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Depressive Disorder, MajorPhase 3AVENUENCT07227454

A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Esketamine for Reduction of Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder

A Phase 3 study testing Esketamine and Midazolam in people with Depressive Disorder, Major, run by Janssen Research & Development, LLC at 49 sites in 7 countries.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how well JNJ-54135419 works (efficacy) in addition to comprehensive standard of care (SoC) in rapidly reducing the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD, a mental disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities) as compared with… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for
Depressive Disorder, Major
What is being tested?
Esketamine and Midazolam
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
258 participants
Where
49 sitesin 7 countries
Study dates
8 Jan 2026to 15 Sep 2031
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 12 to 17 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Must meet diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edition) (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) based upon clinical assessment and confirmed by the mini-international neuropsychiatric interview for children and adolescents (MINI-KID)
  • Must have a clinical global impression - severity of suicidality - revised (CGI-SS-R) score of "Markedly" or greater (that is, greater than or equal to [>=] 4) at both screening and baseline (predose) visits
  • Must have a children's depression rating scale - revised (CDRS-R) total score >= 58 at baseline (predose)
  • In the physician's opinion, acute psychiatric hospitalization is clinically warranted due to subject's acute suicidality
  • Must be medically stable based on physical examination, medical history, vital signs, and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at screening

Who cannot join

  • Participant has a current DSM-5 diagnosis of bipolar (or related disorders), intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder
  • Participant currently meets DSM-5 criteria for borderline personality disorder
  • Participant has a current or prior DSM-5 diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, or MDD with psychosis
  • Participant has a history of seizure disorder
  • Participant has known allergies, hypersensitivity, intolerance or contraindications to midazolam, esketamine or ketamine, or their excipients

Trial locations and contacts

49 sites in 7 countries. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

49 sites in 7 countries

United States12 sites, 12 recruiting
  • Peachford Hospital-Atlanta Behavioral Research

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30338

    Recruiting
  • Johns Hopkins University

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287

    Recruiting
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35294

    Recruiting
  • Boston Childrens Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02445

    Recruiting
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514

    Recruiting
  • University of Cincinnati

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45219

    Recruiting
  • Bradley Hospital

    East Providence, Rhode Island, 02915

    Recruiting
  • Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital

    Evanston, Illinois, 60201

    Recruiting
  • John S Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth Houston

    Houston, Texas, 77021

    Recruiting
  • Yale Child Study Center

    New Haven, Connecticut, 06511

    Recruiting
  • Mayo Clinic

    Rochester, Minnesota, 55905

    Recruiting
  • Children's National Medical Center

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

Spain10 sites, 10 recruiting
  • Hosp Univ Vall D Hebron

    Barcelona, 08035

    Recruiting
  • Hosp. Clinic de Barcelona

    Barcelona, 08036

    Recruiting
  • Hosp. Sant Joan de Deu

    Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950

    Recruiting
  • Hosp. Gral. Univ. Gregorio Maranon

    Madrid, 28009

    Recruiting
  • Hosp. Univ. La Paz

    Madrid, 28046

    Recruiting
  • Fundacio Althaia Xarxa Assistencial Universitaria de Manresa

    Manresa, 08243

    Recruiting
  • Hosp. Univ. Central de Asturias

    Oviedo, 33011

    Recruiting
  • Clinica Univ. de Navarra

    Pamplona, 31008

    Recruiting
  • Hosp.Univ.Parc Tauli

    Sabadell, 08208

    Recruiting
  • Hosp. Univ. Marques de Valdecilla

    Santander, 39008

    Recruiting

Other trials in Spain

Italy8 sites, 8 recruiting
  • Presidio Ospedaliero Santa Marta e Santa Venera

    Acireale, 95024

    Recruiting
  • Azienda Ospedaliera G. Brotzu

    Cagliari, 09134

    Recruiting
  • AOU Meyer

    Florence, 50134

    Recruiting
  • Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico Riuniti di Foggia

    Foggia, 71122

    Recruiting
  • G.Gaslini Institute

    Genova, 16147

    Recruiting
  • Ospedale di Merano

    Merano, 39012

    Recruiting
  • Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Federico II

    Naples, 80131

    Recruiting
  • Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Sassari

    Sassari, 07100

    Recruiting

Other trials in Italy

Brazil6 sites, 6 recruiting
  • Sociedade Literaria e Caritativa Santo Agostinho Hospital Sao Jose

    Criciúma, 88811 000

    Recruiting
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Hospital Universitario Onofre Lopes

