A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Flexible Doses of Intranasal Esketamine Plus an Oral Antidepressant in Adult Participants With Treatment-resistant Depression

NCT ID: NCT02418585

Last Updated: 2025-04-29

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

236 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-08-07

Study Completion Date

2017-11-06

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of switching treatment-resistant depression (TRD) subjects from a prior antidepressant treatment (to which they have not responded) to either intranasal esketamine plus a new oral antidepressant or switching to a new oral antidepressant plus intranasal placebo.

Detailed Description

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This is a randomized, double-blind (neither the researchers nor the subjects know what treatment the subject is receiving), active-controlled, multicenter study (more than 1 study site) in subjects with TRD to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of flexible doses of intranasal esketamine plus a newly initiated oral antidepressant compared with a newly initiated oral antidepressant (active comparator) plus intranasal placebo. The study will consist of 3 phases: Screening/Prospective Observational Phase (4-7 weeks), Double-blind Induction Phase (4-weeks), Follow-up Phase (24-weeks). Subjects who rollover into a long-term maintenance study will not participate in the Follow-up Phase. The antidepressant treatment, as well as any other ongoing medications being taken for depression at screening (including adjunctive/ augmentation therapies), will continue unchanged, at the same dosage, from the start of Week 1 through the end of Week 4 of the screening/prospective observational phase. Subjects' safety will be monitored throughout the study.

Conditions

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Treatment-resistant Depression

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

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Intranasal Esketamine plus oral antidepressant

Participants will self-administer esketamine intranasally twice per week for 4 weeks as a flexible dose regimen in the Double-Blind Induction Phase. All participants will start at a dose of 56 mg on Day 1. On Day 4, the dose may be increased to 84 mg or remain at 56 mg per investigator's discretion. On Days 8 and 11 the dose may be increased to 84 mg (from 56 mg), remain same, or be reduced to 56 mg (from 84 mg) per investigator's discretion. On Day 15, a dose reduction from 84 mg to 56 mg is permitted, if required for tolerability; no dose increase permitted. After Day 15, dose must remain stable (unchanged). In addition participants will simultaneously initiate a new, open-label oral antidepressant (duloxetine, escitalopram, sertraline, or venlafaxine extended release \[XR\]) on Day 1 that will be continued for the duration of Double-Blind Induction Phase.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Esketamine

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants will self-administer either 56 mg or 84 mg of esketamine, intranasally, twice per week as a flexible dose regimen in the Double-Blind Induction Phase.

Duloxetine (Oral Antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Duloxetine could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of Massachusetts General Hospital - Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ) and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. The minimum therapeutic dose is 60 milligram per day (mg/day).

Escitalopram (Oral antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Escitalopram could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Escitalopram will be titrated upto a dose of 20 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 10 mg/day.

Sertraline (Oral Antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Sertraline could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Sertraline will be titrated upto a dose of 150 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 50 mg/day.

Venlafaxine Extended Release (XR) (Oral Antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Venlafaxine Extended Release could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Venlafaxine Extended Release will be titrated upto a dose of 225 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 150 mg/day.

Placebo plus oral antidepressant

Participants will self-administer matching placebo, intranasally, twice per week for 4 weeks as a flexible dose regimen in Double-Blind Induction Phase. In addition participants will simultaneously initiate a new, open-label oral antidepressant (ie, duloxetine, escitalopram, sertraline, or venlafaxine extended release \[XR\]) on Day 1 that will be continued for the duration of Double-Blind Induction Phase.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants will self-administer matching placebo, intranasally, twice per week for 4 weeks as a flexible dose regimen in the Double-Blind Induction Phase.

Duloxetine (Oral Antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Duloxetine could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of Massachusetts General Hospital - Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ) and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. The minimum therapeutic dose is 60 milligram per day (mg/day).

Escitalopram (Oral antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Escitalopram could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Escitalopram will be titrated upto a dose of 20 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 10 mg/day.

Sertraline (Oral Antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Sertraline could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Sertraline will be titrated upto a dose of 150 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 50 mg/day.

Venlafaxine Extended Release (XR) (Oral Antidepressant)

Intervention Type DRUG

Venlafaxine Extended Release could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Venlafaxine Extended Release will be titrated upto a dose of 225 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 150 mg/day.

