Sildenafil Vaginal Gel Co-treatment With Clomiphene Citrate in Infertile Women With Thin Endometrium

NCT ID: NCT02710981

Last Updated: 2020-05-05

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 42 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-06-30
• Study Completion Date: 2016-01-31

Brief Summary

This is a prospective self controlled clinical trial. Women with clomiphene Citrate failure, and thin endometrium were recruited (N = 42). In their 6th (Clomiphene citrate only) cycle, women continued on Clomiphene citrate 100 mg/ day for 5 days, and had sonographic measurement of their endometrial thickness , and Doppler evaluation of their uterine arteries on the day of HCG administration. In 7th cycle, women (N = 36) were given usual dose of Clomiphene citrate supplemented with sildenafil vagina gel (5 gm, containing 50 mg sildenafil) twice daily from cycle day 8 till the day of HCG injection. Endometrial thickness and uterine artery Doppler were measured on the day of HCG administration.

Detailed Description

Study design:

This is a prospective self-controlled clinical trial.

Study subjects:

Investigators counseled and recruited 42 infertile women who had been diagnosed with anovulatory infertility, with normal baseline FSH, LH, and free testosterone levels, patent tubes on hysterosalpingography, and normal male semen analysis.

By the time they were enrolled in the study, all women had already completed 5 ovulatory cycles of Clomiphene citrate induction (in a dose of 100 mg/ day in two divided doses starting from day 3 of the cycle for 5 days) but without conception (clomiphene citrate failure) with thin endometrium (<8mm) in at least 3 cycles. Ovulation was documented sonographically, and with day-21 serum progesterone exceeding 5 ng/ ml in all cases.

Exclusion criteria:

Women with major medical problems, male factor infertility, endocrine abnormalities such as hyperprolactinemia or abnormal thyroid functions, prior ovarian or adnexal surgery, or organic pelvic pathology were not included in the study.

Intervention:

Sixth cycle (Clomiphene citrate only):

Enrolled cases were asked to continue with Clomiphene citrate induction ( at the same dose) for the 6th cycle. A gel base, without medicament (vehicle only), was applied vaginally in a dose of 5 gm twice per day, from cycle day 8 to the day of HCG administration ( when follicular diameter reached 18 mm). Endometrial thickness and Uterine artery Doppler assessment were done in the late proliferative phase ( Day of HCG injection).

Seventh cycle ( Sildenafil vaginal gel and Clomiphene cycle):

Those who didn't conceive on the sixth cycle (41 women) were asked to have an extra (7th) cycle in which they were prescribed the usual dose of Clomiphene citrate in addition to sildenafil vaginal gel. The sildenafil vaginal gel consists of sildenafil acetate as a medicament loaded on an in situ gelling system based on two polymers: Pluronic p-127, and Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose. The dose was 5 g gel containing 50 mg sildenafil, applied vaginally twice daily from cycle day 8 to Day of HCG injection. The gel was prepared in collaboration with the department of pharmaceutics, faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University. Sixty grams of gel were prepared in tubes and every patient was given 10 applicators like that used for administration of vaginal antimycotic creams to use them for applying the gel.

Evaluation of the study end points:

On day of HCG injection (main follicular diameter of 18 mm) in the 6th, and 7th cycles, women came for follow up and had transvaginal sonographic assessment of their endometrial thickness. Investigators have measured the maximal distance spanning endometrial- myometrial interphase on each endometrial stripe in a sagittal plane in the fundus of the uterus. In addition, Transvaginal Doppler examination was also done on the same visit to evaluate the pulsatility indices of both uterine arteries. When the leading follicle reached 18 mm in diameter, 5000 IU of HCG was prescribed for IM injection.

Although pregnancy rate was not a primary outcome measure in the study, investigators detected pregnancy in 3 cases in the cohort of 36 cases of infertile women with clomiphene failure in which sildenafil gel was added as an adjuvant. Pregnancy was diagnosed with a B-HCG value above 100 mIU/ml, and confirmed later with ultrasound.

Statistics:

Data were analyzed using SPSS program ver. 17 using Student-t-test and Fisher's exact test for comparing data in the 6th and 7th cycles, as appropriate.

