E.1 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.1 | Medical condition(s) being investigated |
Repair of cartilage defects of the knee (medial or lateral femoral condyle or tibial plateau, trochlea or patella) caused by traumatic events or osteochondritis dissecans (defect size is ≥ 4 and ≤ 12cm²). |
|
E.1.1.1 | Medical condition in easily understood language |
Repair of cartilage defects of the knee. |
|
E.1.1.2 | Therapeutic area | Body processes [G] - Cell Physiological Phenomena [G04] |
MedDRA Classification |
E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.2 | Version | 20.0 |
E.1.2 | Level | LLT |
E.1.2 | Classification code | 10007702 |
E.1.2 | Term | Cartilage biopsy |
E.1.2 | System Organ Class | 100000004848 |
|
E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.2 | Version | 20.0 |
E.1.2 | Level | PT |
E.1.2 | Classification code | 10052913 |
E.1.2 | Term | Cartilage operation |
E.1.2 | System Organ Class | 10042613 - Surgical and medical procedures |
|
E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.2 | Version | 21.1 |
E.1.2 | Level | LLT |
E.1.2 | Classification code | 10007705 |
E.1.2 | Term | Cartilage damage |
E.1.2 | System Organ Class | 100000004863 |
|
E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.2 | Version | 20.0 |
E.1.2 | Level | LLT |
E.1.2 | Classification code | 10057104 |
E.1.2 | Term | Cartilage repair |
E.1.2 | System Organ Class | 10042613 - Surgical and medical procedures |
|
E.1.2 Medical condition or disease under investigation |
E.1.2 | Version | 20.0 |
E.1.2 | Level | PT |
E.1.2 | Classification code | 10064112 |
E.1.2 | Term | Cartilage graft |
E.1.2 | System Organ Class | 10042613 - Surgical and medical procedures |
|
E.1.3 | Condition being studied is a rare disease | No |
E.2 Objective of the trial |
E.2.1 | Main objective of the trial |
To demonstrate efficacy of NOVOCART® Inject plus for the treatment of cartilage defects of the knee based on the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) responder rate 24 month after transplantation. |
|
E.2.2 | Secondary objectives of the trial |
1. Further assessment of patients’ evaluation of efficacy of NOVOCART® Inject plus in terms of symptoms, function, quality of life and satisfaction with NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation 2. To assess the physicians’ evaluation of the functional efficacy of NOVOCART® Inject plus 3. To evaluate cartilage (tissue-structure) regenerative effects of NOVOCART® Inject plus in a subgroup of 48 patients 4. To assess the treatment failure rate and time to treatment failure 5. To characterize the safe use of NOVOCART® Inject plus and the related surgical procedures Further objectives in this trial are to assess 1. Durability of the treatment effect 2. Long-term safety 3. Health economics analyses 4. Correlations between biological activity and quality and potency measurements (optional)
|
|
E.2.3 | Trial contains a sub-study | No |
E.3 | Principal inclusion criteria |
Pre-operative inclusion criteria: At visit 1 patients must meet the following inclusion criteria for enrollment; all criteria must be answered with “yes” before the patient is scheduled for tissue harvest: 1. Patient is ≥ 18 and ≤ 65 years old at screening. Pediatric patients (14 to 17 years) with closed epiphysis may be included in selected countries. Closure of the distal femoral epiphysis of the target knee needs to be confirmed by MRI or x-ray. 2. Patients with focal articular cartilage defect(s) of the femoral condyle (medial or lateral), the trochlea, the patella or the tibial plateau (medial or lateral) of the knee. 3. Patient has one or two defects in the target knee with a defect-grade of III or IV according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification or grade III or IV ICRS classification of osteochondritis dissecans lesions (ICRS-OCD). 4. If the patient has only one grade III or IV defect, the size of the defect is ≥ 4 and ≤ 12 cm2 post debridement. If the patient has two grade III or IV cartilage defects the total defect size is ≥ 4 and≤ 12 cm2 post debridement. The defects must be located on different knee joint areas and both cartilage defects are to be treated with NOVOCART® Inject plus. 5. Patient has an intact, well-contained chondral structure surrounding the defect (i.e. no diffusely thinned-out cartilage surface) and an intact articulating joint surface opposite to the defect(s) to be treated (≤ Grade I ICRS or ICRS-OCD classification). 6. Patient has intact menisci in the target knee; a maximum of 50% resection per meniscus is allowed. Completely healed meniscal transplants are accepted. 7. Patient has a stable knee joint or sufficiently reconstructed ligaments and no patella malalignment or a sufficiently corrected patella malalignment. Ligament repair is accepted, if performed before, during or within 6 weeks after NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation. Correction of patella malalignment must be performed before or during NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation. 8. Patient has free range of motion (ROM) of the affected knee joint or ≤ 10° of active extension and flexion loss (compared to the other knee). 9. Patient has a baseline score of < 65/100 in the overall KOOS (KOOS5). 10. Only for female patients of childbearing potential (sexually mature, pre-menopausal and not surgically sterile): the patient is willing to use a medically accepted method of contraception until the day of NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation. 11. Patient is willing and able to give written informed consent to participate in the study and to comply with all follow-up visits and assessments and the postoperative rehabilitation program. Intraoperative inclusion criteria: At visit 2, the following inclusion criteria from visit 1 need to be confirmed; all criteria must be answered with “yes” before the patient is considered eligible for the study: 1. Patient is not pregnant as confirmed by urine pregnancy test before arthroscopy 2. Patients with focal articular cartilage defect(s) of the femoral condyle (medial or lateral), the trochlea, the patella or the tibial plateau (medial or lateral) of the knee. 3. Patient has one or two defects in the target knee with a defect-grade of III or IV according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification or grade III or IV ICRS classification of osteochondritis dissecans lesions (ICRS-OCD). 4. If the patient has only one grade III or IV defect, the size of the defect is ≥ 4 and ≤ 12 cm2 post debridement. If the patient has two grade III or IV cartilage defects the total defect size is ≥ 4 and ≤ 12 cm2 post debridement. The defects must be located on different knee joint areas and both cartilage defects are to be treated with NOVOCART® Inject plus. 5. Patient has an intact, well-contained chondral structure surrounding the defect (i.e. no diffusely thinned out cartilage surface) and an intact articulating joint surface opposite to the defect(s) to be treated (≤ Grade I ICRS or ICRS-OCD classification). 6. Patient has intact menisci; a maximum of 50% resection per meniscus is allowed. Completely healed meniscal transplants are accepted.
|
|
E.4 | Principal exclusion criteria |
Pre-operative exclusion criteria (most important listed): At visit 1 none of the following exclusion criteria must apply to any eligible patient; all criteria must be answered with “no” before the patient is scheduled for tissue harvest: 1. Patient is unable to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 2. Patient has grade II cartilage defects according to the ICRS or ICRS-OCD classification in the target knee. 3. Patient has more than 2 grade III or IV cartilage defects according to the ICRS or ICRS-OCD classification in the target knee. 4. The cartilage defects (ICRS or ICRS-OCD grade I or III or IV) affect more than 3 out of 6 joint areas1 of the target knee. 5. Patient had a prior biologic reconstructive procedure (e.g. microfracture, mosaicplasty, chondrocyte transplantation) in the target knee at a location different from the defect location to be treated in the study. Prior biologic reconstructive procedures are accepted, if the previously treated defect is the same defect that is planned to be treated with NOVOCART® Inject plus (i.e. the prior method has failed) and these procedures were performed ≥ 24 months prior to screening visit 1. 