Title
N-Acetylcysteine in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease
N-Acetylcysteine in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease - Reducing the Incidence of Daily Life Pain
Phase
Phase 3Lead Sponsor
University of AmsterdamStudy Type
InterventionalStatus
Completed No Results PostedIndication/Condition
Sickle Cell DiseaseIntervention/Treatment
acetylcysteine ...Study Participants
96The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the drug N-Acetylcysteine on the frequency of pain in daily life in patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
Pain is an invalidating hallmark of this disease and has a considerable impact on the Quality of Life of patients and the medical health care system. Oxidative stress is hypothesized to play a central role in its pathophysiology. In pilot studies the administration of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) resulted in a reduction of oxidative stress. Moreover, administration of NAC seemed to decrease hospitalization for painful crises in a small pilot study in patients with SCD.
This study will be performed as a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial where patients will be treated with either NAC or placebo for a period of 6 months. The investigators expect that NAC can reduce the frequency of pain in patients with SCD, thereby improving their quality of life and participation in society.
N-Acetylcysteine 600mg 1 oral tablet twice daily during 6 months
Inclusion Criteria: Age 12 years or older Sickle cell disease, either homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS), compound heterozygous sickle cell disease (HbSC), HbSβ0 or HbSβ+ thalassemia History of at least 1.0 painful crisis per year in the past 3 years (visit to medical facility is not required) Exclusion Criteria: Chronic blood transfusion or transfusion in the preceding 3 months Painful crisis in the last 4 weeks (with respect to the moment of inclusion) Pregnancy, breast feeding or the desire to get pregnant in the following 7 months Known active gastric/duodenal ulcers Hydroxycarbamide (HC) treatment with unstable dose in the last 3 months or started on HC shorter then 6 months prior to study Known poor compliance in earlier trials regarding the completion of pain diaries Insufficient compliance in run-in period Known hypersensitivity to acetylcysteine or one of the other components of the study medication Use of pain medication for sickle-cell related pains on more than 15 days per month in the past 6 months ('chronic pain').