A Phase II/III Double-Blind Study of Amitriptyline and Mexiletine for Painful Neuropathy in HIV Infection

NCT ID: NCT00000793

Last Updated: 2021-10-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

240 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Completion Date

1997-10-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of amitriptyline hydrochloride versus mexiletine hydrochloride in reducing pain intensity in patients with HIV-related painful peripheral neuropathy.

No large-scale controlled clinical trials of symptomatic therapy for painful HIV-related neuropathy have been attempted. Both amitriptyline and mexiletine have been useful in the management of painful neuropathies; however, both are associated with certain toxicities. In this comparative study of amitriptyline and mexiletine, benztropine mesylate also will be included as an active placebo to mimic the side effects of the study drugs.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

No large-scale controlled clinical trials of symptomatic therapy for painful HIV-related neuropathy have been attempted. Both amitriptyline and mexiletine have been useful in the management of painful neuropathies; however, both are associated with certain toxicities. In this comparative study of amitriptyline and mexiletine, benztropine mesylate also will be included as an active placebo to mimic the side effects of the study drugs.

Patients are randomized to receive amitriptyline, mexiletine, or benztropine mesylate as an active placebo to mimic the mild side effects associated with both amitriptyline and mexiletine. Doses are gradually increased over 4 weeks until a minimum effective dose or MTD is reached, then patients are treated for at least 4 additional weeks at the final dose before gradually tapering off. Neurologic exams are performed at screening and at the end of treatment. Intensity of pain is rated twice daily by the patient. Patients are followed at Weeks 2, 4, and 8, and at 10 days after completely tapering off of drug.

PER 3/16/95 AMENDMENT: Patients with no pain relief 14 days after initiation of study therapy may have dose doubled or increased to maximum allowable dose, whichever is lower. Then if no improvement occurs within 14 days after dose increase, patients have the option of discontinuing study medication.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

HIV Infections Peripheral Nervous System Disease

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome AIDS-Related Complex Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Amitriptyline Pain Mexiletine benzatropine methanesulfonate Parasympatholytics

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Mexiletine hydrochloride

Intervention Type DRUG

Benztropine mesylate

Intervention Type DRUG

Amitriptyline hydrochloride

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

* Aspirin and acetaminophen.
* Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.
* Opiates.
* Pyridoxine (only if accompanied by isoniazid).
* ddI, ddC, d4T, and 3TC if on a stable dose.
* AZT.
* Cimetidine if on a stable dose.

NOTE:

* Per 3/16/95 amendment, Lactaid may be taken by lactose-intolerant patients for effects of lactose in placebo capsules.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

* Acupuncture.

Patients must have:

* Documented HIV infection.
* Painful peripheral neuropathy.

NOTE:

* Patients in ACTG blinded studies of dideoxynucleosides such as ddI, ddC, and d4T are encouraged to enroll in this study.

Prior Medication:

Allowed:

* Prior ddI, ddC, d4T, or 3TC, if on a stable dose for at least 8 weeks prior to study entry.
* Prior cimetidine if on a stable dose for at least 2 weeks prior to study entry.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:

* Diabetes mellitus.
* Neurological disease of sufficient severity to confound the evaluation of peripheral neuropathy, such as myelopathy without neuropathy. (NOTE: Patients with both myelopathy AND painful peripheral neuropathy are eligible.)
* Electrocardiogram (EKG) indicating malignant arrhythmia or cardiac conduction disturbances (such as second or third degree AV block, anterior hemi-block, or prolonged QT interval).
* Suicidal thoughts of sufficient severity to require treatment with antidepressant medication.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

* Phenytoin or carbamazepine (unless on stable dose for 8 weeks prior to study entry).
* Capsaicin.
* Any MAO inhibitor antidepressants, any tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants, certain serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, paroxetine, and venlafaxine), or mexiletine (except as dispensed for this study).
* Disopyramide.
* Procainamide.
* Quinidine.
* Tocainide.
* Flecainide acetate.
* Encainide.
* Lidocaine.
* Cisplatin.
* Vincristine.
* Chloramphenicol, disulfiram, ethionamide glutethimide, gold, hydralazine, iodoquinol, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, or ribavirin (only in patients in whom the onset or clear worsening of painful peripheral neuropathy was attributed to previously taking these drugs).
* Any investigational drugs other than 3TC (except with permission of the protocol team).
* Terfenadine (if concurrent with ketoconazole).

