A safety evaluation of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients with severe sepsis: lessons in clinical research

Summary:

We conducted an open-label, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of drotrecogin alfa (activated) (Drot AA) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients with severe sepsis. Drot AA was administered as a continuous i.v. infusion of 24 μg/kg/h for 96 h. The target enrollment was 250 patients in 15–20 transplant centers over a 2-year period (March 2003–March 2005). However, after only 10 months, in December 2003, the trial was stopped due to a low enrollment of seven patients at three of the 15 sites that were open for accrual. Six of the seven patients completed the drug infusion. Two patients experienced serious bleeding events. The first patient developed a nonfatal diffuse alveolar hemorrhage 2 days after study-drug completion. The second patient had severe coagulopathy and developed a fatal intracranial hemorrhage on the third day of drug infusion. Three of the seven patients were alive 100 days after the HSCT. The slow enrollment rate was attributed to changes in transplant preparatory regimens, enhancements in antimicrobial prophylactic protocols and the use of antimicrobial-coated catheters. The small number of patients in this report precludes a definitive assessment of the safety and efficacy of Drot AA in HSCT patients.