6. Patient had other prior surgical interventions interfering with the assessment of the NOVOCART® Inject plus treatment. Prior diagnostic arthroscopies with debridement and lavage are acceptable. 7. Patients with subchondral bone defects more than 2 mm deep (after resection of affected bone) unless adjuvant defect filling will be performed before or during NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation. 8. Patient has degenerative joint disease in the target knee as determined by Kellgren and Lawrence grade >2. 9. Patient has chronic inflammatory arthritis and/or infectious arthritis. 10. Patient has joint space narrowing > 1/3 in the target knee when compared to the other knee or < 3 mm joint space. 11. Patient has malalignment (valgus- or varus-deformity) in the target knee. 12. Patient has arthrofibrosis in the target knee. 13. Patient has diffuse chondromalacia (grade 1 ‘softening or swelling of cartilage’ according to Outerbridge allowed). 14. Patient has metabolic arthropathies (e.g. gout, pseudo-gout) 15. Patient has bilateral lower limb pain or low back pain. 16. Patient has a known systemic connective tissue disease. 17. Patient has a current uncontrolled diabetes. 18. Patient has a known history of autoimmune disease. 19. Patient has a known history of immunological suppressive disorder or is taking immunosuppressants. 20. Patient is currently systemically or intra-articularly taking steroids and/or has used steroids within the last 30 days prior to screening visit 1. 21. The patient has a history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), syphilis (Treponema pallidum) or active hepatitis B or C (HCV) infection with verified antigens. Patients with a cured hepatitis B or C infection and/or verified antibodies are not excluded. 22. The patient has a history of borreliosis. 23. The patient has an active systemic or local (at the site of surgery) infection, eczematization or inflammable skin alterations. 25. Patient has a known history of osteoporosis, uncontrolled primary hyperparathyroidism or hyperthyroidism, chronic renal failure or prior pathological fractures independent of the genesis. 26. Patient has any degenerative muscular or neurological condition that would interfere with evaluation of outcome measures including but not limited to Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or multiple sclerosis (MS). 27. Patient has a body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m2. 32. Patient has a known intolerance to any constituents of NOVOCART® Inject plus. 33. Patient has comorbidities preventing the patient from undergoing surgery Intraoperative exclusion criteria: At visit 2, the following exclusion criteria from visit 1 need to be confirmed; all criteria must be answered with “no” before the patient is considered eligible for the study: 1. Patient has grade II cartilage defects according to the ICRS or ICRS-OCD classification in the target knee. 2. Patient has more than 2 grade III or IV cartilage defects according to the ICRS or ICRS-OCD classification in the target knee. 3. The cartilage defects (ICRS or ICRS-OCD grade I or III or IV) affect more than 3 out of 6 joint areas2 of the target knee. 4. Patients with subchondral bone defects more than 2 mm deep (after resection of affected bone) unless adjuvant defect filling will be performed before or during NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation. 5. Patient has arthrofibrosis in the target knee. 6. Patient has diffuse chondromalacia (grade 1 ‘softening or swelling of cartilage’ according to Outerbridge allowed).