    Natal, 59012 300

    Recruiting
  • Instituto Apice

    Salvador, 40170 108

    Recruiting
  • Centro Integrado Facili

    São Bernardo do Campo, 09726 150

    Recruiting
  • Instituto de Pesquisa Pensi Sandra Mutarelli Setubal

    São Paulo, 01 227 200

    Recruiting
  • Hospital Das Clinicas Da Faculdade De Medicina Da USP

    São Paulo, 05403-900

    Recruiting

Other trials in Brazil

Taiwan5 sites, 5 recruiting
  • Mackay Memorial Hospital Tamsui Branch

    New Taipei City, 251

    Recruiting
  • National Taiwan University Hospital

    Taipei, 100

    Recruiting
  • Taipei Medical University Hospital

    Taipei, 110

    Recruiting
  • Taipei Veterans General Hospital

    Taipei, 112

    Recruiting
  • Tri-Service General Hospital

    Taipei, 114

    Recruiting

Other trials in Taiwan

Hungary4 sites, 4 recruiting
  • Vadaskert Gyermek es Ifjusagpszichiatriai Korhaz es Szakambulancia

    Budapest, 1021

    Recruiting
  • Debreceni Egyetem Klinikai Kozpont

    Debrecen, 4031

    Recruiting
  • Petz Aladar Megyei Oktato Korhaz

    Győr, 9023

    Recruiting
  • Szegedi Tudomanyegyetem

    Szeged, 6720

    Recruiting

Other trials in Hungary

Romania4 sites, 4 recruiting
  • Spitalul Clinic de Psihiatrie Prof Dr Alexandru Obregia

    Bucharest, 041914

    Recruiting
  • Spitalul Clinic de Urgenta pentru Copii Cluj Napoca

    Cluj-Napoca, 400347

    Recruiting
  • Spitalul Clinic De Psihiatrie Doctor Gheorghe Preda

    Sibiu, 550082

    Recruiting
  • Spitalul Clinic de Urgenta pentru Copii 'Louis Turcanu' Timisoara

    Timișoara, 300329

    Recruiting

Other trials in Romania

About this study

Official title: A Double-blind, Randomized, Psychoactive Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intranasal Esketamine 84 mg in Addition to Comprehensive Standard of Care for the Rapid Reduction of the Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescent Participants With Acute Suicidal Ideation or Behavior

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how well JNJ-54135419 works (efficacy) in addition to comprehensive standard of care (SoC) in rapidly reducing the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD, a mental disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities) as compared with psychoactive placebo (does not contain JNJ-54135419) plus SoC in adolescent participants with acute suicidal ideation or behavior.

Being tested
Esketamine, Midazolam, Oral Placebo, Intranasal Placebo
Medical subject headings
Depressive Disorder, Major

What participants receive

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

  • EsketamineDrug

    Also called JNJ-54135419

    Esketamine will be administered as intranasal solution.

  • MidazolamDrug

    Midazolam will be administered as oral solution.

  • Oral PlaceboOther

    Placebo will be administered as oral solution.

  • Intranasal PlaceboOther

    Intranasal placebo will be administered as nasal solution.

Study groups in NCT07227454
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intranasal Esketamine + Oral PlaceboExperimentalParticipants will receive intranasal esketamine 84 milligrams (mg) along with oral placebo solution twice weekly for 4 weeks (Days 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, and 25). On Day 4 a decrease to intranasal esketamine 56 mg (in a blinded fashion per investigator's judgment) is permitted. Thereafter, dose may be flexed between 56 mg and 84 mg during the treatment period.
Receives: Drug: Esketamine; Other: Oral Placebo
Intranasal Placebo + Oral MidazolamPlacebo comparatorParticipants will receive oral midazolam (0.0625 milligrams per kilograms [mg/kg]) and intranasal placebo twice weekly for 4 weeks (Days 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, and 25). On Day 4 a sham decrease to esketamine 56 mg dose (in a blinded fashion per investigator's judgment) is permitted. Thereafter, sham dose may be flexed between 56 mg and 84 mg during the treatment period.
Receives: Drug: Midazolam; Other: Intranasal Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Change from Baseline in Depressive Symptoms Measured by Children's Depression Rating Scale - Revised (CDRS-R) Total Score at 24 Hours Post First Dose

    The CDRS-R is a 17-item, clinician-reported outcome measure of children's depressive symptom severity. Out of the 17-item, 3 items were non-verbal behavior (listless speech, hypoactivity, and depressed affect) rated on a 5 point scale from 1 (no depression) to 5 (severe depression) and 14 items were rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 7 (severe depression), where higher score indicated more severe depression. The CDRS-R total score was the sum of the 17-tems score and it ranged from 17 (normal) to 113 (severe depression). Higher score indicated more severe depression and worse outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (pre-dose on Day 1) and 24 hours post first dose (i.e., Day 2)

Secondary outcomes (13)
  1. Change from Baseline in CDRS-R Total Score at Day 25

