Study Stopped
Study is closed with the IRB due to no funding. May resume once funding is obtained.
Methadone as an Alternative Treatment for Children Underdoing HSCT
MATCH
A Randomized Single Center Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Methadone as a First Line Agent in the Reduction and Treatment of Pain in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
1 other identifier
interventional
60
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Mucositis is a normal side effect of stem cell transplant which happens as a result of chemotherapy being given prior to a new donor cell infusion (bone marrow transplant). The chemotherapy will kill cancer cells, but good cells, such as those in the mouth, are killed too. The mouth cells going away causes the areas in the mouth to be blistered, irritated, sore, and extremely painful. Pain medication (usually morphine or hydromorphone if allergic to morphine) are given when oral blisters are seen or felt by patient in patient's mouth. However, one pain medication given through a vein in the patient may or may not be effective and providers are often challenged with providing good pain control while waiting for the new donor cells to grow, which will then heal the mouth. This is a period of waiting that is 6-8 weeks. The investigators know that methadone, a second pain medication, may decrease pain in a different way than morphine. This is because methadone works in a different way in the brain than morphine. By giving these pain medicines together, the hope of the study is to show decreased pain while waiting for new cells to grow. The goal of this clinical trial is to hope to learn whether adding methadone (second pain medication) to the current pain medication which is morphine alone (all patients will receive this pain medication) will help reduce the pain experience of participant. Current treatment of morphine alone is sometimes not entirely effective and so any improvement of pain while waiting for new cells to grow is one of the goals of this study. If methadone is effective in decreasing pain, then patients may benefit in the future from using these two medications up front when getting a transplant. Participant in this study between 6-18 years of age and is needing a stem cell transplant for a disease that can potentially be cured by transplantation. Participant in this study is receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation conditioning that can cause mucositis. Participants are being asked to participate in this study because participants meet criteria to receive methadone that may or may not reduce pain experience versus just being given morphine alone, which is what all patients are given when the participants have mucositis. The main goal of the study is to see if less opioid (pain medication) when methadone is added in comparison to participant who uses PCA only. The investigators also want to learn if patient's overall function is improved if given methadone. Another goal would be to see the number of TPN days the participant received and if the participant who was given methadone began to eat sooner. Other smaller goals include learning about side effects of methadone, and if the hospital stay is less for those who receive the study medication. This medication will be given at Children's Medical Center of Dallas while participant is admitted for the stem cell transplant. There is no sponsor that is funding the study and this drug will be given free of charge in exchange for participation in the study
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at below P25 for phase_3 leukemia
Started Jan 2028
Shorter than P25 for phase_3 leukemia
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
March 17, 2025
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
April 23, 2025
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
January 1, 2028
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
August 1, 2029
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
August 1, 2029
October 23, 2025
October 1, 2025
1.6 years
March 17, 2025
October 21, 2025
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Reduction of pain score
The purpose of the study is to compare methadone versus standard of care at this center of morphine/hydromorphone PCA and see if methadone is superior to the standard of care as evidenced by reduction in pain scores during inpatient transplant. To determine whether concomitant administration of intravenous administered methadone with on demand opioid PCA will improve pain score numbers in the PCA/methadone arm by 25% in comparison to a continuous infusion PCA with demand opioid arm.