|
|
E.5 End points |
E.5.1 | Primary end point(s) |
The primary endpoint in this trial is the responder rate based on the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS5) defined as the average of the 5 subscale scores (ensuring identical weight from all subscales) at the 24 months follow-up assessment. The KOOS5 responder rate is defined as the proportion of patients with ≥ 10 points improvement in the KOOS5 from baseline to the 24 months visit. |
|
E.5.1.1 | Timepoint(s) of evaluation of this end point |
24-months follow-up assessment |
|
E.5.2 | Secondary end point(s) |
1. Change in the KOOS5 from baseline to the 24 months assessment 2. Change in the 5 individual subscores of the KOOS from baseline to the 24 months assessment 3. Change from baseline in the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score from baseline to the 24 months assessment 4. IKDC subjective score responder rate, defined as the proportion of patients with > 20.5 points improvement in the IKDC subjective score from baseline to the 24 months visit 5. Change from baseline to the 24 months visit in the EQ-5D-5L question¬naire 6. Change from baseline to the 24 months visit in activity level/ functional status 7. Patient satisfaction with treatment 24 months after NOVOCART® Inject plus transplantation 8. Change from baseline to the 24 months visit in the grading according to the IKDC surgeons part 9. In vivo performance measured by the 24 months morphological assessment of the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score and biochemical MR assessement by T2 mapping in a subgroup of 48 patients 10. Treatment failure rate: intraoperatively diagnosed treatment failures are defined as all surgical re-interventions affecting the closed surface of the transplant area (the surface is not closed when the defect area is grade 3 or 4 ICRS) and/or require additional cartilage repair modalities on the target defect. Explanatory note: (1) Removal of hypertrophic tissue is not regarded as treatment failure unless the closed graft surface is affected. (2) Correction of insufficient graft integration, e.g. by microfracturing the gap between graft and surrounding cartilage of the originally treated defect, is regarded as treatment failure. (3) Treatment of adjacent defects to the originally treated defect is no treatment failure. 11. Time to treatment failure 12. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) from baseline to the 24 months assessment
|
|
E.5.2.1 | Timepoint(s) of evaluation of this end point |
Please refer to point E.5.2 |
|
E.6 and E.7 Scope of the trial |
E.6 | Scope of the trial |
E.6.1 | Diagnosis | No |
E.6.2 | Prophylaxis | No |
E.6.3 | Therapy | Yes |
E.6.4 | Safety | Yes |
E.6.5 | Efficacy | Yes |
E.6.6 | Pharmacokinetic | No |
E.6.7 | Pharmacodynamic | No |
E.6.8 | Bioequivalence | No |
E.6.9 | Dose response | No |
E.6.10 | Pharmacogenetic | No |
E.6.11 | Pharmacogenomic | No |
E.6.12 | Pharmacoeconomic | No |
E.6.13 | Others | No |
E.7 | Trial type and phase |
E.7.1 | Human pharmacology (Phase I) | No |
E.7.1.1 | First administration to humans | No |
E.7.1.2 | Bioequivalence study | No |
E.7.1.3 | Other | No |
E.7.1.3.1 | Other trial type description | |
E.7.2 | Therapeutic exploratory (Phase II) | No |
E.7.3 | Therapeutic confirmatory (Phase III) | Yes |
E.7.4 | Therapeutic use (Phase IV) | No |
E.8 Design of the trial |
E.8.1 | Controlled | No |
E.8.1.1 | Randomised | No |
E.8.1.2 | Open | Yes |
E.8.1.3 | Single blind | No |
E.8.1.4 | Double blind | No |
E.8.1.5 | Parallel group | No |
E.8.1.6 | Cross over | No |
E.8.1.7 | Other | No |
E.8.2 | Comparator of controlled trial |
E.8.2.1 | Other medicinal product(s) | No |
E.8.2.2 | Placebo | No |
E.8.2.3 | Other | No |
E.8.3 |
The trial involves single site in the Member State concerned
| No |
E.8.4 | The trial involves multiple sites in the Member State concerned | Yes |
E.8.4.1 | Number of sites anticipated in Member State concerned | 3 |
E.8.5 | The trial involves multiple Member States | Yes |
E.8.5.1 | Number of sites anticipated in the EEA | 19 |
E.8.6 Trial involving sites outside the EEA |
E.8.6.1 | Trial being conducted both within and outside the EEA | Yes |
E.8.6.2 | Trial being conducted completely outside of the EEA | No |
E.8.6.3 | If E.8.6.1 or E.8.6.2 are Yes, specify the regions in which trial sites are planned |
Czech Republic |
Germany |
Hungary |
Lithuania |
Poland |
Switzerland |
|
E.8.7 | Trial has a data monitoring committee | Yes |
E.8.8 |
Definition of the end of the trial and justification where it is not the last
visit of the last subject undergoing the trial
|
|
E.8.9 Initial estimate of the duration of the trial |
E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned years | 6 |
E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned months | 5 |
E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned days | |
E.8.9.2 | In all countries concerned by the trial years | 6 |
E.8.9.2 | In all countries concerned by the trial months | 7 |