Post Traumatic Stress DisorderPhase 3NCT04174170
Brexpiprazole as Combination Therapy With Sertraline in the Treatment of Adults With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
A Phase 3 study testing Brexpiprazole and Sertraline in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, run by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This will be a 12-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of fixed-dose brexpiprazole + sertraline combination treatment in adult subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Brexpiprazole and Sertraline
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 591 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 30 Oct 2019to 15 Aug 2023
- 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 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male and female outpatients 18 to 65 years of age, inclusive, at the time of informed consent.
- Participants who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), and confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
- Onset of symptoms meeting the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD symptoms for a minimum of 6 months prior to screening.
Who cannot join
- The index traumatic event that led to the development of PTSD took place > 9 years before screening.
- The index traumatic event occurred before age 16.
- Participants who have experienced a traumatic event within 3 months of screening.
- Participants who are receiving disability payments because of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder; unless the disability payments will not be impacted by potential improvements demonstrated in the trial.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
For additional information regarding sites, contact 844-687-8522
New York, New York, 10010
About this study
Official title: A Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind Trial of Fixed-Dose Brexpiprazole as Combination Therapy With Sertraline in the Treatment of Adults With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
This will be a 12-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of fixed-dose brexpiprazole + sertraline combination treatment in adult subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Conditions
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Being tested
- Brexpiprazole, Sertraline, Placebo
- Keywords
- PTSD
- Medical subject headings
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
BrexpiprazoleDrug
Also called Rexulti
3 mg pill
SertralineDrug
Also called Zoloft
150 mg pill
PlaceboOther
Pill
BrexpiprazoleDrug
Also called Rexulti
2 mg pill
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | All enrolled participants received brexpiprazole-matched placebo tablets and sertraline-matched placebo tablets during the 1-week placebo run-in period. Receives: Other: Placebo |
| Brexpiprazole (2 mg) + Sertraline | Experimental | Randomized participants received brexpiprazole 2 milligrams (mg), orally, once daily (QD) in combination with sertraline, 150 mg, orally, QD from Week 1 to Week 12 of the double-blind treatment (DBT) period. Receives: Drug: Sertraline; Drug: Brexpiprazole |
| Brexpiprazole (3 mg) + Sertraline | Experimental | Randomized participants received brexpiprazole 3 mg, orally, QD in combination with sertraline, 150 mg, orally, QD from Week 1 to Week 12 of the DBT period. Receives: Drug: Brexpiprazole; Drug: Sertraline |
| Sertraline + Placebo | Experimental | Randomized participants received sertraline 150 mg, orally, QD, in combination with sertraline matching placebo, orally, QD from Week 1 to Week 12 of the DBT period. Receives: Drug: Sertraline; Other: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change From Baseline in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) Total Score
CAPS-5 was a structured interview designed to assess PTSD diagnostic status and symptoms severity as defined by DSM-5. CAPS -5 total score was calculated by summing severity scores for 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms (items 1-20) from categories: Category B: Intrusion symptoms (5 items); Category C: Avoidance symptoms (2 items); Category D: Cognition and mood symptoms (7 items); Category E: Arousal and reactivity symptoms (6 items). CAPS-5 total score was imputed by adding all subscores from categories B, C, D, E. Each symptom was scored 0=Absent to 4=Extreme/incapacitating, to yield a score range of 0-80. Higher scores indicate worse outcome. Least squares (LS) mean was determined by Mixed-effect model repeated measures (MMRM) method with fixed effect of treatment, trial site, visit week, and an interaction term of treatment by visit week, and included the interaction term of baseline values by visit week as a covariate.
Measured: Baseline (Week 1), Week 10
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Clinical Global Impression - Severity (CGI-S) Score
The CGI-S is a standardized, clinician-administered global rating scale that measures disease severity. To assess CGI-S, the rater or investigator answered the following question: "Considering your total clinical experience with this particular population, how mentally ill is the participant at this time?" Response choices include: 0 = not assessed; 1 = normal, not ill at all; 2 = borderline mentally ill; 3 = mildly ill; 4 = moderately ill; 5 = markedly ill; 6 = severely ill; and 7 = among the most extremely ill participants. The score 0 (not assessed) was to be set to missing. The CGI-S is therefore a 7-point scale from 1 through 7. A higher score on the CGI-S represents a higher severity of disease. LS mean was determined by MMRM method with fixed effect of treatment, trial site, visit week, and an interaction term of treatment by visit week, and included the interaction term of baseline values by visit week as a covariate.
Measured: Baseline (Week 1), Week 10
Change in Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functions (B-IPF) Score
The B-IPF is a short patient-reported questionnaire consisting of 7 questions which measure PTSD-specific psychosocial function on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = not at all to 6 = very much, and a not applicable option) with a recall period of 30 days. The B-IPF measures the concepts of romantic relationships, parenting, family, friendships and socializing, work, education, and self-care. Total score ranges from 0-100 and is calculated by summing the completed scale items, dividing by the maximum possible score of all items and multiplying by 100. Higher scores indicate greater impairment. LS mean was determined by MMRM method with fixed effect of treatment, trial site, visit week, and an interaction term of treatment by visit week, and included the interaction term of baseline values by visit week as a covariate.
