Trial Outcomes & Findings for Effectiveness of Pimozide in Augmenting the Effects of Clozapine in the Treatment of Schizophrenia (NCT NCT00158223)

NCT ID: NCT00158223

Last Updated: 2015-04-09

Results Overview

Severity of positive schizophrenic symptoms The Positive Syndrome Scale of the PANSS is comprised of seven items measuring positive such symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, grandiosity, etc. Each item is scored on a 7 point scale of that particular symptom's severity, ranging from 1 = absent, 2 = minimal, 3 = mild, 4 = moderate, 5 = moderate severe, 6 = severe, and 7 = extreme. The PANSS Positive Subscale seven items has a range of a summed score from 7 (absent) to 49 (extreme psychopathology). Therefore, the higher the score, the more severe the symtpoms.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

PHASE4

Target enrollment

76 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Variable change from baseline to week 12

Results posted on

2015-04-09

Participant Flow

Subjects recruited from inpatient and outpatient treatment settings at Mount Sinai Hospital, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center and Manhattan Psychiatric Center in New York.

16 subjects were excluded during the 4-week symptom stability-screening period before randomization because of withdrawal of consent or a failure to meet inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven additional subjects were randomized to a haloperidol adjunctive pilot study.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Placebo
Participants received encapsulated placebo made to match active drug
Pimozide
Participants received pimozide flexible dosing
Overall Study
STARTED
28
25
Overall Study
COMPLETED
23
22
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
5
3

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Effectiveness of Pimozide in Augmenting the Effects of Clozapine in the Treatment of Schizophrenia

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Placebo
n=28 Participants
Participants received encapsulated placebo made to match active drug
Pimozide
n=25 Participants
Participants received pimozide flexible dosing
Total
n=53 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
44.4 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.7 • n=5 Participants
45.5 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10.2 • n=7 Participants
44.9 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.5 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
4 Participants
n=7 Participants
12 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
20 Participants
n=5 Participants
21 Participants
n=7 Participants
41 Participants
n=5 Participants
Treatment Setting
Inpatient
19 participants
n=5 Participants
15 participants
n=7 Participants
34 participants
n=5 Participants
Treatment Setting
Outpatient
9 participants
n=5 Participants
10 participants
n=7 Participants
19 participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Variable change from baseline to week 12

Severity of positive schizophrenic symptoms The Positive Syndrome Scale of the PANSS is comprised of seven items measuring positive such symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, grandiosity, etc. Each item is scored on a 7 point scale of that particular symptom's severity, ranging from 1 = absent, 2 = minimal, 3 = mild, 4 = moderate, 5 = moderate severe, 6 = severe, and 7 = extreme. The PANSS Positive Subscale seven items has a range of a summed score from 7 (absent) to 49 (extreme psychopathology). Therefore, the higher the score, the more severe the symtpoms.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Placebo
n=23 Participants
Participants received encapsulated placebo made to match active drug
Pimozide
n=22 Participants
Participants received pimozide flexible dosing
Positive Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total Score
-1.05 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.98
-1.30 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.56

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Variable change from baseline to week 12

Severity of negative schizophrenic symptoms, The Negative Syndrome scale is compromised of seven items, each scored on severity with numeric assignments ranging from 1 = absent, 2 = minimal, 3 = mild, 4 = moderate, 5 = moderate severe, 6 = severe, and 7 = extreme. The items which comprise the Negative Syndrome Scale of the PANSS measure things such as emotional withdrawal, apathy, difficulty in abstract thinking, etc. The seven items which comprise the PANSS Negative Subscale has an aggregate range of 7 (absent) to 49 (extreme psychopathology), a higher score indicating more severe symptoms.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Placebo
n=23 Participants
Participants received encapsulated placebo made to match active drug
Pimozide
n=22 Participants
Participants received pimozide flexible dosing
Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total Score
-1.59 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.46
0.65 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.65

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: variable change from baseline to week 12

The Clinical Global Impression-improvement (CGI-improvement) scale is a research rating tool, developed for use in NIMH-sponsored clinical trials provides a brief assessment of the clinician's view of the patient's overall clinical improvement prior to and after initiating a study medication. The CGI-change is rated on a seven point scale ranging from 1= very much improved since the initiation of treatment to 7=very much worse since the initiation of treatment. Therefore, a lower score indicates more improvement in symptoms over time.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Placebo
n=23 Participants
Participants received encapsulated placebo made to match active drug
Pimozide
n=22 Participants
Participants received pimozide flexible dosing
Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC)
-0.35 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 0.57
-0.15 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.97

Adverse Events

Placebo

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 5 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Pimozide

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 3 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Other adverse events
Measure
Placebo
n=28 participants at risk
Participants received encapsulated placebo made to match active drug
Pimozide
n=25 participants at risk
Participants received pimozide flexible dosing
Nervous system disorders
Severe EPS
0.00%
0/28
4.0%
1/25 • Number of events 1
Renal and urinary disorders
delirium
0.00%
0/28
4.0%
1/25 • Number of events 1
Gastrointestinal disorders
bleeding
0.00%
0/28
4.0%
1/25 • Number of events 1
Psychiatric disorders
psychotic symptoms
7.1%
2/28 • Number of events 2
0.00%
0/25
Cardiac disorders
bigeminy
3.6%
1/28 • Number of events 1
0.00%
0/25
Cardiac disorders
hypotension
3.6%
1/28 • Number of events 1
0.00%
0/25
Social circumstances
withdrew consent
3.6%
1/28 • Number of events 1
0.00%
0/25

Additional Information

Dr. Joseph I. Friedman

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Phone: 631-761-3607

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place