Recruiting
Phase 2

LXE408

Sponsor:

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Code:

NCT06632600

Conditions

Chagas Disease

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

LXE408

Placebo

Benznidazole

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study is to investigate the ability of LXE408 to clear or reduce the level of parasites in the blood of people with chronic Chagas disease. Participants must have chronic Chagas disease without severe organ dysfunction.

Conditions

Chagas Disease

Study ID

NCT06632600

Start date

Apr 28, 2025

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Jan 21, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 22, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female participants aged ≥ 18 years to ≤ 60 years old
  • Confirmed diagnosis of T. cruzi infection
  • History that participant has been determined to be in chronic phase of CD
  • Written informed consent must be obtained before any assessment is performed, and participants should express understanding of the consent form and the study
  • Participants must be considered by the investigator eligible for and able to comply with local prescribing information for benznidazole
  • Ability and willingness to communicate well with the investigator/study site and comply with requirements of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Signs (on physical examination) and/or symptoms of CD in the acute phase as determined by the investigator at screening
  • History of CD treatment with benznidazole or nifurtimox at any time in the past
  • History of and/or current (at screening) symptoms or signs (physical examination findings) of moderate or severe CD-related gastrointestinal disease
  • Participants who weigh < 50 kg or >90kg at screening
  • At sites conducting the MRI assessments, participants may participate in the overall study, but will be excluded from the MRI assessment if they have contraindications to MRI imaging
  • Any clinically significant disease during screening that, in the opinion of the investigator, would put the safety of the participant at risk through participating, or which would affect the efficacy or safety analysis if the disease/condition exacerbated during the study, or would compromise participant compliance or preclude completion of the study
  • Documented history or current findings at screening of clinically significant cardiovascular conditions such as, but not limited to: unstable ischemic heart disease; NYHA Class III/IV heart failure (due to Chagas disease or other conditions); arrhythmias
  • Known or suspected ongoing, chronic or recurrent viral, bacterial or fungal infectious diseases including but not limited to: Tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, severe malaria, atypical mycobacterial infection, listeriosis, aspergillosis, or endemic mycoses, and/or documented positivity for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

  • Participants with controlled HIV on antiretroviral therapy are eligible to participate if CD4 ≥ 500 at screening
  • History of lymphoproliferative disease or any known malignancy or history of malignancy of any organ system within the past 5 years prior to screening (except for basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis that have been treated with no evidence of recurrence in the past 3 months, carcinoma in situ of the cervix or non-invasive malignant colon polyps that have been removed)
  • Any surgical or medical condition which might significantly alter the absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of drugs, or which may jeopardize the participant during the study period

  • Pancreatic injury or pancreatitis: If any single parameter of amylase or lipase exceeds 1.5x ULN at screening Participants with known recurrent pancreatitis (more than 1 episode in lifetime, from any cause) are excluded
  • Liver disease or liver injury as indicated by abnormal liver function tests (LFTs):

Any single parameter of ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase must not exceed 1.5x ULN at screening Serum bilirubin must not exceed the ULN at screening elevated serum bilirubin is not excluded if there is a documented history of Gilbert's Syndrome

  • History of renal disease as indicated by creatinine level above 1.5x ULN or microalbuminuria at screening; Evidence of urinary obstruction, or difficulty in voiding at screening; evidence of congenital renal abnormalities with known effect on renal function; calculated eGFR <60 mL/min (<0.835 mL/s) using the CKD-EPI formula for adults

  • Participants with screening hematology parameters outside of the thresholds
  • Current use of medications prohibited by the protocol at screening and/or baseline visits, or expected use of any prohibited medication during the study treatment period
  • Use of benznidazole in the blinded arms is prohibited until unblinding occurs after all participants complete Month 12.

  • Use of other investigational drugs at the time of study drug dosing
  • History of multiple and recurring allergies or allergy to the investigational compound/compound class being used in this study or to benznidazole
  • History of drug abuse or unhealthy alcohol use within the 12 months prior to dosing
  • Pregnant or nursing (lactating/breast-feeding) women
  • Women of child-bearing potential, defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, unless they are using highly effective methods of contraception during dosing and for 5 days after stopping of investigational drug and benznidazole
  • Participants who, in the opinion of the investigator, will not be able to comply with study procedures or visits, adhere to dosing schedule, or other otherwise be in compliance with study requirements

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.

Study Design

Enrollment

130 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: LXE408 28 days

LXE408 administered by oral route

experimental: LXE408 14 days and Placebo 14 days

LXE408 administered by oral route, followed by Placebo administered by oral route

placebo comparator: Placebo 28 days

Placebo administered by oral route

active comparator: Benznidazole 60 days

Benznidazole administered by oral route

Interventions

LXE408

LXE408 administered by oral route

Placebo

Placebo administered by oral route

Benznidazole

Benznidazole administered by oral route (administered as standard of care)

Primary outcome measure

  • Presence or absence of sustained parasitological clearance using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results over 6 months - LXE408 28 days versus placebo. [ Time Frame: At Months 2, 4, and 6 ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

+41613241111

Locations

Olive View UCLA Educ and Res Ins

Recruiting

Sylmar, California, United States, 91342

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Jonathan Soverow

University of Florida Shands

Recruiting

Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32610-0486

Contacts

Alexandra Taylor

tayloralexandra@ufl.edu

Principal Investigator:

Norman Beatty

Boston Medical Center

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Dan Bourque

Baylor College of Medicine

Recruiting

Houston, Texas, United States, 77030-3411

Contacts

Gaby McLucas

mclucas@bcm.edu

Principal Investigator:

Eva Clark

More Information

Sponsor

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Last update posted

Aug 19, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • LXE408
  • Chronic Chagas disease
  • Chronic indeterminate Chagas disease
  • Chronic Chagas disease without severe organ dysfunction
  • CICD
  • Chronic CD
  • Trypanosoma cruzi

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Novartis Pharmaceuticals on 2026-08-19.