A Study to Evaluate the Effects of Milnacipran on Pain Processing and Functional MRI in Patients With Fibromyalgia

University of Michigan

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 4

Conditions: Fibromyalgia

Treatments: Drug: Placebo; Drug: milnacipran

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT01173055

MD-SAV-09

Details and patient eligibility

About

Fibromyalgia is a condition that includes pain, tenderness, stiff muscle, and fatigue. Researchers want to find out if "a drug" called milnacipran can help people with fibromyalgia. milnacipran (Savella) is approved by the FDA for the management of fibromyalgia. In this study, milnacipran will be given to find out more about how it affects pain and thinking in people with fibromyalgia.

Full description

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of milnacipran on pain processing in patients with fibromyalgia and to assess the correlation between this effect and neural activation patterns during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

NOTE regarding Changes in Outcome Measures

In this Crossover Study, participants were involved for approximately 16 weeks in this sequence: a week of preparing for the initial assessments, baseline measurements (Week 0), 6 weeks on placebo or study drug followed by measurements for effect of drug or placebo (Week 6); a week of titration off of drug, if appropriate (or continued placebo, if on placebo), two weeks of washout, a new baseline assessment (Week 9), six weeks of study drug (or placebo), another set of measurements for effect of drug or placebo (Week 15), and a final titration period to maintain masking of assignment to drug or placebo. Of 17 participants who completed both sequences, data was analyzed for the 15 whose values for all measurement variables were usable.

When Outcome measure data was originally and accurately posted for baseline and change after treatment, the time frames listed were 0 and 15 weeks, because the last assessment was gathered at approximately week 15 for each person whose data is in the data set. However, given the crossover design, it seems more accurate and understandable, to show the time frame for the outcome measure as 6 because the participants were each administered drug or placebo for six weeks total. (Of course for the Placebo then Study Drug arm, the placebo data was collected at week 6, and for the Study Drug then Placebo arm, the drug data was collected at week 6, and similarly for the first group the drug data was collected at week 15 (first assignment, plus 1 week titration, 2 weeks washout, new baseline at week 9, and final collection at week 15), and for the second group the placebo data was collected at week 15.

Thus, outcome measures originally listed for 6 and 9 weeks, which were previously shown as "Data Not Reported" were effectively already included within the data presented for change from baseline shown in Week 15 in this fashion: 9 week data for the second assignment is part of the "week 0 data" for the first assignment, to get pre-treatment baseline for each treatment shown. Week 6 data is the post-treatment data which was shown as week 15, but is now recategorized as 6 week data. There is no, and never was, any data that could represent assignment to drug or placebo for 9 or 15 weeks.

Additionally, several outcome measures based on fMRI values were always listed in the protocol as other outcomes (not secondary outcomes), but had been incorrectly posted in the earlier listings on ClinicalTrials.gov. They have been accurately reclassified in the 2017 resubmission.

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• You may be eligible to take part in this study if the following are true:

  • You are between the age of 18 and 70 years
  • If you are female
  • If you are right handed
  • You have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia for at least 3 months, as defined by the American College of Rheumatology 1990 Criteria
  • You are willing to stop taking certain medicines that you may be taking on a regular basis. The researchers will discuss these medications with you in detail

Exclusion criteria

• You may not be eligible take part in this study if any of the following are true for you:

  • You have problems with your heart or cardiovascular system
  • You have problems with your liver or kidneys
  • You have an autoimmune disease, or a whole-body infection like HIV or hepatitis
  • You have cancer
  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • You abuse drugs or alcohol
  • You have suicidal thoughts or wishes
  • You have taken milnacipran or another study drug within the last 30 days
  • You have a medical problem not listed here that would make it unsafe for you to take part in the study
  • The research team feels that you will be unable to complete all phases of the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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22 participants in 2 patient groups

Milnacipran

Experimental group

Description:

Milnacipran will be given orally twice daily in tablet form at different times during the course of the study. The highest dose of milnacipran to be used in the study is 200mg/day.

Treatment:

Drug: milnacipran

Placebo

Experimental group

Description:

Placebo will be given orally twice daily in tablet form at different times during the course of the study.

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo