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Pipamperone/Citalopram (PNB01) Versus Citalopram (CIT) and Versus Pipamperone (PIP) in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Pipamperone/Citalopram (PNB01) Versus Citalopram (CIT) and Versus Pipamperone (PIP) in the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): a Randomized, Double-blind Phase III Study of 10 Weeks

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01312922
Enrollment
555
Registered
2011-03-11
Start date
2011-09-30
Completion date
2012-12-31
Last updated
2022-04-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder

Brief summary

The overall objective of this trial is to demonstrate clinically relevant superior antidepressant efficacy of the fixed dose combination PNB01 (low dose pipamperone and citalopram) over reference antidepressant treatment with citalopram alone, and a low dose of psychoactive pipamperone alone in patients with moderate to severe Major Depressive Disorder. This study was specifically designed to assess patient related outcome (PRO) parameters using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) via telephone.

Detailed description

This is an international, double-blind, centrally randomized (stratified), multicenter study in 555 patients suffering from moderate to severe MDD in up to 40 sites in the USA, Germany and Canada. Eligible out-patients will be treated once daily (QD) with a fixed dose of either PNB01 (PIP 15 mg / CIT 20 mg (Week 1) - PIP 15 mg / CIT 40 mg (Week 2-10)), CIT alone (CIT 20 mg (Week 1) - CIT 40 mg (Week 2-10) or PIP 15 mg alone (Week 1-10) in a 1:1:1 ratio in a double-blind fashion for 10 weeks. Study visits will be conducted 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after study treatment initiation. Possible withdrawal effects will be assessed 1 week after study treatment withdrawal. A blood sample for pharmacokinetic analysis will be collected when drawing blood for routine biochemistry. Patients who provided written informed consent to participate to the study will be asked to provide their consent to participate also to the non-mandatory pharmacogenetic study. Patient related outcomes will be collected electronically (ePRO) at study visits prior to visiting the investigator by using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) via telephone. Patients wishing or choosing to discontinue the study treatment prematurely will be encouraged to continue to provide their scores, safety data and medications taken, up to the scheduled study end, by telephone.

Interventions

DRUGPNB01 fixed dose combination of pipamperone and citalopram

oral once daily administration

DRUGCitalopram

oral once daily administration

oral once daily administration

Sponsors

PharmaNeuroBoost N.V.
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Patient is informed and given ample time and opportunity to think about her/his participation and has given her/his written informed consent. 2. Patient understands the investigational nature of the trial and is willing and able to comply with the trial requirements. 3. Patient is male or female, aged ≥ 18 years. 4. Patient has MDD according to the DSM IV-R criteria with an existence of depressed mood (DSM-IV-R Crit. A1) and loss of interest/anhedonia (DSM-IV-R Crit. A2) as confirmed by the MINI, lasting for at least 4 weeks and no longer than 18 months (78 weeks) for the current episode, and causing significant functional impairment (DSM-IV-R MDD C- criterion). 5. CGI-S rating of at least 4 and a minimum MADRS total score of 26 using IVRS ePRO at Baseline.

Exclusion criteria

1. Patient is pregnant, nursing, or is a woman of child-bearing potential who is not surgically sterile, 2 years postmenopausal, or who does not consistently use 2 combined effective methods of contraception (including at least 1 barrier method), unless sexually abstinent. 2. Existence of Mood Disorder with psychotic features and/or high suicidality risk, as confirmed by MINI. 3. Concomitant diagnosis of any additional primary Axis I disorder and presence of any of the following co-morbid disorders: (Hypo)manic episode, Panic Disorder (limited symptom attacks allowed), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Alcohol dependence, any other Substance abuse and/or dependence, Psychotic Disorder, Eating Disorder, or General Anxiety Disorder, as confirmed by MINI. 4. Concomitant diagnosis of any primary Axis II disorder. 5. Patient is hospitalized. 6. Patient has a clinically relevant renal dysfunction (e.g. GFR \<60mL/min). 7. Patient has hepatic dysfunction (total bilirubin \>2.0mg/dL or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) greater than 2 times the upper limit of the reference range). 8. Patient has a malignant neoplastic disease, a documented history of epilepsy (juvenile convulsions excepted) or a documented, in the opinion of the investigator, clinically relevant risk of bleeding (eg. severe bleeding disorder, treatment with warfarin, …). 9. Patient with a documented history or concomitant diagnosis or significant risk of cardiac arrhythmia or dysrhythmia, including a QTc interval of ≥500 ms at Baseline. 10. Patient has any other medical or psychiatric condition, which in the opinion of the investigator, can jeopardize or would compromise the patient's ability to participate in this trial or that would interfere with trial assessments. 11. Patient with documented alcohol or drug abuse, or having a positive standard screen for alcohol or drugs (including benzodiazepines and opioids). 12. Patient received, in the past 7 days treatment with any psychoactive drug prior to randomization, including typical and atypical antipsychotics, hypnotics, antidepressants, anxiolytic drugs, anticonvulsive therapy, opioids, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, sedative antihistamines, psychostimulants or amphetamines, dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, butyrophenones, metoclopramide, lithium, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, or barbiturates. If patient has received such therapy, a washout period of at least 7 days prior to baseline is required before inclusion in this trial (except fluoxetine: 4 weeks, and St John's Wort or MAO inhibitors: within 2 weeks). 13. Concomitant treatment with diuretics, QT prolongation drugs, or dopamine agonists. 14. Resistant depression defined as having failed to respond to either: a/ 2 previous antidepressants at an adequate dose administered for at least 4 weeks during the current episode; b/ augmentation therapy with any atypical antipsychotic drug 15. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy (rTMS) within the last 6 months; Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) or Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) ever. 16. Formal psychotherapy or alternative treatment for 1 week prior to or during the study. 17. Patient has participated in another trial of an investigational agent (including medical device) within the last 3 months prior to baseline or is currently participating in another trial of an investigational drug. 18. Known hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Early and Sustained (Antidepressant) Response (ESR) RateFrom (end of) Week 2 visit to (end of) Week 6 visitEarly and Sustained Response (ESR) is defined as a MADRS total score reduction from Baseline of 50% or more and a MADRS total score ≤16 at Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, and Week 6.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Baseline in Total MADRS Score at Week 6From Baseline (Day 1) to (end of) Week 6Change from baseline in total score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) after 6 weeks of study treatment as assessed by the patient using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) via telephone The MADRS scale is a widely used and well-validated 10-item diagnostic questionnaire designed to measure the severity of depressive episodes in patients with mood disorders. The 10 items are all rated on a scale from 0 to 6 (resulting in a maximum total score of 60 points) and include 'apparent sadness', 'reported sadness', 'inner tension', 'reduced sleep', 'reduced appetite', 'concentration difficulties', 'lassitude', 'inability to feel', 'pessimistic thoughts' and 'suicidal thoughts'. Higher scores indicative of greater depressive symptomology.
Change From Baseline in Total SDS Score at Week 6From Baseline (Day 1) to (end of) Week 6 visitChange from baseline in total score on the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) after 6 weeks of study treatment as assessed by the patient using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) via telephone The SDS is a generic brief self-report tool that was developed to assess functional impairment in three inter-related domains; 1) work or school, 2) social life and 3) family life. The patient rates the extent to which work/school, social life and home life or family responsibilities are impaired by his or her symptoms on a 10-point visual analog scale. Total scores range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 30 (0 unimpaired, 30 highly impaired).

