antibodies \<20%
• No detection of a donor-specific HLA-antibody in the Luminex-Assay (cutoff: mean fluorescence intensity \[MFI\] ≤1,000)
• Negative CDC crossmatch with the donor
• Negative PCR test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) at Screening
• Patient's living donor gave written consent for trial participation
⁃ Ability to understand the nature and scope of the clinical trial
⁃ Written informed consent given prior to any trial-related procedures
⁃ Female patients of childbearing potential must:
∙ have a negative pregnancy test (blood) at Screening.
‣ either commit to true abstinence from heterosexual contact or agree to use, and be able to comply with, 2 highly effective measures of contraception control (failure rate less than 1% per year when used consistently and correctly) without interruption, during the trial participation. Patients who discontinue mycophenolic acid derivate during the trial participation can switch to 1 highly effective contraceptive method 6 weeks after the end of mycophenolic acid derivative treatment. Reliable methods for this trial are: combined (estrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, intravaginal, transdermal), progestogen-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, injectable, implantable), intrauterine device, intrauterine hormone releasing system, bilateral tubal occlusion, sexual abstinence or vasectomized sexual partner. Abstinence from heterosexual contact is only accepted as true abstinence: when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the patient. (Periodic abstinence \[e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, post-ovulation methods and withdrawal\] is not an acceptable method of contraception.) Postmenopausal (no menses for at least 1 year without alternative medical cause) or surgically sterile female patients (tubal ligation, hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy) may be enrolled.
‣ agree to abstain from breast feeding during the trial participation.
⁃ Male patients must practice true abstinence or agree to use a condom during sexual contact with a pregnant woman or a woman of childbearing potential during the trial participation and for at least 90 days after the end of mycophenolic acid derivative treatment, even if he has undergone a successful vasectomy.