EASEE4YOU – A clinical investigation of the safety and efficacy of transcranial focal cortex stimulation with the EASEE® System FOR the treatment of medically refractory focal epilepsy in YOUng patients, aged 12 to 17 years.

Organizational Data

DRKS-ID:
DRKS00031722
Recruitment Status:
Recruiting ongoing
Date of registration in DRKS:
2023-04-25
Last update in DRKS:
2024-03-11
Registration type:
Prospective

Acronym/abbreviation of the study

No Entry

URL of the study

No Entry

Brief summary in lay language

Why is the clinical trial being conducted? In the planned clinical trial, the EASEE® System will be used for the first time in adolescent patients aged 12 to 17 years. The safety, tolerability and efficacy of the therapy in this age group will be tested. What is EASEE®? EASEE® is a new neurostimulation therapy developed to treat patients with focal epilepsy who have not benefited adequately from medications. It is a medical device that is implanted, consisting of a pulse generator and an electrode. In a minimally invasive surgical procedure, the electrode is slid under the scalp and placed on the skull. The skull bone does not have to be opened for this. The pulse generator is implanted under the skin in the chest area. Stimulation is delivered automatically and continuously and is designed to reduce the patient's seizure burden. The EASEE® system has been tested in 33 adult patients to date and has received CE Mark for adult treatment in September 2022. However, no approval is yet available for minors, meaning only patients participating in this clinical trial can receive this new treatment.

Brief summary in scientific language

This is a clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcranial focal cortex stimulation with the EASEE® System in individuals aged between 12 and 17 years. This is the first time the EASEE® System is being used in this age group. The EASEE® System was tested clinically in adults before and received CE-mark in September 2022.

Health condition or problem studied

ICD10:
G40.1 - Localization-related (focal)(partial) symptomatic epilepsy and epileptic syndromes with simple partial seizures
Healthy volunteers:
No

Interventions, Observational Groups

Arm 1:
Treatment: After completion of the baseline period, patients are implanted with the EASEE®- system. After the one-month recovery period, the EASEE® system is configured according to the protocol/ IFU and stimulation is activated.

Endpoints

Primary outcome:
Responder rate at month 6 of active stimulation (month 7 post-implantation). The responder rate is defined as the proportion of subjects who experienced at least 50% reduction in seizure frequency respective to baseline.
Secondary outcome:
1. Responder rate at 4-, 12-, 18-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation. 2. Percentage change in seizure frequency respective to baseline at 1-, 4-, 7-, 12-, 18-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation. 3. Seizure free days at 4-, 7-, 12-, 18-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation compared to baseline. 4. Seizure severity (ordinal scale seizure diary) at 4-, 7-, 12, 18-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation compared to baseline. 5. Seizure duration (ordinal scale seizure diary) at 4-, 7-, 12, 18-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation compared to baseline. 6. QOL as assessed by QOLIE-AD-48 at 12-, 24-, and 36 months post-implantation compared to baseline. 7. Mood as assessed by BDI-II at 8-, 12-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation compared to baseline. 8. Seizure-related absence days for subject and/ or caregiver (e.g. school, work, education) at 7-, 12-, 18-, 24- and 36 months post-implantation compared to baseline.

Study Design

Purpose:
Treatment
Allocation:
N/A (single arm study)
Control:
  • Uncontrolled/single arm
Phase:
II
Study type:
Interventional
Mechanism of allocation concealment:
No Entry
Blinding:
No
Assignment:
Single (group)
Sequence generation:
No Entry
Who is blinded:
No Entry

Recruitment

Recruitment Status:
Recruiting ongoing
Reason if recruiting stopped or withdrawn:
No Entry

Recruitment Locations

Recruitment countries:
  • Germany
Number of study centers:
Multicenter study
Recruitment location(s):
  • University medical center Neurozentrum , Epilepsiezentrum und Abteilung Stereotaktische und Funktionelle Neurochirurgie Freiburg
  • University medical center Klinik für Kinderheilkunde Heidelberg
  • Medical center Epilepsiezentrum Kork Kehl-Kork
  • Medical center Schön Klinik Vogtareuth Vogtareuth
  • University medical center Epilepsiezentrum Frankfurt Rhein-Main Frankfurt
  • University medical center Neurochirurgische Klinik Heidelberg

Recruitment period and number of participants

Planned study start date:
2023-04-29
Actual study start date:
2023-05-24
Planned study completion date:
2028-06-30
Actual Study Completion Date:
No Entry
Target Sample Size:
35
Final Sample Size:
No Entry

Inclusion Criteria

Sex:
All
Minimum Age:
12 Years
Maximum Age:
17 Years
Additional Inclusion Criteria:
1. Subject has focal or focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (ILAE classification). 2. Subject has a predominant epileptic focus that can be clearly identified as the implantation site for the electrode based on EEG and / or MRI and clinical semiology. 3. If epilepsy surgery has previously taken place, subject shall have a clearly recognizable epileptic focus and a preserved neocortex in the implantation area. 4. Subjects having seizures which are distinct, stereotypical events. 5. Subject has ≥3 seizures per month (30 days). 6. Subject has seizures which, in the opinion of the Investigator, can be reliably counted and recorded in the seizure diary by the subject and/ or caregiver for the duration of the study. 7. Subjects with drug resistant epilepsy – DRE (ILAE definition). 8. Subject had a stable dose of anti-seizure medications in the 30 days preceding enrolment. 9. Female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test prior to implantation and be willing to use a reliable method of contraception (hormonal, barrier method, surgical or abstention) for duration of study. 10. Subject is aged 12 years to 17 years at the time of implantation of the EASEE System. 11. Subject and/or legal guardian understands study procedures and has voluntarily signed an informed consent. 12. Subject and/or caregiver is able and willing to comply with the frequency of study visits and required study procedures. 13. In the Investigator's opinion, subject can tolerate a neurosurgical procedure (including general anaesthesia).

