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Bipolar DisorderPhase 3NCT00063362

Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorders

A Phase 3 study testing Lithium, Lamotrigine and Divalproex in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will compare triple and double drug regimens in the treatment of patients with depression, hypomania, or mania. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Bipolar Disorder
What is being tested?
Lithium, Lamotrigine and Divalproex
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
49 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Feb 2002to Jul 2007
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 16 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Bipolar I or II Disorder
  • Meet criteria for rapid cycling, defined as four or more episodes over the past 12 months
  • Meet criteria for a major depressive episode

Who cannot join

  • History of intolerability of lithium, divalproex, or lamotrigine

About this study

Official title: Combination Therapy in Bipolar Rapid Cycling

This study will compare triple and double drug regimens in the treatment of patients with depression, hypomania, or mania.

Read the detailed description

Early studies have shown lithium to produce a high percentage of satisfactory clinical response in patients with bipolar disorders. These studies, however, do not include lithium-refractory subgroups, such as bipolar II disorder patients. When the wide spectrum of bipolar disorders is considered, the lithium response rate decreases significantly. More broadly effective regimens are needed.

Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive either lithium plus divalproex or lithium, divalproex, and lamotrigine for 7 months. Symptoms of depression and mania will be assessed with scales and patient questionnaires.

Being tested
Lithium, Lamotrigine, Divalproex, Placebo
Keywords
Depression
Medical subject headings
Bipolar Disorder, Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • LithiumDrug

    Also called Lithium Carbonate

    Lithium monotherapy was initiated at 450 mg once daily and titrated slowly over three weeks to a minimum blood level of 0.5 milliequivalent /L (mEq/L).

  • LamotrigineDrug

    Also called Lamictal

    Patients were assigned in a one to one ratio to adjunctive lamotrigine versus placebo after stratification for illness type (bipolar I versus bipolar II), historical response to lithium (response versus non-response), and length of current exposure to combination treatment with lithium and divalproex (< 2 months versus ≥ 2 months). During Phase 2, patients were continued on the same doses of lithium and divalproex as during the open-label treatment phase and equal capsules of double-blind lamotrigine or matching placebo were gradually added per a structured dosing schedule up to a minimum dose of 150 mg and a maximum dose of 200 mg per day.

  • DivalproexDrug

    Also called Depakote, Valproic Acid

    Divalproex was then initiated at 250 mg twice daily and increased slowly over five weeks to a minimum blood level of 50 μg/mL.

  • PlaceboDrug

    Patients were assigned in a one to one ratio to adjunctive lamotrigine versus placebo after stratification for illness type (bipolar I versus bipolar II), historical response to lithium (response versus non-response), and length of current exposure to combination treatment with lithium and divalproex (< 2 months versus ≥ 2 months). During Phase 2, patients were continued on the same doses of lithium and divalproex as during the open-label treatment phase and equal capsules of double-blind lamotrigine or matching placebo were gradually added per a structured dosing schedule up to a minimum dose of 150 mg and a maximum dose of 200 mg per day.

Study groups in NCT00063362
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Lithium + divalproex + lamotrigineExperimentalNot described
Receives: Drug: Lithium; Drug: Lamotrigine; Drug: Divalproex
Lithium + divalproex + placeboPlacebo comparatorNot described
Receives: Drug: Lithium; Drug: Divalproex; Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The Proportion of Patients Who Experience a Marked and Persistent Bimodal Response

    A marked bimodal response is defined by the following three conditions over four consecutive weeks while on triple therapy and after three weeks of ltg:

    1. Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score of <= 19
    2. Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score of <= 12.5
    3. Global Assessment Scale (GAS) score >= 51

    The MADRS measures the severity of a subject's depression symptoms with a possible total score ranging from 0 - 60, with higher scores indicating more severe depression.

    The YMRS measures the severity of a subject's manic symptoms with a possible total score ranging from 0 - 60, with higher scores indicating more severe mania.

    The GAS measures a used to rate subjectively the social, occupational, and psychological functioning of a subject and ranges in score from 0-100, with a higher score indicating better social, occupational, and psychological functioning.

    Measured: Baseline and Week 28

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Jun 2003 (estimated)
  2. Study startFeb 2002
  3. Primary completionJul 2007
  4. Study completionJul 2007

Why it stopped: Funding Expiration

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
49 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00063362
Sponsor's protocol ID
R21MH062650
Other IDs
R21MH062650, DSIR AT-SO
Status last verified
Oct 2016
First submitted
25 Jun 2003
Last updated
7 Nov 2016
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Lithium, Lamotrigine and Divalproex in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Nov 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 30 Jan 2014). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The Proportion of Patients Who Experience a Marked and Persistent Bimodal Response (time frame: Baseline and Week 28). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Nov 2016.

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