Patients with the following prior conditions are excluded:

* Documented history of cardiac disease.
* History of allergy to, or intolerance of, tricyclic antidepressants, mexiletine, or benztropine.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

* Prior disopyramide.
* Prior procainamide.
* Prior quinidine.
* Prior tocainide.
* Prior flecainide acetate.
* Prior encainide.
* Prior lidocaine.
* Cisplatin or vincristine within 8 weeks prior to study entry.
* Chloramphenicol, disulfiram, ethionamide glutethimide, gold, hydralazine, iodoquinol, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, or ribavirin within 8 weeks prior to study entry (only in patients in whom the onset or clear worsening of painful peripheral neuropathy was attributed to taking these drugs).
* Any MAO inhibitor antidepressants, any tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants, certain serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, paroxetine, and venlafaxine), or mexiletine, within 4 weeks prior to study entry.
* More than 50 percent change in the weekly dosage of any pain control medications within 2 weeks prior to study entry.

Per 3/16/95 amendment:

* ddI, ddC, d4T, or 3TC within 8 weeks prior to study entry ONLY IF dideoxynucleoside dosing was suspended or permanently discontinued.

Risk Behavior:

Excluded:

* Active drug or alcohol abuse.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Boehringer Ingelheim

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

NIH

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

K Kieburtz

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

D Simpson

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Alabama Therapeutics CRS

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Site Status

UCLA CARE Center CRS

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status

Ucsd, Avrc Crs

San Diego, California, United States

Site Status

Ucsf Aids Crs

San Francisco, California, United States

Site Status

Harbor-UCLA Med. Ctr. CRS

Torrance, California, United States

Site Status

University of Colorado Hospital CRS

Aurora, Colorado, United States

Site Status

Howard University Hosp., Div. of Infectious Diseases, ACTU

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

Site Status

Univ. of Miami AIDS CRS

Miami, Florida, United States

Site Status

The Ponce de Leon Ctr. CRS

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Site Status

Queens Med. Ctr.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Site Status

Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Leahi Hosp.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Site Status

Northwestern University CRS

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Cook County Hosp. CORE Ctr.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Rush Univ. Med. Ctr. ACTG CRS

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Weiss Memorial Hosp.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Infectious Disease Research Clinic

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status

Methodist Hosp. of Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status

Univ. of Iowa Healthcare, Div. of Infectious Diseases

Iowa City, Iowa, United States

Site Status

Tulane Med. Ctr. - Charity Hosp. of New Orleans, ACTU

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Site Status

Johns Hopkins Adult AIDS CRS

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Massachusetts General Hospital ACTG CRS

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Bmc Actg Crs

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Beth Israel Deaconess Med. Ctr., ACTG CRS

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Beth Israel Deaconess - East Campus A0102 CRS

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Hennepin County Med. Ctr., Div. of Infectious Diseases

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Site Status

University of Minnesota, ACTU

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Site Status

St. Louis ConnectCare, Infectious Diseases Clinic

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Washington U CRS

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Univ. of Nebraska Med. Ctr., Durham Outpatient Ctr.

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Site Status

SUNY - Buffalo, Erie County Medical Ctr.

Buffalo, New York, United States

Site Status

Univ. of Rochester ACTG CRS

Rochester, New York, United States

Site Status

Unc Aids Crs

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

Univ. of Cincinnati CRS

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Site Status

Case CRS

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Site Status

Hosp. of the Univ. of Pennsylvania CRS

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

University of Washington AIDS CRS

Seattle, Washington, United States

Site Status

Mbeya Med. Research Program, Mbeya Referral Hosp. CRS

Mbeya, , Tanzania

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States Tanzania

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Lein B. Potential therapy for painful neuropathy. PI Perspect. 1995 May;(no 16):11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11362419 (View on PubMed)

Kieburtz K, Simpson D, Yiannoutsos C, Max MB, Hall CD, Ellis RJ, Marra CM, McKendall R, Singer E, Dal Pan GJ, Clifford DB, Tucker T, Cohen B. A randomized trial of amitriptyline and mexiletine for painful neuropathy in HIV infection. AIDS Clinical Trial Group 242 Protocol Team. Neurology. 1998 Dec;51(6):1682-8. doi: 10.1212/wnl.51.6.1682.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9855523 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

11219

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

ACTG 242

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id