Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response for Clinical Care for Depression

NCT ID: NCT01407094

Last Updated: 2018-12-26

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

296 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2011-07-29

Study Completion Date

2016-04-30

Brief Summary

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This study will examine multiple carefully selected clinical and biological markers, using both existing state-of-the-art technologies as well as pioneering, innovative approaches. The study is designed to identify moderators and mediators of treatment response for depression in order to specify a biosignature of treatment response for depression. Evaluation of the usefulness of these markers in a carefully conducted clinical trial comparing an antidepressant to placebo will assist in developing a Depression Treatment Response Index (DTRI) to help clinicians match treatments to patients with MDD, resulting in timely selection of treatments best suited for individual patients and thus approaching personalized treatment. The resulting index provides a truly novel means of synthesizing the contribution of key clinical and biological parameters in an easy to use tool for clinical care.

Detailed Description

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The current study is designed to identify biomarkers for the prediction of differential treatment outcomes between the SSRI antidepressant sertraline (SERT) and placebo (PBO) in a randomized trial for patients with MDD. In addition, a second stage will collect data to explore moderators and mediators of treatment outcomes between pharmacologically distinct active treatment arms: sertraline (SERT), a serotonergic antidepressant or bupropion (BUP), a nonserotonergic antidepressant. To reduce biologic heterogeneity, we will only enroll patients with early onset of DSM IV MDD (before age 30) because these criteria in probands have been shown to be associated with increased familial loading in families. Patients will also have recurrent MDD with 2 or more recurrences (including current episode). Additionally, patients will be required to have a current symptom severity score of 14 or more on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR), both at study screening and at the randomization (baseline) visit. In the first stage, patients will receive an 8-week course of treatment in one of the two study arms. As part of the Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) design patients that have not achieved a response at the end of 8 weeks to their stage one treatment, defined by \< 50% improvement on the Clinical Global Improvement scale (CGI), will be switched to Stage 2 treatment (8 weeks). Patients who have achieved satisfactory response (\>= 50% improvement on the CGI) will be continued on treatment for an additional 8 weeks.

Specific Aims

Moderator Aims (Aim 1): To identify baseline clinical, neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and behavioral moderators of differential treatment outcome (mean symptom change and tolerability) for sertraline (SERT, a serotonergic antidepressant) versus placebo (PBO) for the treatment of MDD. Symptom change will be measured using the mean change from baseline in the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17). Tolerability will be measured using the Frequency, Intensity, and Burden of Side Effects Rating (FIBSER) and the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS).

Mediator Aims (Aim 2): To identify early phase (week 1) changes in neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and behavioral tasks as mediators of differential treatment outcomes (symptom change, tolerability) to SERT and PBO.

Main Treatment Effects Aim (Aim 3): To compare the 8-week outcomes of SERT vs. PBO using mixed model regression analysis to maximize power to discriminate treatment efficacy differences.

Primary Outcomes:

\- 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17)

Secondary Outcomes:

\- the Frequency, Intensity, and Burden Side Effects Rating (FIBSER)

Conditions

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Depression

Keywords

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Depression, Major Depressive Disorder, Mood Disorder

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

Patients were entered into Stage 1, treated with sertraline (Treatment A) or placebo (Treatment B), and used for the primary analysis which included the identification of potential mediators and moderators of response for these two treatments.

In stage two, responders to Treatment A remained on sertraline, and non-responders were switched to bupropion (Treatment C). Responders to Treatment B remained on placebo, and non-responders were switched to sertraline (Treatment D).
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Sertraline

SSRI monotherapy

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Sertraline

Intervention Type DRUG

50-200mg/day

Placebo

Placebo control

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

1-4 pills per day

Bupropion

BupropionXL

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

BupropionXL

Intervention Type DRUG

150-450 mg/day

Interventions

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Sertraline

50-200mg/day

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

1-4 pills per day

Intervention Type DRUG

BupropionXL

150-450 mg/day

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Zoloft WelbutrinXL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adults, age 18-65
* Written informed consent obtained
* Outpatients with a current primary diagnosis of nonpsychotic recurrent or chronic MDD per the SCID-I
* QIDS-SR score of ≥ 14 at Screening Visit and Randomization (Baseline) Visit
* No failed antidepressant trials of adequate dose and duration, as defined by the MGH-ATRQ, in the current episode
* Agrees to, and is eligible for, all biomarkers procedures (EEG/psychological testing, MRI, and blood draws)

