A Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Trial of Riluzole in Bipolar Depression

NCT ID: NCT00376220

Last Updated: 2017-04-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 94 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2004-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2010-05-31

Brief Summary

The Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry is conducting a research study to examine the effectiveness of riluzole in treating the depressed phase of bipolar disorder. This outpatient treatment study of medication or placebo will last 9-12 weeks. The study includes medical and psychiatric evaluations as well as time-limited medication treatment at no cost, and you will be compensated for your participation.

Detailed Description

The study will last 8 to 12 weeks and requires weekly visits. Participants will come to Johns Hopkins for a screening visit during which they will talk with a psychiatrist, answer questions about their mood and symptoms, have their blood drawn and have a brief physical exam. If they meet criteria for the study, any antidepressant medication that they are taking will be tapered and stopped before beginning study medications. Participation in the study includes free study medication, labs, and testing plus reimbursement for transportation. Participants will also be paid and after the study referred back to their treating psychiatrist with treatment recommendations.

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: QUADRUPLE

Study Groups

1

Drug: Riluzole Initially dispensed 50 mg capsules to take twice a day (BID). At two weeks, increase dose to 50 mg/100 mg. At four weeks increase to 100 mg BID (two capsules in the morning (qAM), two capsules in the evening (qHS). If significant side effects occur (at any time), titration can be slowed and doses can be reduced to a minimum daily dose of 50 mg/day, after which titration may resume by no more than 50 mg a week. Subjects who are unable to tolerate the minimal daily dose permitted in the study will be discontinued from further participation. In addition, if clinical remission is observed at a lower dose of study medication (defined as Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) < 12) the dose will not be increased further unless clinical symptoms recur.

Other Names:

• Rilutek

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Riluzole

Intervention Type: DRUG

Initially dispensed 50 mg capsules to take twice a day (BID). At two weeks, increase dose to 50 mg/100 mg. At four weeks increase to 100 mg BID (two capsules in the morning (qAM), two capsules in the evening (qHS). If significant side effects occur (at any time), titration can be slowed and doses can be reduced to a minimum daily dose of 50 mg/day, after which titration may resume by no more than 50 mg a week. Subjects who are unable to tolerate the minimal daily dose permitted in the study will be discontinued from further participation. In addition, if clinical remission is observed at a lower dose of study medication (defined as Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) \< 12) the dose will not be increased further unless clinical symptoms recur.

2

Initially dispensed 50mg capsules to take BID. At two weeks increase dose to 50 mg/100 mg. At four weeks increase to 100 mg BID (two capsules qAM, two capsules qHS). If significant side effects occur (at any time), titration can be slowed and doses can be reduced to a minimum daily dose of 50 mg/day, after which titration may resume by no more than 50 mg a week. Subjects who are unable to tolerate the minimal daily dose permitted in the study will be discontinued from further participation. In addition, if clinical remission is observed at a lower dose of study medication (defined as MADRS \< 12) the dose will not be increased further unless clinical symptoms recur.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type: OTHER

Initially dispensed 50mg capsules to take BID. At two weeks increase dose to 50 mg/100 mg. At four weeks increase to 100 mg BID (two capsules qAM, two capsules qHS). If significant side effects occur (at any time), titration can be slowed and doses can be reduced to a minimum daily dose of 50 mg/day, after which titration may resume by no more than 50 mg a week. Subjects who are unable to tolerate the minimal daily dose permitted in the study will be discontinued from further participation. In addition, if clinical remission is observed at a lower dose of study medication (defined as MADRS \< 12) the dose will not be increased further unless clinical symptoms recur.

Interventions

Riluzole

Initially dispensed 50 mg capsules to take twice a day (BID). At two weeks, increase dose to 50 mg/100 mg. At four weeks increase to 100 mg BID (two capsules in the morning (qAM), two capsules in the evening (qHS). If significant side effects occur (at any time), titration can be slowed and doses can be reduced to a minimum daily dose of 50 mg/day, after which titration may resume by no more than 50 mg a week. Subjects who are unable to tolerate the minimal daily dose permitted in the study will be discontinued from further participation. In addition, if clinical remission is observed at a lower dose of study medication (defined as Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) \< 12) the dose will not be increased further unless clinical symptoms recur.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Placebo

Initially dispensed 50mg capsules to take BID. At two weeks increase dose to 50 mg/100 mg. At four weeks increase to 100 mg BID (two capsules qAM, two capsules qHS). If significant side effects occur (at any time), titration can be slowed and doses can be reduced to a minimum daily dose of 50 mg/day, after which titration may resume by no more than 50 mg a week. Subjects who are unable to tolerate the minimal daily dose permitted in the study will be discontinued from further participation. In addition, if clinical remission is observed at a lower dose of study medication (defined as MADRS \< 12) the dose will not be increased further unless clinical symptoms recur.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Rilutek

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Ages 18-75
• Diagnosed with Bipolar I or II disorder and currently depressed
• Tried at least one antidepressant during the current episode of depression
• Currently taking either lithium, depakote, or tegretol
• Currently in outpatient treatment with a psychiatrist

Exclusion Criteria

• Current psychotic symptoms
• Women who are pregnant or nursing
• Any serious, uncontrolled medical illness
• History of liver problems
• Current or past blood diseases
• Current drug or alcohol abuse
• Currently receiving Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy (ECT)
• Judged to be at serious suicidal risk

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Stanley Medical Research Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Johns Hopkins University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Jennifer L Payne, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Locations

Johns Hopkins

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Countries

United States

References

Zarate CA Jr, Quiroz JA, Singh JB, Denicoff KD, De Jesus G, Luckenbaugh DA, Charney DS, Manji HK. An open-label trial of the glutamate-modulating agent riluzole in combination with lithium for the treatment of bipolar depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Feb 15;57(4):430-2. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.11.023.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15705360 (View on PubMed)

Zarate CA Jr, Payne JL, Quiroz J, Sporn J, Denicoff KK, Luckenbaugh D, Charney DS, Manji HK. An open-label trial of riluzole in patients with treatment-resistant major depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Jan;161(1):171-4. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.161.1.171.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 14702270 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

04-04-23-10

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id