Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of an Oral Aripiprazole/Escitalopram Combination Therapy in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Otsuka

Status and phase: Terminated; Phase 3

Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Treatments: Drug: Aripiprazole; Drug: Escitalopram; Drug: Blinded capsule

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Industry

Identifiers

NCT01111539

31-08-255

2010-018796-21 (EudraCT Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This will be a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study designed to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of an oral Aripiprazole/Escitalopram combination therapy in participants with MDD who have demonstrated an incomplete response to a prospective trial of Escitalopram, and report a treatment history for the current MDD episode of an inadequate response to at least one and no more than three adequate trials of an approved antidepressant other than Escitalopram. An inadequate response is defined as less than a 50% reduction in depressive symptom severity as assessed by the participant's self-report on the Massachusetts General Hospital Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (ATRQ) and evaluated by the investigator as part of the participant's medical and psychiatric history. An adequate trial is defined as an antidepressant treatment for at least 6 weeks duration (or at least 3 weeks for combination treatments) at an approved dose as specified in the ATRQ.

Full description

The study will be organized as follows:

• Screening Phase
• Single-blind Prospective Treatment Phase
• Single-blind Continuation Phase (Responder) or Double-blind Randomization Phase (non-Responder)
• 30 day Post Treatment Follow-up

Assigned Interventions:

• Escitalopram monotherapy
• Aripiprazole/Escitalopram combination therapy
• Aripiprazole monotherapy

Enrollment: 211 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants with a current diagnosis of a major depressive episode. The current depressive episode must be ≥8 weeks in duration
• Participants willing to discontinue all prohibited psychotropic medication starting from the time of signing the informed consent and during the study period
• Participants with a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) Total Score ≥18 at the Baseline Visit for the Prospective Treatment Phase

Exclusion criteria

• Lack of prior treatment with an antidepressant during the current depressive episode
• Participants who report treatment with adjunctive or monotherapy antipsychotic treatment during the current depressive episode
• Participants experiencing hallucinations, delusions or any psychotic symptomatology in the current depressive episode
• Participants with epilepsy or significant history of seizure disorders
• Participants with a clinically significant current diagnosis of borderline, antisocial, paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal or histrionic personality disorder
• Participants who have received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the last 10 years

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

211 participants in 5 patient groups

Phase B: Single-blind Prospective Treatment Phase

Experimental group

Description:

Participants received initial dose of escitalopram 10 milligram (mg) blinded capsule (over-encapsulated tablet), orally, once daily, increased to 20 mg/day at the end of Week 1 based upon tolerability profile, for up to maximum of Week 8. No dose reductions were allowed after Week 4 and no dose increments were allowed after Week 3. Participants with incomplete response at the end of the Phase B (Week 8) entered Phase C and the rest of the participants continued to Phase B+.

Treatment:

Drug: Escitalopram

Drug: Blinded capsule

Phase B+: Single-blind Phase B Responders

Experimental group

Description:

Participants with response (≥50% reduction in depressive symptom severity in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale {HAM-D17} Total Score; or a HAM-D17 Total Score of \<14 at Week 8 or a Clinical Global Impression of Improvement {CGI-I} Score of \<3 at the Week 6 or 8) at the end of the Phase B (Week 8) continued treatment with the single-blind escitalopram monotherapy at the dose (10 or 20 mg/day blinded capsules) taken during the final week of Phase B, for up to maximum of Week 14, in Phase B+.

Treatment:

Drug: Escitalopram

Drug: Blinded capsule

Phase C: Aripiprazole/Escitalopram Combination

Experimental group

Description:

Participants with incomplete response (less than 50% reduction in depressive symptom severity between Baseline and Week 8 measured by the HAM-D17 Total Score and HAM-D17 Total Score of ≥14 at Week 8 and CGI-I Score of ≥3 at Week 6 and 8) at Week 8 received initial dose of aripiprazole 6 mg blinded capsule, orally, once daily at Week 9. Participants were up titrated to aripiprazole target dose of 12 mg/day at Week 10 (if initial 6 mg/day dose was tolerated) or down titrated to 3 mg/day (if significant tolerability issues arise on initial 6 mg/day dose), and thereafter received same dose up to maximum of Week 14. No dose increases were allowed for aripiprazole after end of Week 12, however, doses might be decreased at any visit based upon tolerability. In combination with aripiprazole, participants received escitalopram (10 or 20 mg/day blinded capsules) taken during final week of Phase B for up to maximum Week 14, in Phase C. No dose adjustments allowed for escitalopram during Phase C.

Treatment:

Drug: Escitalopram

Drug: Aripiprazole

Drug: Blinded capsule

Phase C: Escitalopram Monotherapy

Experimental group

Description:

Participants with incomplete response (less than a 50% reduction in depressive symptom severity between the Baseline and Week 8 as measured by the HAM-D17 Total Score and a HAM-D17 Total Score of ≥14 at Week 8 and a CGI-I Score of ≥3 at Week 6 and 8) at Week 8, received escitalopram dose (10 or 20 mg/day blinded capsules) taken during the final week of Phase B for up to maximum Week 14, in Phase C. No dose adjustments were allowed for escitalopram monotherapy during Phase C.

Treatment:

Drug: Escitalopram

Drug: Blinded capsule

Phase C: Aripiprazole Monotherapy

Experimental group

Description:

Participants with incomplete response (less than a 50% reduction in depressive symptom severity between the Baseline and Week 8 as measured by the HAM-D17 Total Score and a HAM-D17 Total Score of ≥14 at Week 8 and a CGI-I Score of ≥3 at Week 6 and 8) at Week 8, received initial dose of aripiprazole 6 mg blinded capsule, orally, once daily for Week 9. Participants were up titrated to the aripiprazole target dose of 12 mg/day at Week 10 (if the initial 6 mg/day dose was tolerated) or down titrated to 3 mg/day (if significant tolerability issues arise on the initial 6 mg/day dose), and thereafter received the same dose for up to maximum of Week 14. No dose increases were allowed for aripiprazole after the end of Week 12, however, doses might be decreased at any visit based upon tolerability.

Treatment:

Drug: Aripiprazole

Drug: Blinded capsule