Interventions

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Esketamine

Participants will self-administer either 56 mg or 84 mg of esketamine, intranasally, twice per week as a flexible dose regimen in the Double-Blind Induction Phase.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Participants will self-administer matching placebo, intranasally, twice per week for 4 weeks as a flexible dose regimen in the Double-Blind Induction Phase.

Intervention Type DRUG

Duloxetine (Oral Antidepressant)

Duloxetine could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of Massachusetts General Hospital - Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ) and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. The minimum therapeutic dose is 60 milligram per day (mg/day).

Intervention Type DRUG

Escitalopram (Oral antidepressant)

Escitalopram could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Escitalopram will be titrated upto a dose of 20 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 10 mg/day.

Intervention Type DRUG

Sertraline (Oral Antidepressant)

Sertraline could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Sertraline will be titrated upto a dose of 150 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 50 mg/day.

Intervention Type DRUG

Venlafaxine Extended Release (XR) (Oral Antidepressant)

Venlafaxine Extended Release could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Venlafaxine Extended Release will be titrated upto a dose of 225 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 150 mg/day.

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* At the time of signing the informed consent form (ICF), participant must be a man or woman 18 (or older if the minimum legal age of consent in the country in which the study is taking place is greater than \[\>\]18) to 64 years of age, inclusive
* At the start of the screening/prospective observational phase, participant must meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for single-episode major depressive disorder (MDD) (if single-episode MDD, the duration must be greater than or equal to \[\>=\] 2 years) or recurrent MDD, without psychotic features, based upon clinical assessment and confirmed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
* At the start of the screening/prospective observational phase, participant must have an Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician rated ( IDS-C30) total score of greater than or equal to (\>=) 34
* At the start of the screening/prospective observational phase, participant must have had non-response (greater than or equal to \[\<=25\] percent \[%\] improvement) to ≥1 but less than or equal to (\<=) 5 (if current episode is \>2 years, upper limit is applicable to only the last 2 years) oral antidepressant treatments in the current episode of depression, assessed using the Massachusetts General Hospital - Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ) and documented by medical history and pharmacy/prescription records, for the current episode of depression. In addition, the participant is taking a different oral antidepressant treatment (on the MGH-ATRQ) for at least the previous 2 weeks at or above the minimum therapeutic dose
* The participant's current major depressive episode, depression symptom severity (Week 1 MADRS total score \>=28 required), and antidepressant treatment response in the current depressive episode, must be confirmed using a Site Independent Qualification Assessment

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants who have previously demonstrated nonresponse of depressive symptoms to esketamine or ketamine in the current major depressive episode, to all 4 of the oral antidepressant treatment options available for the double-blind induction phase (ie, duloxetine, escitalopram, sertraline, and venlafaxine extended release \[XR\]) in the current major depressive episode (based on MGH-ATRQ), or an adequate course of treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the current major depressive episode, defined as at least 7 treatments with unilateral/bilateral ECT
* Participant has received vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) or has received deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the current episode of depression
* Participant has a current or prior DSM-5 diagnosis of a psychotic disorder or MDD with psychosis, bipolar or related disorders (confirmed by the MINI), comorbid obsessive compulsive disorder, intellectual disability (DSM-5 diagnostic codes 317, 318.0, 318.1, 318.2, 315.8, and 319), borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, or narcissistic personality disorder
* Participant has homicidal ideation/intent, per the investigator's clinical judgment, or has suicidal ideation with some intent to act within 6 months prior to the start of the screening/prospective observational phase, per the investigator's clinical judgment or based on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
* Participants with history of moderate or severe substance or alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

64 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Janssen Research & Development, LLC

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Janssen Research & Development, LLC Clinical Trial

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Locations

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Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Site Status

Orange, California, United States

Site Status

San Rafael, California, United States

Site Status

Maitland, Florida, United States

Site Status

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Site Status

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Dallas, Texas, United States

Site Status

Klecany, , Czechia

Site Status

Litoměřice, , Czechia

Site Status

Pilsen, , Czechia

Site Status

Prague, , Czechia

Site Status

Přerov, , Czechia

Site Status

Berlin, , Germany

Site Status

Cham, , Germany

Site Status

Dresden, , Germany

Site Status

Gelsenkirchen, , Germany

Site Status

Halle, , Germany

Site Status

Leipzig, , Germany

Site Status

Mainz, , Germany

Site Status

Mannheim, , Germany

Site Status

Mittweida, , Germany

Site Status

Pfaffenhofen, , Germany

Site Status

Prien am Chiemsee, , Germany

Site Status

Tübingen, , Germany

Site Status

Bialystok, , Poland

Site Status

Bydgoszcz, , Poland

Site Status

Gdansk, , Poland

Site Status

Krakow, , Poland

Site Status

Mysłowice, , Poland

Site Status

Pruszków, , Poland

Site Status

Torun, , Poland

Site Status

Tuszyn, , Poland

Site Status

Warsaw, , Poland

Site Status

Alcorcón, , Spain

Site Status

Barcelona, , Spain

Site Status

Córdoba, , Spain

Site Status

Málaga, , Spain

Site Status

Móstoles, , Spain

Site Status

Murcia, , Spain

Site Status

Palma, , Spain

Site Status

Pamplona, , Spain

Site Status

Sabadell, , Spain

Site Status

Salamanca, , Spain

Site Status

Santa Coloma de Gramanet, , Spain

Site Status

Vitoria-Gasteiz, , Spain

Site Status

Countries

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United States Czechia Germany Poland Spain

References

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Kern Sliwa J, Naranjo RR Jr, Turkoz I, Petrillo MP, Cabrera P, Trivedi M. Effects of esketamine nasal spray on depressive symptom severity in adults with treatment-resistant depression and associations between the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. CNS Spectr. 2024 Jun;29(3):176-186. doi: 10.1017/S1092852924000105. Epub 2024 Apr 1.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38557430 (View on PubMed)

Jamieson C, Popova V, Daly E, Cooper K, Drevets WC, Rozjabek HM, Singh J. Assessment of health-related quality of life and health status in patients with treatment-resistant depression treated with esketamine nasal spray plus an oral antidepressant. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2023 May 8;21(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12955-023-02113-1.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37158911 (View on PubMed)

Turkoz I, Nelson JC, Wilkinson ST, Borentain S, Macaluso M, Trivedi MH, Williamson D, Sheehan JJ, Salvadore G, Singh J, Daly E. Predictors of response and remission in patients with treatment-resistant depression: A post hoc pooled analysis of two acute trials of esketamine nasal spray. Psychiatry Res. 2023 May;323:115165. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115165. Epub 2023 Mar 16.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37019044 (View on PubMed)

Jha MK, Williamson DJ, Magharehabed G, Turkoz I, Daly EJ, Trivedi MH. Intranasal esketamine effectively treats treatment-resistant depression in adults regardless of baseline irritability. J Affect Disord. 2023 Jan 15;321:153-160. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.10.020. Epub 2022 Oct 20.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 36273682 (View on PubMed)

Floden L, Hudgens S, Jamieson C, Popova V, Drevets WC, Cooper K, Singh J. Evaluation of Individual Items of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) in Adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression Treated with Esketamine Nasal Spray Combined with a New Oral Antidepressant. CNS Drugs. 2022 Jun;36(6):649-658. doi: 10.1007/s40263-022-00916-2. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35441931 (View on PubMed)

Chen G, Chen L, Zhang Y, Li X, Lane R, Lim P, Daly EJ, Furey ML, Fedgchin M, Popova V, Singh JB, Drevets WC. Relationship Between Dissociation and Antidepressant Effects of Esketamine Nasal Spray in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2022 Apr 19;25(4):269-279. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab084.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35022754 (View on PubMed)

Jones RR, Freeman MP, Kornstein SG, Cooper K, Daly EJ, Canuso CM, Nicholson S. Efficacy and safety of esketamine nasal spray by sex in patients with treatment-resistant depression: findings from short-term randomized, controlled trials. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2022 Apr;25(2):313-326. doi: 10.1007/s00737-021-01185-6. Epub 2022 Jan 1.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34973081 (View on PubMed)