Conditions

Anovulation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Clomiphene citrate only

women with prior 5 ovulatory cycles of Clomiphene citrate induction, but without conception (clomiphene citrate failure), with thin endometrium (\<8mm) in at least 3 cycles.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

clomiphene citrate

Intervention Type: DRUG

Clomiphene citrate only arm: Patients received Clomiphene citrate induction ( (in a dose of 100 mg/ day in two divided doses starting from day 3 of the cycle for 5 days) for the 6th cycle. A gel base, without medicament (vehicle only), was applied vaginally in a dose of 5 gm twice per day, from cycle day 8 to the day of HCG injection. Sonographic assessment of endometrial thickness together with Uterine artery Doppler evaluation were done in the late proliferative phase ( Day of HCG injection).

Sildenafil vaginal gel and Clomiphene

Women who did not conceive on the Clomiphene citrate only cycle (41 women) were given Clomiphene citrate 100 mg/ day starting from day of the cycle for 5 days, with the addition to sildenafil vaginal gel 5 gm twice daily starting from day 8 of the cycle until day of HCG injection.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

clomiphene citrate

Intervention Type: DRUG

Clomiphene citrate only arm: Patients received Clomiphene citrate induction ( (in a dose of 100 mg/ day in two divided doses starting from day 3 of the cycle for 5 days) for the 6th cycle. A gel base, without medicament (vehicle only), was applied vaginally in a dose of 5 gm twice per day, from cycle day 8 to the day of HCG injection. Sonographic assessment of endometrial thickness together with Uterine artery Doppler evaluation were done in the late proliferative phase ( Day of HCG injection).

Sildenafil vaginal gel

Intervention Type: DRUG

In addition to clomiphene citrate treatment as the previous group, women in the second arm were prescribed sildenafil vaginal gel in a dose of 5 g gel applied vaginally twice daily from cycle day 8 to the day of HCG injection. The sildenafil vaginal gel consists of sildenafil acetate as a medicament loaded on an in situ gelling system based on two polymers: Pluronic p-127, and Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose.The gel was prepared in collaboration with the department of pharmaceutics, faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University. Sixty grams of gel were prepared in tubes and every patient was given 10 applicators like that used for administration of vaginal antimycotic creams to use them for applying the gel.

Interventions

clomiphene citrate

Clomiphene citrate only arm: Patients received Clomiphene citrate induction ( (in a dose of 100 mg/ day in two divided doses starting from day 3 of the cycle for 5 days) for the 6th cycle. A gel base, without medicament (vehicle only), was applied vaginally in a dose of 5 gm twice per day, from cycle day 8 to the day of HCG injection. Sonographic assessment of endometrial thickness together with Uterine artery Doppler evaluation were done in the late proliferative phase ( Day of HCG injection).

Intervention Type: DRUG

Sildenafil vaginal gel

In addition to clomiphene citrate treatment as the previous group, women in the second arm were prescribed sildenafil vaginal gel in a dose of 5 g gel applied vaginally twice daily from cycle day 8 to the day of HCG injection. The sildenafil vaginal gel consists of sildenafil acetate as a medicament loaded on an in situ gelling system based on two polymers: Pluronic p-127, and Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose.The gel was prepared in collaboration with the department of pharmaceutics, faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University. Sixty grams of gel were prepared in tubes and every patient was given 10 applicators like that used for administration of vaginal antimycotic creams to use them for applying the gel.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

clomid only; Viagra vaginal gel

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Women with clomiphene citrate failure (defined as at least prior 5 ovulatory cycles with clomiphene citrate, with no conception),
• persistently thin endometrium (less than 8 mm in at least 3 cycles).
• normal baseline FSH, LH, and free testosterone levels, patent tubes on hysterosalpingography, and normal male semen analysis

Exclusion Criteria

• Women with major medical problems,
• male factor infertility,
• endocrine abnormalities such as hyperprolactinemia or abnormal thyroid functions,
• prior ovarian or adnexal surgery, or organic pelvic pathology

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Assiut University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Essam Rashad Abdel-Hafeez Othman

Associate professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Ahmed N. Fetih, M.D.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Assiut University

Other Identifiers

AUH1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id