    The CDRS-R is a 17-item, clinician-reported outcome measure of children's depressive symptom severity. Out of the 17-item, 3 items were non-verbal behavior (listless speech, hypoactivity, and depressed affect) rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 5 (severe depression) and 14 items were rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 7 (severe depression), where higher score indicated more severe depression. The CDRS-R total score was the sum of the 17-tems score and it ranged from 17 (normal) to 113 (severe depression). Higher score indicated more severe depression and worse outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (predose on Day 1) and Day 25 (4 hours post dose)

  2. Change from Baseline in Clinical Global Impression - Severity of Suicidality - Revised (CGI-SS-R) Score at 24 Hours Post First Dose

    The CGI-SS-R is a single item clinician-rated measure of the severity of participants' suicidality. The CGI-SS-R asks clinicians to rate the severity of a participant's suicidality using a 7-point scale that ranges from 0 (normal, not at all suicidal) to 6 (among the most extremely suicidal patients). Higher scores indicate greater severity.

    Measured: Baseline (pre-dose on Day 1) and 24 hours post first dose (i.e., Day 2)

  3. Change From Baseline in Symptoms of MDD During the Double-Blind (DB) Treatment Phase as Measured by CDRS-R Total Score

    The CDRS-R is a 17-item, clinician-reported outcome measure of children's depressive symptom severity. Out of the 17-item, 3 items were non-verbal behavior (listless speech, hypoactivity, and depressed affect) rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 5 (severe depression) and 14 items were rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 7 (severe depression), where higher score indicated more severe depression. The CDRS-R total score was the sum of the 17-tems score and it ranged from 17 (normal) to 113 (severe depression). Higher score indicated more severe depression and worse outcome.

    Measured: From Baseline up to Day 25

  4. Percentage of Participants with Remission of Depressive Symptoms During the DB Treatment Phase

    Remission of depressive symptoms is defined as a CDRS-R total score of both less than or equal to (<=) 28 and <= 34 during the DB treatment phase. The CDRS-R is a 17-item, clinician-reported outcome measure of children's depressive symptom severity. Out of the 17-item, 3 items were non-verbal behavior (listless speech, hypoactivity, and depressed affect) rated on a 5 point scale from 1 (no depression) to 5 (severe depression) and 14 items were rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 7 (severe depression), where higher score indicated more severe depression. The CDRS-R total score was the sum of the 17-tems score and it ranged from 17 (normal) to 113 (severe depression). Higher score indicated more severe depression and worse outcome.

    Measured: Up to Day 25

  5. Percentage of Responders on Depressive Symptoms During the DB Treatment Phase

    Responders on depressive symptoms is defined as >= 50 percent (%) improvement in CDRS-R total score from baseline during the DB treatment phase. The CDRS-R is a 17-item, clinician-reported outcome measure of children's depressive symptom severity. Out of the 17-item, 3 items were non-verbal behavior (listless speech, hypoactivity, and depressed affect) rated on a 5 point scale from 1 (no depression) to 5 (severe depression) and 14 items were rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (no depression) to 7 (severe depression), where higher score indicated more severe depression. The CDRS-R total score was the sum of the 17-tems score and it ranged from 17 (normal) to 113 (severe depression). Higher score indicated more severe depression and worse outcome.

    Measured: Up to Day 25

  6. Percentage of Participants with Resolution of Suicidality During the DB Treatment Phase

    Participants with resolution of suicidality is defined as a score of 0 (normal, not at all suicidal) or 1 (questionably suicidal) on CGI SS-R, during the DB treatment phase. The CGI-SS-R asks clinicians to rate the severity of a participant's suicidality using a 7-point scale that ranges from 0 (normal, not at all suicidal) to 6 (among the most extremely suicidal patients). Higher score indicate greater severity.

    Measured: Up to Day 25

  7. Change From Baseline in Severity of Suicidality As Measured by Clinical Global Impression - Severity of Suicidality - Revised (CGI-SS-R) During the DB Treatment Phase

    The CGI-SS-R is a single item clinician-rated measure of the severity of participants' suicidality. The CGI-SS-R asks clinicians to rate the severity of a participant's suicidality using a 7-point scale that ranges from 0 (normal, not at all suicidal) to 6 (among the most extremely suicidal patients). Higher score indicate greater severity.

    Measured: From Baseline up to Day 25

  8. Change From Baseline in Clinician-Reported Frequency of Suicidal Thinking (FoST-ClinRO) During the DB Treatment Phase

    FoST-ClinRO is a clinician-rated measure used to assess a participant's frequency of suicidal thinking assessed during the DB treatment phase. The measure uses a 6-point Likert scale that ranges from 0=Never, to 5=All of the time to assess suicidal thinking frequency, where higher scores indicate a more severe condition.