Dean RL, Hurducas C, Hawton K, Spyridi S, Cowen PJ, Hollingsworth S, Marquardt T, Barnes A, Smith R, McShane R, Turner EH, Cipriani A. Ketamine and other glutamate receptor modulators for depression in adults with unipolar major depressive disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 12;9(9):CD011612. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011612.pub3.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34510411 (View on PubMed)

Daly EJ, Turkoz I, Salvadore G, Fedgchin M, Ionescu DF, Starr HL, Borentain S, Trivedi MH, Thase ME, Singh JB. The effect of esketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression with and without comorbid anxiety symptoms or disorder. Depress Anxiety. 2021 Nov;38(11):1120-1130. doi: 10.1002/da.23193. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34293233 (View on PubMed)

Turkoz I, Daly E, Singh J, Lin X, Tymofyeyev Y, Williamson D, Salvadore G, Nash AI, Macaluso M, Wilkinson ST, Nelson JC. Treatment Response With Esketamine Nasal Spray Plus an Oral Antidepressant in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression Without Evidence of Early Response: A Pooled Post Hoc Analysis of the TRANSFORM Studies. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021 Jul 20;82(4):20m13800. doi: 10.4088/JCP.20m13800.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34288609 (View on PubMed)

Doty RL, Popova V, Wylie C, Fedgchin M, Daly E, Janik A, Ochs-Ross R, Lane R, Lim P, Cooper K, Melkote R, Jamieson C, Singh J, Drevets WC. Effect of Esketamine Nasal Spray on Olfactory Function and Nasal Tolerability in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression: Results from Four Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase III Studies. CNS Drugs. 2021 Jul;35(7):781-794. doi: 10.1007/s40263-021-00826-9. Epub 2021 Jul 7.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34235612 (View on PubMed)

Perez-Ruixo C, Rossenu S, Zannikos P, Nandy P, Singh J, Drevets WC, Perez-Ruixo JJ. Population Pharmacokinetics of Esketamine Nasal Spray and its Metabolite Noresketamine in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2021 Apr;60(4):501-516. doi: 10.1007/s40262-020-00953-4. Epub 2020 Oct 31.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 33128208 (View on PubMed)

Katz EG, Hough D, Doherty T, Lane R, Singh J, Levitan B. Benefit-Risk Assessment of Esketamine Nasal Spray vs. Placebo in Treatment-Resistant Depression. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2021 Feb;109(2):536-546. doi: 10.1002/cpt.2024. Epub 2020 Oct 13.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 32860422 (View on PubMed)

Saad Z, Hibar D, Fedgchin M, Popova V, Furey ML, Singh JB, Kolb H, Drevets WC, Chen G. Effects of Mu-Opiate Receptor Gene Polymorphism rs1799971 (A118G) on the Antidepressant and Dissociation Responses in Esketamine Nasal Spray Clinical Trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020 Dec 3;23(9):549-558. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa030.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 32367114 (View on PubMed)

Popova V, Daly EJ, Trivedi M, Cooper K, Lane R, Lim P, Mazzucco C, Hough D, Thase ME, Shelton RC, Molero P, Vieta E, Bajbouj M, Manji H, Drevets WC, Singh JB. Efficacy and Safety of Flexibly Dosed Esketamine Nasal Spray Combined With a Newly Initiated Oral Antidepressant in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind Active-Controlled Study. Am J Psychiatry. 2019 Jun 1;176(6):428-438. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19020172. Epub 2019 May 21.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 31109201 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Download supplemental materials such as informed consent forms, study protocols, or participant manuals.

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Related Links

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https://filehosting-v2.pharmacm.com/api/Attachment/Download?tenantId=80217051&amp;parentIdentifier=CR107147&amp;attachmentIdentifier=512d9c31-6ce0-4e92-b568-a7ef54a494d2&amp;fileName=ESKETINTRD3002_(CR107147)_Additional_results_data_CH.pdf&amp;versionIdentifier=

A Randomized, Double-blind, Multicenter, Active-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Flexible Doses of Intranasal Esketamine Plus an Oral Antidepressant in Adult Subjects with Treatment-resistant Depression

Other Identifiers

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ESKETINTRD3002

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2014-004585-22

Identifier Type: EUDRACT_NUMBER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

CR107147

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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