Exclusion Criteria

* History of inadequate response (to trials at adequate dose for adequate duration) or poor tolerability to sertraline (SERT) or bupropion (BUP)
* Pregnant or breastfeeding
* Plan to become pregnant over the ensuing 12 months following study entry or are sexually active and not using adequate contraception
* History (lifetime) of psychotic depression, schizophrenia, bipolar (I, II, or NOS) disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or other Axis I psychotic disorder
* Current primary anxiety disorder diagnosis
* Meeting DSM-IV criteria for substance abuse in the last 2 months or substance dependence in the last 6 months (except for nicotine)
* Require immediate hospitalization for psychiatric disorder
* Have an unstable general medical condition (GMC) that will likely require hospitalization or to be deemed terminal (life expectancy \< 6 months after study entry)
* Require medications for their GMCs that contraindicate any study medication
* Have epilepsy or other conditions requiring an anticonvulsant
* Receiving or have received during the index episode vagus nerve stimulation, ECT, or rTMS, or other somatic antidepressant treatments
* Currently taking any of the following exclusionary medications: antipsychotic medications, anticonvulsant medications, mood stabilizers, central nervous system stimulants, daily use of benzodiazepines or hypnotics, or antidepressant medication used for the treatment of depression or other purposes such as smoking cessation, since these agents may interfere with the testing of the major hypotheses under study. Nonexcluded concomitant medications are acceptable as long as their clinician determines that antidepressant treatment is safe and appropriate.
* Significant liver disease that would contraindicate any study medication
* Taking thyroid medication for hypothyroidism may be included only if they have been stable on the thyroid medication for 3 months
* Using agents that are potential augmenting agents (e.g., T3 in the absence of thyroid disease, SAMe, St. John's Wort, lithium, buspirone, Omega 3 fatty acids)
* Therapy that is depression specific, such as CBT or Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Depression (IPT) is not allowed during participation (participants can participate if they are receiving psychotherapy that is not targeting the symptoms of depression, such as supportive therapy, marital therapy).
* Subjects must be fluent in English and have the capacity to understand the nature of the study and sign the written informed consent since non-English speaking personnel are not available for this study, and the research instruments are not yet translated and validated in other languages.
* Currently actively suicidal or considered a high suicide risk
* Are currently enrolled in another study, and participation in that study contraindicates participation in the EMBARC study.
* Any reason not listed herein yet, determined by the site PI, medical personnel, or designee that constitutes good clinical practice and that would in the opinion of the site PI, medical personnel, or designee make participation in the study hazardous.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Madhukar H. Trivedi

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Madhukar H Trivedi, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Patrick J McGrath, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Columbia University

Myrna Weissman, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Columbia University

Ramin Parsey, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Columbia University

Maurizio Fava, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Massachusetts General Hospital

Locations

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Massachusetts General Hospital Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Site Status

Columbia Univerisity New York City

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas

Dallas, Texas, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Chin Fatt CR, Minhajuddin A, Jha MK, Mayes T, Rush AJ, Trivedi MH. Data driven clusters derived from resting state functional connectivity: Findings from the EMBARC study. J Psychiatr Res. 2023 Feb;158:150-156. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.12.002. Epub 2022 Dec 27.

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Jha MK, Fava M, Minhajuddin A, Chin Fatt C, Mischoulon D, Cusin C, Trivedi MH. Association of anger attacks with suicidal ideation in adults with major depressive disorder: Findings from the EMBARC study. Depress Anxiety. 2021 Jan;38(1):57-66. doi: 10.1002/da.23095. Epub 2020 Oct 10.

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Jha MK, Minhajuddin A, Chin Fatt C, Trivedi MH. Improvements in irritability with sertraline versus placebo: Findings from the EMBARC study. J Affect Disord. 2020 Oct 1;275:44-47. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.021. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

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Other Identifiers

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STU 092010-151

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id