    Measured: From Baseline up to Day 25

  9. Change from baseline in Patient-Reported Frequency of Suicidal Thinking (FoST-PRO) During the DB Treatment Phase

    FoST-PRO is a single item participant reported measure of the frequency of one's suicidal thinking right now. The single item asks participants to rate the frequency with which they have suicidal thoughts (0 = I have no suicidal thoughts, 1 = I have suicidal thoughts a little of the time, 2 = I have suicidal thoughts some of the time, 3 = I have suicidal thoughts most of the time, and 4 = I have suicidal thoughts all of the time). Higher scores indicate greater severity.

    Measured: From Baseline up to Day 25

  10. Change from Baseline in Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-item Modified for Adolescents (PHQ-A) Total Score During the DB Treatment Phase

    The PHQ-A is a modified version of the PHQ-9 scale, specifically designed to measure depressive symptom severity in adolescents. A 10-item version of the PHQ-A will be used in this study; the first 9 items assess depressive symptoms. Adolescents use a 4 point Likert scale to rate the severity of their symptoms over the past 2 weeks (range: 0 = not at all to 3 = nearly every day). The PHQ-A total score is the sum of all item responses. The total score can be used to classify adolescents based on the severity of their depressive symptoms: 0-4 (no or minimal depression), 5-9 (mild depression), 10-14 (moderate depression), 15-19 (moderately severe depression), and 20-27 (severe depression). The tenth PHQ-A item measures the degree to which adolescents experience functional difficulties due to their depressive symptoms. Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptoms.

    Measured: From Baseline up to Day 25

  11. Change From Baseline in KIDSCREEN-10 Total Score During the DB Treatment Phase

    KIDSCREEN-10 is a global patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure of well-being and health-related quality of life in children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. It includes 10 items that measure the subjective health and psychological, mental and social well-being experiences of children and adolescents over the past week. The scores for the 10 items are summed to produce a total score. This total score can then be transformed into a T-score or percentile rank, based on normative data, to facilitate interpretation. The higher the total score, the better the reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

    Measured: From Baseline up to Day 25

  12. Change from Baseline in Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGI-S) Depressive Symptoms at 24 Hours Post First Dose

    The PGI-S is a single PRO item that captures one's perceptions of the severity of his/her depressive symptoms over the past 24 hours. Participants will be asked to rate their disease severity using the following 5-point scale: 1 = None, 2 = Mild, 3 = Moderate, 4 = Severe, and 5 = Very severe. Higher scores indicate greater disease severity.

    Measured: Baseline (predose on Day 1) and 24 hours post first dose (i.e., Day 2)

  13. Change from Baseline in Clinical Global Impression - Severity Scale (CGI-S) Depressive Symptoms at 24 Hours Post First Dose

    The CGI-S provides an overall clinician-determined summary measure of the severity of the participant's illness that considers all available information, including knowledge of the participant's history, psychosocial circumstances, symptoms, behavior, and the impact of the symptoms on the participant's ability to function. The CGI-S will be used to rate the overall severity of illness on a scale of 1 to 7. Considering total clinical experience with the depression population, a participant is assessed on severity of illness at the time of rating according to the following scale: 1=normal (not at all ill); 2=borderline ill; 3=mildly ill; 4=moderately ill; 5=markedly ill; 6=severely ill; 7=among the most extremely ill patients. Higher scores indicate greater severity.

    Measured: Baseline (pre-dose on Day 1) and 24 hours post first dose (i.e., Day 2)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted12 Nov 2025
  2. Study start8 Jan 2026
  3. Primary completion9 Apr 2031 (estimated)
  4. Study completion15 Sep 2031 (estimated)

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
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
258 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07227454
Sponsor's protocol ID
54135419SUI3003
Other IDs
54135419SUI3003, 2024-518615-19-00
Acronym
AVENUE
Status last verified
Nov 2026
First submitted
11 Nov 2025
Last updated
3 Nov 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: The data sharing policy of Johnson \& Johnson Innovative Medicine is available at innovativemedicine.jnj.com/our-innovation/clinical-trials/transparency. As noted on this site, requests for access to the study data can be submitted through Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project site at yoda.yale.edu

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Esketamine and Midazolam in people with Depressive Disorder, Major, run by Janssen Research & Development, LLC at 49 sites in 7 countries.

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 5 inclusion and 5 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 49 sites in United States, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Taiwan and 2 more countries. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Study Contact (844-434-4210, Participate-In-This-Study1@its.jnj.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change from Baseline in Depressive Symptoms Measured by Children's Depression Rating Scale - Revised (CDRS-R) Total Score at 24 Hours Post First Dose (time frame: Baseline (pre-dose on Day 1) and 24 hours post first dose (i.e., Day 2)). 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 3 Nov 2026.

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