Countries

Canada, United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

This was a centrally randomized (stratified), double-blind, multicenter study in up to 40 sites in the U.S. and Canada.

Pre-assignment details

A total of 555 eligible patients were planned and randomized in the study

Participants by arm

ArmCount
PNB01
oral, once daily administration PNB01 fixed dose combination of pipamperone and citalopram: oral once daily administration
185
Citalopram
oral, once daily administration Citalopram: oral once daily administration
185
Pipamperone
oral, once daily administration Pipamperone: oral once daily administration
185
Total555

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPNB01CitalopramPipamperoneTotal
Age, Customized
18 - 60 years
184 Participants182 Participants179 Participants545 Participants
Age, Customized
> 60 years
1 Participants3 Participants6 Participants10 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
5 Participants1 Participants1 Participants7 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
5 Participants6 Participants4 Participants15 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
53 Participants54 Participants54 Participants161 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
5 Participants5 Participants5 Participants15 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
116 Participants119 Participants120 Participants355 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
111 Participants104 Participants114 Participants329 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
74 Participants81 Participants71 Participants226 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 1850 / 1850 / 185
other
Total, other adverse events
127 / 185131 / 185118 / 185
serious
Total, serious adverse events
3 / 1854 / 1851 / 185

Outcome results

Primary

Early and Sustained (Antidepressant) Response (ESR) Rate

Early and Sustained Response (ESR) is defined as a MADRS total score reduction from Baseline of 50% or more and a MADRS total score ≤16 at Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, and Week 6.

Time frame: From (end of) Week 2 visit to (end of) Week 6 visit

Population: Full Analysis Set (FAS): The FAS consists of all patients who are randomized and were administered at least one dose of trial medication, as assessed from pill counting. Patients will be analyzed according to the treatment group to which they were randomized (intention-to-treat principle), irrespective of the study treatment received.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
PNB01Early and Sustained (Antidepressant) Response (ESR) Rate17 Participants
CitalopramEarly and Sustained (Antidepressant) Response (ESR) Rate17 Participants
PipamperoneEarly and Sustained (Antidepressant) Response (ESR) Rate17 Participants
p-value: 195% CI: [0.456, 2.14]Fisher Exact
p-value: 195% CI: [0.476, 2.233]Fisher Exact
Secondary

Change From Baseline in Total MADRS Score at Week 6

Change from baseline in total score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) after 6 weeks of study treatment as assessed by the patient using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) via telephone The MADRS scale is a widely used and well-validated 10-item diagnostic questionnaire designed to measure the severity of depressive episodes in patients with mood disorders. The 10 items are all rated on a scale from 0 to 6 (resulting in a maximum total score of 60 points) and include 'apparent sadness', 'reported sadness', 'inner tension', 'reduced sleep', 'reduced appetite', 'concentration difficulties', 'lassitude', 'inability to feel', 'pessimistic thoughts' and 'suicidal thoughts'. Higher scores indicative of greater depressive symptomology.

Time frame: From Baseline (Day 1) to (end of) Week 6

Population: Secondary Outcome Measures were pre-specified to be completed based on significance of the Primary Outcome Measure. Secondary Outcome Measures were therefore not completed.

Secondary

Change From Baseline in Total SDS Score at Week 6

Change from baseline in total score on the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) after 6 weeks of study treatment as assessed by the patient using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) via telephone The SDS is a generic brief self-report tool that was developed to assess functional impairment in three inter-related domains; 1) work or school, 2) social life and 3) family life. The patient rates the extent to which work/school, social life and home life or family responsibilities are impaired by his or her symptoms on a 10-point visual analog scale. Total scores range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 30 (0 unimpaired, 30 highly impaired).

Time frame: From Baseline (Day 1) to (end of) Week 6 visit

Population: Secondary Outcome Measures were pre-specified to be completed based on significance of the Primary Outcome Measure. Secondary Outcome Measures were therefore not completed.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 7, 2026