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Identifying Sleep Apnea Patients That Best Respond to Atomoxetine Plus Oxybutynin Therapy

Identifying Sleep Apnea Patients That Best Respond to Atomoxetine Plus Oxybutynin Therapy

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
Phase 1Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05550246
Enrollment
22
Registered
2022-09-22
Start date
2022-05-05
Completion date
2024-12-31
Last updated
2023-10-18

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

Conditions

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Brief summary

Atomoxetine-plus-oxybutynin therapy (AtoOxy) has been shown to substantially reduce obstructive sleep apnea severity (OSA) in about half of patients. Here, the investigators will study which patients respond meaningfully to therapy using pathophysiological traits measured at baseline sleep studies.

Detailed description

The primary goal of the current study is to test the central hypothesis that therapeutic efficacy of AtoOxy depends on underlying patient pathophysiology. Aim 1 - Advanced analysis of clinical polysomnography will be used to estimate the OSA traits and classify patients as 'predicted responders' or 'predicted nonresponders'. Investigators will prospectively test whether AtoOxy efficacy is greater in predicted responders. Aim 2 - Pooling preliminary and prospective data, investigators will test the hypotheses that the following pathophysiological traits are associated with, and therefore predict, greater efficacy: less-severe upper airway collapsibility (less improvement needed to re-establish airflow), lower loop gain (less severe ventilatory control instability), higher arousal threshold (greater scope for muscle activation without arousal), and greater upper airway muscle compensation (functional muscle reflex apparatus). Aim 3 - Investigators will test the hypothesis that treatment efficacy will be greater in patients with tongue-related upper airway obstruction per previous drug-induced sleep endoscopy results (anterior-posterior collapse patterns).

Interventions

DRUGAtomoxetine

Treatment given for 3 nights

DRUGOxybutynin

Treatment given for 3 nights

Sponsors

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Masking description

Participants and outcome assessors will be blinded to physiological predicted responder status

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Suspected or diagnosed OSA * Recent drug induced sleep endoscopy results available (performed as part of routine clinical care).

Exclusion criteria

* Any uncontrolled medical condition * Current use of the medications under investigation * Use of medications expected to stimulate or depress respiration (including opioids, barbiturates, doxapram, almitrine, theophylline, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid). * Current use of hypnotic medications (trazodone, eszopiclone, benzodiazepines). * Current use of SNRIs/SSRIs or anticholinergic medications. * Conditions likely to affect obstructive sleep apnea physiology: neuromuscular disease or other major neurological disorder, heart failure (also below), or any other unstable major medical condition. * Respiratory disorders other than sleep disordered breathing: chronic hypoventilation/hypoxemia (awake SaO2 \< 92% by oximetry) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other respiratory conditions. * Other sleep disorders: periodic limb movements, narcolepsy, or parasomnias. * Contraindications for atomoxetine and oxybutynin, including: * hypersensitivity to atomoxetine or oxybutynin (angioedema or urticaria) * pheochromocytoma * use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors * benign prostatic hypertrophy, urinary retention * untreated narrow angle glaucoma * bipolar disorder, mania, psychosis * history of major depressive disorder (age\<24). * history of attempted suicide or suicidal ideation within one year prior to screening * clinically significant constipation, gastric retention * pre-existing seizure disorders * clinically-significant kidney disorders (eGFR\<60 ml/min/1.73m2) * clinically-significant liver disorders * clinically-significant cardiovascular conditions * moderate-to-severe hypertension (SBP\>180 mmHg or DBP\>110 mmHg measured at baseline; average of evening and morning measures\*) * cardiomyopathy (LVEF\<50%) or heart failure * advanced atherosclerosis * history of cerebrovascular events * history of cardiac arrhythmias e.g., atrial fibrillation, QT prolongation * other serious cardiac conditions that would raise the consequences of an increase in blood pressure or heart rate * myasthenia gravis * Claustrophobia * Pregnancy or nursing n.b. Development of new hypertension that is recognized on the final day of study medications during outcomes collection will not be used as stopping criteria for discontinuing outcomes collection. Participants that are sexually active and able to become pregnant must agree to use birth control for the entire study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)3 daysApneas and hypopneas per hour (3% desat and/or arousal), % change from baseline

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Hypoxic Burden3 daysDesaturation area under curve × event frequency
Arousal Index3 daysNumber of arousals per hour (\>=3-sec), % change from baseline

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactScott A Sands, PhD
sasands@bwh.harvard.edu617-278-0911
Backup ContactLaura K Gell, PhD
lgell@bwh.harvard.edu617-525-9086

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026