Measured: Baseline, Week 12
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Nov 2019
- Study start30 Oct 2019
- Primary completion25 Jul 2023
- Study completion15 Aug 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Post Traumatic Stress DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.The sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 591 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04174170
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 331-201-00072
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Nov 2019
- Last updated
- 30 May 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Anonymized Individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results of this study will be shared with researchers to achieve aims pre-specified in a methodologically sound research proposal. Small studies with less than 25 participants are excluded from data sharing.
Publications
Davis LL, Behl S, Lee D, Zeng H, Skubiak T, Weaver S, Hefting N, Larsen KG, Hobart M. Fixed-Dose Brexpiprazole and Sertraline Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Phase 3, Randomized Trial. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2025 Nov-Dec 01;45(6):580-589. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000002076. Epub 2025 Sep 22.
PubMed 40982703
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind Trial of Fixed-Dose Brexpiprazole as Combination Therapy With Sertraline in the Treatment of Adults With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04174170
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 331-201-00072
- Conditions
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Keywords
- PTSD
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 591 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Study start
- 30 Oct 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Aug 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Nov 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 30 May 2025
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This will be a 12-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of fixed-dose brexpiprazole + sertraline combination treatment in adult subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Other: PlaceboAll enrolled participants received brexpiprazole-matched placebo tablets and sertraline-matched placebo tablets during the 1-week placebo run-in period. |
| Brexpiprazole (2 mg) + Sertraline | Experimental | Drug: Sertraline, Drug: BrexpiprazoleRandomized participants received brexpiprazole 2 milligrams (mg), orally, once daily (QD) in combination with sertraline, 150 mg, orally, QD from Week 1 to Week 12 of the double-blind treatment (DBT) period. |
| Brexpiprazole (3 mg) + Sertraline | Experimental | Drug: Brexpiprazole, Drug: SertralineRandomized participants received brexpiprazole 3 mg, orally, QD in combination with sertraline, 150 mg, orally, QD from Week 1 to Week 12 of the DBT period. |
| Sertraline + Placebo | Experimental | Drug: Sertraline, Other: PlaceboRandomized participants received sertraline 150 mg, orally, QD, in combination with sertraline matching placebo, orally, QD from Week 1 to Week 12 of the DBT period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Male and female outpatients 18 to 65 years of age, inclusive, at the time of informed consent.
- Participants who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), and confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
- Onset of symptoms meeting the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD symptoms for a minimum of 6 months prior to screening.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- The index traumatic event that led to the development of PTSD took place > 9 years before screening.
- The index traumatic event occurred before age 16.
- Participants who have experienced a traumatic event within 3 months of screening.
- Participants who are receiving disability payments because of PTSD or any other psychiatric disorder; unless the disability payments will not be impacted by potential improvements demonstrated in the trial.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| BrexpiprazoleAlso: Rexulti3 mg pill | Drug | Brexpiprazole (3 mg) + Sertraline |
| SertralineAlso: Zoloft150 mg pill | Drug | Brexpiprazole (2 mg) + Sertraline, Brexpiprazole (3 mg) + Sertraline, Sertraline + Placebo |
| PlaceboPill | Other | Placebo, Sertraline + Placebo |
| BrexpiprazoleAlso: Rexulti2 mg pill | Drug | Brexpiprazole (2 mg) + Sertraline |
Primary outcome
Change From Baseline in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) Total Score
Time frame: Baseline (Week 1), Week 10
CAPS-5 was a structured interview designed to assess PTSD diagnostic status and symptoms severity as defined by DSM-5. CAPS -5 total score was calculated by summing severity scores for 20 DSM-5 PTSD symptoms (items 1-20) from categories: Category B: Intrusion symptoms (5 items); Category C: Avoidance symptoms (2 items); Category D: Cognition and mood symptoms (7 items); Category E: Arousal and reactivity symptoms (6 items). CAPS-5 total score was imputed by adding all subscores from categories B, C, D, E. Each symptom was scored 0=Absent to 4=Extreme/incapacitating, to yield a score range of 0-80. Higher scores indicate worse outcome. Least squares (LS) mean was determined by Mixed-effect model repeated measures (MMRM) method with fixed effect of treatment, trial site, visit week, and an interaction term of treatment by visit week, and included the interaction term of baseline values by visit week as a covariate.
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Clinical Global Impression - Severity (CGI-S) Score
Time frame: Baseline (Week 1), Week 10
Change in Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functions (B-IPF) Score
Time frame: Baseline, Week 12
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 May 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40982703Davis LL, Behl S, Lee D, Zeng H, Skubiak T, Weaver S, Hefting N, Larsen KG, Hobart M. Fixed-Dose Brexpiprazole and Sertraline Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Phase 3, Randomized Trial. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2025 Nov-Dec 01;45(6):580-589. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000002076. Epub 2025 Sep 22.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Anonymized Individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results of this study will be shared with researchers to achieve aims pre-specified in a methodologically sound research proposal. Small studies with less than 25 participants are excluded from data sharing.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Brexpiprazole and Sertraline in people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, run by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. 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 4 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 30 May 2025. 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 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 May 2025). 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?
Change From Baseline in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) Total Score (time frame: Baseline (Week 1), Week 10). 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 NCT04174170, 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 30 May 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.