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Can an immune-targeting antibody reverse sudden losses in down syndrome?
NCT ID NCT07812181
First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Down syndrome regression disorder (DSRD) causes a sudden loss of thinking, language, or daily skills in some people with Down syndrome. Researchers are testing ublituximab, an antibody that targets immune cells, in 20 adults aged 18 to 40 who have DSRD and did not respond well enough to standard treatments. Participants receive two intravenous infusions and are followed for 24 weeks to check safety and look for changes in cognition, behavior, and daily functioning. The study has no comparison group, so it can only suggest whether the drug is worth testing further.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ublituximab, a monoclonal antibody given by intravenous infusion
- What this could lead to
- If it works, ublituximab could offer a new treatment option for adults with Down syndrome regression disorder who do not improve enough with current first-line therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-arm phase II study with no comparison group, so any improvements could reflect chance or natural recovery rather than the drug. Ublituximab suppresses part of the immune system and can cause infusion reactions or infections.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 40 years, inclusive at time of consent * Diagnosis of Down syndrome (trisomy 21 or translocation type) * Diagnosis of possible or probable Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD) based on 2022 International Consensus Criteria * History of partial response or non-response to first-line treatment (e.g., lorazepam, SSRIs, corticosteroids, and/or IVIg). Partial response = 10-50% improvement, Non-response = \<10% improvement, Based on BFCRS or NPI-Q after 3 months of treatment. * Ability to attend all study visits with a study partner or legally authorized representative * Study partner willing to comply with all study procedures * Willingness to complete required washout periods for medications that may interfere with the study * Highly effective contraception for reproductive participants and partners of childbearing potential. * Study partner/LAR sufficiently proficient in English to complete assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Mosaic Down syndrome * Weight \< 40 kg at screening * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Current or past tobacco smoking * Poor venous access or inability to comply with IV procedures * Use of IVIg within 8 weeks prior to baseline * Use of immunosuppressive drugs within 12 weeks prior to baseline * Prior treatment with anti-CD20 or B-cell therapies within required washout unless B-cell recovery criteria are met * Other immunosuppressive biologics within 24 months. * Any prior use of chemotherapeutic agents (e.g., methotrexate, cyclophosphamide) * History of solid organ transplant * Recent receipt of blood or plasma products (≤30 days) * Clinically significant cardiac disease, clotting disorder, or other serious medical condition * Active or chronic infection of clinical significance (including HBV, HCV, TB, HIV per protocol criteria) * History of malignancy * Abnormal screening labs indicating unacceptable risk * Receipt of live or live-attenuated vaccines within 4 weeks prior to treatment * Untreated thyroid disease (hypo- or hyperthyroidism) * History of moyamoya syndrome or stroke * Wards of the state * Employees or students of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) * Prior neurosurgical intervention (exceptions for longstanding shunts) * Current investigational therapy/prohibited medications * Detailed HBV, HCV, and TB criteria * Requirement for B-cell recovery \>50 cells/μL after prior anti-CD20 therapy.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
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Study contacts
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90027, United States
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
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