Clinical Evaluation of Effects of an Investigational Tampon on Vaginal Microflora

NCT ID: NCT00913523

Last Updated: 2011-08-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 482 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2009-08-31

Brief Summary

Subjects will be using investigational or control tampons during their menstrual period but these tampons are not intended to prevent, treat or diagnose an infection or other disease condition. A total 450 women will participate in this study at two study sites. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of three tampon groups. The first group will test an experimental test tampon containing glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the cover. The second group will test an identical tampon, but without GML. The third group will not be issued study tampons but will be instructed to use their normal tampon brand. This study is intended to determine whether the effects of GML observed in the laboratory can be demonstrated in healthy menstruating women.

Detailed Description

Subjects will be using investigational or control tampons during their menstrual period but these tampons are not intended to prevent, treat or diagnose an infection or other disease condition. This study will be a randomized, single-blinded, multi-center study of women using Tampons with GML, Tampons without GML or the Tampons Normally Used for one menstrual period. Subjects will undergo Baseline microflora evaluations taken from the vaginal walls 5-10 days following their menstrual period (Baseline evaluation). Subjects will be randomly assigned to use one of the three study products during their next menstrual period. Microflora will be re-evaluated in samples taken from the tampons and from the vaginal walls during use of the study tampons, and from vaginal walls soon after the end of the menstrual period. Evaluations of microflora will be done by quantitative cultures of tampons and vaginal swabs, and also by Nugent scoring of the vaginal swabs. Staphylococcal α-hemolysin and TSST-1 will be analyzed in extracts of the study tampons from subjects found to be colonized with S. aureus. Vaginal pH will be measured, using electronic meters, at each clinic visit. All samples (tampons and vaginal swabs) will be analyzed at a central microbiology laboratory. Extracts of tampons found to contain S. aureus will be forwarded to another central laboratory for the toxin assays. Personnel in the central laboratories will be blinded to the group assignment (study product) for each subject until completion of the study.

Conditions

Vaginal Microflora

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Tampon with GML

Regular and Super Tampon with GML added to the cover

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Experimental - Tampon with GML

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Regular and Super Tampon with Glycerol Monolaurate (GML) added to the cover

Tampon without GML

Regular and Super Tampon without GML

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham Control - Tampons without GML

Intervention Type: DEVICE

There is no intervention associated with these arms - they are sham controls.

Tampon Normally Used

Type and Size of Tampon Normally Used by Subjects

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham Control - Tampons without GML

Intervention Type: DEVICE

There is no intervention associated with these arms - they are sham controls.

Interventions

Experimental - Tampon with GML

Regular and Super Tampon with Glycerol Monolaurate (GML) added to the cover

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Sham Control - Tampons without GML

There is no intervention associated with these arms - they are sham controls.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Not yet marketed; Tampons with no GML

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• normal healthy women
• 18-45 years of age
• regular 21- to 35-day menstrual cycles with at least 5 days of bleeding, or at least 3 days of bleeding if they are using hormonal contraception
• used tampons as their principal mode of menstrual sanitary protection for at least the previous 6 months
• willing to not change their feminine care or hygiene practices during their participation in the study (except as directed by the protocol and instructions for participants)

Exclusion Criteria

• signs or symptoms of clinically significant vulvovaginal infection or vaginosis
• history of recurrent urinary tract or vulvovaginal infection
• abnormal vaginal discharge of any etiology
• use of a systemic, vaginal, or perineal antibiotic, antifungal, anti-infective, or immunosuppressant medication or any experimental drug or medical device within the 30 days preceding the Screening/Baseline Visit
• history of treatment for Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) or a suspicion of having had TSS
• other clinical issues or history (per protocol) that would make participation in the trial inappropriate

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 45 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Johnson & Johnson Consumer and Personal Products Worldwide

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

David J Chase, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Johnson & Johnson Consumer and Personal Products Worldwide

Locations

Hill Top Research

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Hill Top Research

St. Petersburg, Florida, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

2007-101

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id