Clinical Trial of Felbamate for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression

NCT00034229 | Completed Phase 2

• 2 other identifiers: 02017602-M-0176
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the drug felbamate for treating depression in patients with bipolar disorder that has not responded to standard treatments. Bipolar disorder is a severe, chronic, and often life-threatening illness. Despite the availability of a wide range of antidepressant drugs, a proportion of patients fail to respond to first-line antidepressant treatment despite adequate dosage, duration, and compliance. Studies suggest that the glutamatergic system may play a role in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Felbamate and other agents which reduce glutamatergic neurotransmission may represent a novel class of antidepressants. Participants in this study will be admitted to the Clinical Center for up to 10 weeks. At study entry, participants will have a 7-day washout period in which they will be tapered off all psychiatric medications, with the possible exception of lithium, and will be given a placebo (an inactive pill). After the washout period, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either felbamate or placebo for 8 weeks. Participants whose depression symptoms worsen by more than 30% or those for whom study continuation is considered potentially harmful will be taken off the study and offered open-label treatment. Participants who received felbamate and responded well to treatment will have the option of continuing treatment.

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder

Keywords

Antidepressant; Anti-Glutamatergic; Bipolar Disorder; Depression; Treatment Refractory; Felbamate; Glutamate; Treatment-Resistant; Bipolar; BPD; Bipolar Depression

Interventions

Felbamate DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Subjects may be included in the study only if they meet all of the following criteria:
• Male or female subjects, 18 years or older.
• Female subjects of childbearing potential must be using a medically accepted means of contraception.
• Each subject must have a level of understanding sufficient to agree to all tests and examinations required by the protocol.
• Each subject must understand the nature of the study and must sign an informed consent document.
• Subjects must fulfill the criteria for Bipolar I or II disorder depressed without psychotic features as defined in DSM-IV based on clinical assessment and confirmed by structured diagnostic interview SCID-P.
• Subjects must have an initial score at Visit 1 and Visit 2 of a least 20 on the MADRS.
• Subjects must not have a decrease in the total score of MADRS of greater than or equal to 20% during washout (between Visits 1 and 2).
• Meet criteria for treatment refractory depression operationally defined in appendix using the modified Antidepressant Treatment History Form (ATHF).
• Subjects with a partial response to lithium may continue to take the medication during the trial; otherwise, subjects will proceed with a washout and monotherapy trial with felbamate.
• Current major depressive episode of no less than 3 months.

You may not qualify if:

• Subjects will be excluded from the study for any of the following reasons:
• Currently taking a protocol disallowed agent that is effective and specifically necessary for that individual for the recurrence of mania.
• Participation in a clinical trial of another investigational drug within 1 month (30 days) prior to study entry (Visit 1).
• Female subjects who are either pregnant or nursing.
• Serious, unstable illnesses including hepatic, renal, gastroenterologic, respiratory, cardiovascular (including ischemic heart disease), endocrinologic, neurologic, immunologic or hematologic disease.
• History of hepatic dysfunction.
• Subjects with uncorrected hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
• Subjects with one or more seizures without a clear and resolved etiology.
• Documented history of hypersensitivity to felbamate, meprobamate or other carbamates.
• DSM-IV substance abuse (except nicotine and caffeine) within the past 30 days and substance dependence within the past 3 months or positive results for illicit drugs at prestudy drug screen.
• Subjects with a rapid cycling course of illness (defined as 4 affective episodes in the previous year) in the past 12-months.
• Treatment with an injectable depot neuroleptic within less than one dosing interval between depot neuroleptic injections prior to Visit 2.
• Treatment with a reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor, guanethidine, or guanadrel within 1 week prior to Visit 2.
• Treatment with fluoxetine within 4 weeks prior to Visit 2.
• Treatment with any other concomitant medication with primarily CNS activity, other than specified in Appendix A of protocol.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Atre-Vaidya N, Taylor MA, Seidenberg M, Reed R, Perrine A, Glick-Oberwise F. Cognitive deficits, psychopathology, and psychosocial functioning in bipolar mood disorder. Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol Behav Neurol. 1998 Jul;11(3):120-6.

  PMID: 9742510 BACKGROUND

• Cohen RM, Semple WE, Gross M, Nordahl TE, King AC, Pickar D, Post RM. Evidence for common alterations in cerebral glucose metabolism in major affective disorders and schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1989 Dec;2(4):241-54. doi: 10.1016/0893-133x(89)90028-6.

  PMID: 2610821 BACKGROUND

• Borkowska A, Rybakowski JK. Neuropsychological frontal lobe tests indicate that bipolar depressed patients are more impaired than unipolar. Bipolar Disord. 2001 Apr;3(2):88-94. doi: 10.1034/j.1399-5618.2001.030207.x.

  PMID: 11333068 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Bipolar Disorder; Depression

Interventions

Felbamate

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Bipolar and Related Disorders; Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Propylene Glycols; Glycols; Alcohols; Organic Chemicals; Phenylcarbamates; Carbamates; Acids, Acyclic; Carboxylic Acids

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 24, 2002
• First Posted: April 24, 2002
• Study Start: April 1, 2002
• Study Completion: March 1, 2006
• Last Updated: March 4, 2008

Record last verified: 2006-03

Locations

US (1)