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PMSPhase 4NCT00523705

Escitalopram for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in Teens: A Pilot Study

A Phase 4 study testing escitalopram in people with PMS, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.

Terminated

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

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the efficacy and safety of escitalopram administered premenstrually (day 14 through day 2 of the menstrual cycle) for severe PMS in young women ages 15-19 years. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 15 to 19 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
PMS
What is being tested?
escitalopram
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
11 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Feb 2008to Oct 2009
Phase
Phase 4
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 15 to 19 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Females 15-19 years of age
  • Regular menstrual cycles of 22-35 days
  • In general good health
  • Medically approved birth control method if sexually active
  • Evidence of ovulation
  • Meeting all symptom criteria for PMS
  • Signed informed consent
  • Subjects under age 18 must also have signed parental consent

Who cannot join

  • Current use of any treatment for PMS.
  • Psychotropic or other medications that may compromise the study drug.
  • Pregnancy, intending pregnancy or breast feeding.
  • Not using a medically approved birth control method if sexually active.
  • Significant medical or gynecological abnormalities.
  • Irregular menses, any gynecologic disorder.
Show all 16Show fewer
  • Any severe or unstable medical illness.
  • Any current major psychiatric diagnosis or any history of a major psychiatric diagnosis.
  • Any current or history of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, suicide attempt, bi-polar disorder, psychosis or severe personality disorder.
  • Use of triptans (Imitrex, Zomig, Frova, Maxalt, Axert, Amerge, Relpax).
  • Use of medicines that include dextromethorphan such as Tylenol or Vicks cough medicines.
  • Use of the pain medication meperidine.
  • Use of any herbal product such as St John's Wort that may increase serotonin.
  • Use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), pimozide or citalopram hydrobromide.
  • Drugs metabolized by CYP2D6 or a combination of CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 inhibitors.
  • Hypersensitivity to escitalopram or citalopram.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Dept OB/GYN, Mudd Professorship Suite

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the efficacy and safety of escitalopram administered premenstrually (day 14 through day 2 of the menstrual cycle) for severe PMS in young women ages 15-19 years.

Read the detailed description

The medication in this study is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a class that is considered the first-line treatment for severe PMS at this time. Although data indicate that young women who have PMS in their teen years report the same symptoms and symptom severity as adult women, clinical trials have not included this age group, and there is no information on the efficacy and safety of treatment with a serotonergic antidepressant for PMS in teens.

Conditions
PMS
Being tested
escitalopram, placebo
Keywords
premenstrual syndrome, PMS, PMDD, treatment, SSRI
Medical subject headings
Premenstrual Syndrome

What participants receive

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

  • escitalopramDrug

    Also called Lexapro

    10 mg tablets taken once daily. Dosing in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (estimated day 14 to day 2). Start at 10 mg/day (1 tablet) in the first treatment cycle. If unimproved, increase to 20 mg/day (2 tablets) in cycle 2 if not precluded by side effects.

  • placeboOther

    Placebo tablets matched to drug

Study groups in NCT00523705
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
escitalopramExperimentalEscitalopram 10 mg tablets taken once daily. Dosing in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (estimated day 14 to day 2). Start at 10 mg/day (1 tablet) in the first treatment cycle. If unimproved, increase to 20 mg/day (2 tablets) in cycle 2 if not precluded by side effects.
Receives: Drug: escitalopram
placeboPlacebo comparatorPlacebo tablets matched to drug.
Receives: Other: placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Subject Daily Symptom Rating Score.

    A daily diary with 17 symptoms of PMS rated on a 5-point scale to indicate none to very severe symptoms. Minimum score 0; maximum score 408.

    Measured: baseline and 5 months.

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)

    Measured: Throughout study

  2. Patient Global Evaluation of Improvement (PGE)

    Measured: Throughout treatment

  3. Subject Satisfaction Questionnaire

    Measured: Study endpoint

Timeline

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

  1. First posted31 Aug 2007 (estimated)
  2. Study startFeb 2008
  3. Primary completionOct 2009
  4. Study completionOct 2009

Why it stopped: Enrollment too slow.

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 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
11 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00523705
Sponsor's protocol ID
805778
Other IDs
LXP-MD-123 (Forest Pharm), LXP-MD-123
Status last verified
Jun 2012
First submitted
30 Aug 2007
Last updated
6 Jun 2014
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Vichnin M, Freeman EW, Lin H, Hillman J, Bui S. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in adolescents: severity and impairment. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2006 Dec;19(6):397-402. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2006.06.015.

    PubMed 17174829

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing escitalopram in people with PMS, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.

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 8 inclusion and 16 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 6 Jun 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

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 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

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 6 Jun 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?

Subject Daily Symptom Rating Score. (time frame: baseline and 5 months.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00523705, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 6 Jun 2014.

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