Exclusion Criteria

1. Subject has been diagnosed with primary generalized epilepsy. 2. Subject has been diagnosed with psychogenic or non-epileptic seizures. 3. Subject has been diagnosed with a clinically significant or unstable medical condition (including alcohol and / or drug abuse) or progressive central nervous system disease at a significant risk of deterioration during the study period. 4. Subject has been diagnosed with active psychosis, major depression, or suicidal ideation in the preceding year (except for post-ictal psychosis). 5. Subject is pregnant. 6. Subject is currently participating in another interventional trial (e.g. device or drug). 7. Subject is anatomically unsuitable for the implantation of an EASEE® System in the opinion of the Investigator. This includes, but is not limited to, intra- or extracranial metal implants in the electrode implantation area, which cannot be safely removed during the implantation procedure (e.g., CranioFix®2 titanium clamp, artificial skull plates, screws, etc.). 8. Subject is implanted with a medical device that delivers electrical currents to the body, except for an existing VNS device that can be reliably switched off for the duration of the study. 9. Subject is unable to express presence of pain or discomfort. 10. Subject is likely to receive diathermy procedures, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, or similar (please refer to IFU). 11. Subject and caregiver is unable to operate the EASEE® Access handheld device.

Addresses

Primary Sponsor

Address:
Precisis GmbH
Anja Resler
Margot-Becke-Ring 8
69124 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
+49 6221 655 93 00
Fax:
+49 6221 655 93 10
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
https://precisis.de/de/
Investigator Sponsored/Initiated Trial (IST/IIT):
No

Contact for Scientific Queries

Address:
Abteilung Stereotaktische und Funktionelle Neurochirurgie, Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Neurozentrum, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg
Prof. Dr. Volker Arnd Coenen
Breisacher Str. 64
79106 Freiburg
Germany
Telephone:
+49 761 270-50630
Fax:
+49 761 270-50100
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
https://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/stereotaxie.html

Contact for Public Queries

Address:
Precisis GmbH
Anja Resler
Margot-Becke-Ring 8
69124 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
+49 6221 655 93 00
Fax:
+49 6221 655 93 10
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
https://precisis.de/de/company/

Principal Investigator

Address:
Abteilung Stereotaktische und Funktionelle Neurochirurgie, Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Neurozentrum, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg
Prof. Dr. Volker Arnd Coenen
Breisacher Str. 64
79106 Freiburg
Germany
Telephone:
+49 761 270-50630
Fax:
+49 761 270-50100
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
https://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/stereotaxie.html

Sources of Monetary or Material Support

Commercial (pharmaceutical industry, medical engineering industry, etc.)

Address:
Precisis GmbH
Margot-Becke-Ring 8
69124 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
+49 6221 655 93 00
Fax:
+49 6221 655 93 10
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
https://precisis.de/de/company/

Public funding institutions financed by tax money/Government funding body (German Research Foundation (DFG), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), etc.)

Address:
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung Dienstsitz Berlin
Kapelle-Ufer 1
10117 Berlin
Germany
Telephone:
+49 30 18 57 0
Fax:
+49 30 18 57-5270
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
https://www.bmbf.de/bmbf/de/home/home_node.html

Ethics Committee

Address Ethics Committee

Address:
Ethik-Kommission der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Engelberger Str. 21
79106 Freiburg
Germany
Telephone:
+49-761-27072600
Fax:
No Entry
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
http://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/ethikkommission.html

Vote of leading Ethics Committee

Vote of leading Ethics Committee
Date of ethics committee application:
2022-09-02
Ethics committee number:
22-1364_1-MPDG-ff
Vote of the Ethics Committee:
Approved
Date of the vote:
2022-12-15

Further identification numbers

Other primary registry ID:
No Entry
EudraCT Number:
No Entry
UTN (Universal Trial Number):
No Entry
EUDAMED Number:
CIV-22-09-040668

IPD - Individual Participant Data

Do you plan to make participant-related data (IPD) available to other researchers in an anonymized form?:
No
IPD Sharing Plan:
After statistical analysis, the clinical trial data are comprehensively summarized in an original publication and submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal for publication.

Study protocol and other study documents

Study protocols:
No Entry
Study abstract:
No Entry
Other study documents:
No Entry
Background literature:
No Entry
Related DRKS studies:
DRKS00015918 - Pilotstudie, Erwachsene
DRKS00017833 - Vorgängerstudie, Erwachsene

Publication of study results

Planned publication:
No Entry
Publikationen/Studienergebnisse:
No Entry
Date of first publication of study results:
No Entry
DRKS entry published for the first time with results:
No Entry

Basic reporting

Basic Reporting / Results tables:
No Entry
Brief summary of results:
No Entry