Ziprasidone Augmentation of SSRIs for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) That do Not Sufficiently Respond to Treatment With SSRIs

Mass General Brigham

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder

Treatments: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Ziprasidone

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00633399

2007-P-002361

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to see if adding the study drug, ziprasidone, to an antidepressant medication helps improve symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We are studying the drug's effectiveness in treating depression, as well as its safety when it is added to another drug.

Hypothesis A: There will be a difference in the percentage of responders in the two treatment conditions during phase 2; response rates will be higher for the ziprasidone group.

Full description

The proposed study involves three phases. The first phase is an 8-week, open-label trial of an SSRI for MDD. Patients who do not experience sufficient symptom improvement following this open-label trial will be enrolled in a 6-week, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of ziprasidone augmentation (second phase). Ziprasidone and placebo-remitters will then enter a 12-month, double-blind extension phase (third phase). We estimate that approximately 400 patients will enter phase 1 of the study so that a minimum of 180 subjects will enter double-blind treatment (phase 2) over 5 years. Each treatment arm during phase 2 will have 90 subjects.

Hypothesis B1: During phase 2, there will be a difference between the two groups in the percentage of responders (50% or greater reduction in symptom severity) with regards to anxious symptoms of MDD as measured by the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A); response rates will be higher for the ziprasidone group.

Hypothesis B2: During phase 2, there will be a difference between the two groups in the percentage of responders (50% or greater reduction in symptom severity) with regards to painful symptoms of MDD, as measured by the overall visual analogue pain (VAS-pain) scale scores; response rates will be higher for the ziprasidone group.

Hypothesis C: The time to relapse during phase 3 will be shorter among adjunctive placebo- than ziprasidone-remitters.

Enrollment: 458 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Written informed consent.
• Men or women, 18-65 years of age.
• MDD, current, according to DSM-IV criteria and as diagnosed by the SCID- I/P during the screen and baseline visit of phase 1.
• A HAM-D-17 score > 14 during the screen and baseline visit of phase 1.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant women or women of child bearing potential who are not using a medically accepted means of contraception (oral contraceptive or implant, condom, diaphragm, spermicide, intrauterine
• Device, tubal ligation, or partner with vasectomy).
• Serious suicide or homicide risk, as assessed by evaluating clinician.
• Unstable medical illness including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurological, or hematological disease or uncontrolled seizure disorder.
• History of multiple adverse drug reactions or allergy to the study drug.
• The following DSM-IV diagnoses: substance use disorders active within the last six months, any bipolar disorder (current or past), any psychotic disorder (current or past).
• Patients requiring excluded medications (see appendix 1 for details).
• Psychotic features in the current episode or a history of psychotic features.
• Prior course of ziprasidone, or intolerance to ziprasidone at any dose.
• Any investigational psychotropic drug within the last 3 months.
• Have failed more than 3 adequate antidepressant trials during the current MDE. Some examples of adequate dosage of an antidepressant trial include either > 150 mg of imipramine (or its tricyclic equivalent), > 60 mg of phenelzine (or its monoamine oxidase inhibitor equivalent), > 20 mg of fluoxetine (or its SSRI-equivalent), > 150mg of bupropion, > 300mg of trazodone (or nefazodone), >75 mg of venlafaxine, >60mg of duloxetine, or > 15mg of mirtazapine. A trial of adequate duration was defined as one during which the patient was on any given antidepressant at an adequate dose for a minimum of 6 weeks.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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458 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

1

Experimental group

Description:

Patients in group 1 will receive Ziprasidone for the full 8 weeks of Phase 2. If they are in remission following phase two, and decide to enter phase three, they will continue on Ziprasidone for 12 months.

Treatment:

Drug: Ziprasidone

2

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Patients in group 2 will receive Placebo for the full 8 weeks of Phase 2. If they are in remission following phase two, and decide to enter phase three, they will continue on Placebo for 12 months.

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo