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Advanced CancersPhase 4NCT02459964

Compare Fentanyl Nasal Spray With Intravenous Opioids to Treat Severe Pain

A Phase 4 study testing Fentanyl Nasal Spray, Hydromorphone Hydrochloride and Phone Call in people with Advanced Cancers and Pain, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this clinical research study is to compare fentanyl nasal spray with a standard drug given by vein (hydromorphone hydrochloride) to help reduce pain related to cancer in patients coming to the emergency department. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Advanced Cancers, Pain
What is being tested?
Fentanyl Nasal Spray, Hydromorphone Hydrochloride and Phone Call
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
84 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
14 Sep 2015to 21 Jun 2020
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 Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Cancer patients with severe pain (i.e., >=7 on NRS, see Table 1) already on opioid therapy for one week or longer, at least 60 mg of oral morphine/day, 25 mcg of transdermal fentanyl/hour, 30 mg of oxycodone/day, 8 mg oral hydromorphone/day, 25 mg oral oxymorphone/day, or an equianalgesic dose of another opioid.
  • Ability to give informed consent before any trial-related activities (Trial-related activities are any procedure that would not have been performed during normal management of the subject.)
  • Ability and willingness to communicate the intensity of pain using NRS at the frequency dictated by the protocol

Who cannot join

  • Patients with a history of chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis or hepatic encephalopathy
  • Inability to give informed consent
  • Known or suspected hypersensitivity or intolerance to fentanyl or hydromorphone or excipients in the study medications
  • Patients with sinusitis, obstruction of nasal passages, nasopharyngeal cancer, paranasal sinus malignancies, or any conditions in the nasopharyngeal anatomical area that may affect the absorption of fentanyl nasal spray.
  • Females who are pregnant, breast-feeding or intending to become pregnant. This exclusion criterion will be assessed by questioning the patient about the pregnancy status, breast-feeding status, the intent to become pregnant, the menopausal status, and the date of the last menstrual period.
  • Females of child-bearing potential, who are not using adequate contraceptive measures (including condoms, birth control pills, intrauterine devices, contraceptive implants, or other US FDA-approved contraceptives)
  • Previous participation in randomization in this trial
  • Has taken oral immediate release opioids within 4 hours prior to arrival.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Randomized Trial to Compare Fentanyl Nasal Spray With Intravenous Opioids to Treat Severe Pain in Cancer Patients in the Emergency Department Setting

The goal of this clinical research study is to compare fentanyl nasal spray with a standard drug given by vein (hydromorphone hydrochloride) to help reduce pain related to cancer in patients coming to the emergency department.

Read the detailed description

Study Groups and Drug Administration:

If participant agrees to take part in this study, they will be randomly assigned (as in the flip of a coin) to 1 of 2 study groups. This is done because no one knows if one study group is better, the same, or worse than the other group. Participant will have an equal chance of being in either group:

  • If participant is in Group 1, they will receive the fentanyl nasal spray. The study staff will help participant use the nasal spray.
  • If participant is in Group 2, the emergency center nurse will give them the hydromorphone hydrochloride by vein.

Study Procedures:

Participant will stay in the emergency department for at least 4 hours and will be monitored after receiving fentanyl or hydromorphone hydrochloride. During this time, participant will be asked about their pain and any side effects they may be having every 15 minutes for 2 hours and then every 30 minutes for another 2 hours. The study staff will also monitor participant's vital signs, and ask them a few more questions at the end of the study.

Length of Study Participation:

Although participant will stay in the emergency department for at least 4 hours, the average length of stay for participants with severe pain is about 9 hours. When participant is discharged from the emergency department or admitted to the hospital, their active participation in the study is over.

Follow-Up Phone Call:

About 24 hours after patient's active participation is over, the study nurse will call them to ask if they had any other side effects since taking part in the study. The phone call should last about 5 minutes. If participant is still an inpatient at the hospital, the study nurse may visit them and ask them these questions in person.

This is an investigational study. Hydromorphone hydrochloride is FDA approved and commercially available for the treatment of pain. Fentanyl nasal spray is FDA approved and commercially available for the treatment of pain. Its use to help with cancer pain in the emergency department is investigational.

Up to 84 participants will be enrolled in this study. All will take part at MD Anderson.

Being tested
Fentanyl Nasal Spray, Hydromorphone Hydrochloride, Phone Call
Keywords
Advanced Cancers, Pain, Fentanyl nasal spray, Hydromorphone hydrochloride, Phone call, Numeric Rating Scale, NRS
Medical subject headings
Pain

What participants receive

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

  • Fentanyl Nasal SprayDrug

    Fentanyl nasal spray 100 mcg delivered at time 0 (defined as the time when intranasal Fentanyl spray is administered) with a rescue dose allowed at time 0.5 hour (h)

  • Hydromorphone HydrochlorideDrug

    Hydromorphone hydrochloride 1.5 mg pushed intravenously (IV) at time 0 (defined as the time of completion of opioid IV push) with a rescue dose allowed at time 0.5 hour (h).

  • Phone CallBehavioural

    Study nurse to call patient 24 hours after participation to ask about side effects since taking part in the study. The phone call should last about 5 minutes.

Study groups in NCT02459964
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Fentanyl Nasal SprayExperimentalFentanyl nasal spray 100 mcg delivered at time 0 (defined as the time when intranasal Fentanyl spray is administered) with a rescue dose allowed at time 0.5 hour (h). Study nurse to call patient 24 hours after participation to ask about side effects since taking part in the study.
Receives: Drug: Fentanyl Nasal Spray; Behavioral: Phone Call
Hydromorphone HydrochlorideActive comparatorHydromorphone hydrochloride 1.5 mg pushed intravenously (IV) at time 0 (defined as the time of completion of opioid IV push) with a rescue dose allowed at time 0.5 hour (h). Study nurse to call patient 24 hours after participation to ask about side effects since taking part in the study.
Receives: Drug: Hydromorphone Hydrochloride; Behavioral: Phone Call

What is being measured

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

  1. Non-inferiority of Fentanyl Nasal Spray Versus Intravenous Opioids in the Change in the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Pain Intensity Score at One Hour, Starting From the Time of Drug Delivery (Treatment Initiation).

    The median change in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain intensity scores (assessed on an 11-point Likert scale with 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain) from randomization, estimate of treatment initiation, to one hour post-treatment calculated for both treatment arms.

    Measured: Baseline, One hour post time of drug delivery/treatment initiation

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Number of Participants With Change in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Pain Intensity Score

    Change in NRS pain intensity scores from randomization to one hour after treatment start based on the percentage of participants with severe pain, NRS score = 7-10, one hour after treatment start for both treatment arms. Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain intensity scores (assessed on an 11-point Likert scale with 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain).

    Measured: One (1) hour after treatment start.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted2 Jun 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study start14 Sep 2015
  3. Primary completion21 Jun 2020
  4. Study completion21 Jun 2020

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
84 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02459964
Sponsor's protocol ID
2015-0086
Other IDs
NCI-2015-01509
Status last verified
Jun 2021
First submitted
29 May 2015
Last updated
16 Jun 2021
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Banala SR, Khattab OK, Page VD, Warneke CL, Todd KH, Yeung SJ. Intranasal fentanyl spray versus intravenous opioids for the treatment of severe pain in patients with cancer in the emergency department setting: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2020 Jul 10;15(7):e0235461. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235461. eCollection 2020.

    PubMed 32649717

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Fentanyl Nasal Spray, Hydromorphone Hydrochloride and Phone Call in people with Advanced Cancers and Pain, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 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 3 inclusion and 8 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jun 2021. 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. 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 16 Jun 2021). 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?

Non-inferiority of Fentanyl Nasal Spray Versus Intravenous Opioids in the Change in the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) Pain Intensity Score at One Hour, Starting From the Time of Drug Delivery (Treatment Initiation). (time frame: Baseline, One hour post time of drug delivery/treatment initiation). 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 NCT02459964, 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 16 Jun 2021.

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