Daily after completion of conditioning (day +7 to day +14) through discharge (approximately day +60)
Secondary Outcomes (5)
REDUCTION OF OPIOID RECEIVED as evidenced by 25% reduction of MME in experimental arm in comparison to control arm
Daily after completion of conditioning (day +7 to day +14) through discharge (approximately day +60)
IMPROVEMENT OF FUNCTIONALITY as evidenced by higher functionality scores in experimental arm in comparison to control
Day 0 (stem cell infusion)
REDUCED NUMBER OF DAYS ON PARENTERAL NUTRITION as evidenced by reduced number of TPN days in experimental arm in comparison to control
From enrollment (initiation of TPN- typically on day +1) to engraftment day AND date when able to take solid food again (day just prior to discharge-approx. day+50 to day+60)
INCREASED RETURN TO ORAL LIQUID INTAKE as evidenced by more rapid return to tolerating clears in experimental group versus control
From enrollment (initiation of TPN- typically on day +1) to engraftment day AND date when able to take solid food again (day just prior to discharge-approx. day+50 to day+60)
Adverse events
From first dose of methadone administered (day +1- day +7) until prior to discharge (approximately day +60)
Study Arms (2)
Group A: Control Arm (n = 30)
ACTIVE COMPARATORPt will receive: PCA opioid will include morphine OR hydromorphone (if patient has a sensitivity or is unable to tolerate or allergic to morphine). This is the exclusive medication/opioid in this arm. The starting doses will be as follows: * Starting dose for basal infusion of morphine is 0.02 mg/kg/hour up to a maximum of 50 kg. * Starting PCA dose for morphine is 0.02 mg/kg every 15 minutes for a lockout of 0.1 mg/kg up to a maximum of 50 kg or ideal body weight (PCA starting dose should be no more than 1 mg/push and no more than 5 mg/hour lockout). * Starting dose for basal infusion of hydromorphone is 0.003 mg/kg/hour up to a maximum of 50 kg IBW. * Starting PCA dose for hydromorphone is 0.003 mg/kg every 15 minutes for an hourly maximum lockout of 0.012 mg/kg up to a maximum of 50 kg (PCA start * PCA medications may be titrated up or down by 20-50% each day for desired analgesic effect with improved pain score, continue to engraftment or when medicine is no longer needed.
Group B: Study or Experimental Arm (n = 30)
EXPERIMENTALThe second arm will be methadone therapy that is scheduled to be given every 8 hours in addition to an on demand PCA. On demand PCA dosing will be the same as control arm but with NO basal/continuous rate. Intravenous methadone will be replacing basal infusion and serve as basal drug in place of continuous medication. * Starting dose for intravenous methadone is 0.1 mg/kg IV Q8hr up to a maximum of 50 kg. Singular starting methadone will be maximum of 5 mg. * Methadone may be increased by 20-50% every 48 hours due to half-life of medication. Reduction in analgesia will need to be monitored daily following a change. However, additional methadone increase should not occur until 48 hours have passed to allow for steady state of new dose to take effect. Reduction of methadone dosing by 20-50% can be made anytime per discretion of provider or if concerned about an adverse effect from the methadone. This will continue until engraftment or until medicine is no longer needed.
Interventions
This study is novel. There are no other interventions to distinguish in this or another study.
PCA Alone (Control) arm. PCA opioid will include morphine OR hydromorphone (if patient has a sensitivity or is unable to tolerate or allergic to morphine).
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- All subjects admitted will receive a myeloablative conditioning regimen followed by autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplant during transplant admission. Conditioning may include chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of both methods to be determined by primary attending transplant physician. Diagnoses will include but not limited to those with liquid tumors, solid tumors, hematological/congenital blood disorders, or severe combined immunodeficiency syndromes.
- Subjects must be 6-18 years of age and demonstrate understanding of PCA use or have a parent available for PCA by proxy, meaning parent can push the button for the patient. Patient maximum age is 18 years old. PCA proxy in compliance with Pain Assessment and Management policy per institution.
- Performance status: Karnofsky/Lansky \>50% prior to receiving conditioning.
- Be cognitively able to utilize and understand patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).
- Informed consent will be obtained from all participants or their parents or guardians, assent will be obtained from children ages 10-17 years of age per institutional policy.
You may not qualify if:
- QT prolongation prior to receiving myeloablative conditioning as evidenced by QTc being \>450 for both girls and boys prior to starting methadone.
- Medical history of QT prolongation, VF, or VT.
- Patients on chronic pain medications on admission or have received more than 30 days of continuous opioids over the past month.
- Patients receiving a non-myeloablative regimen or no conditioning.
- Neurological or psychiatric condition that could confound reliable assessment of pain and sedation (non-verbal, global delay).
- History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to morphine or other agents used in study.
- Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that, in the opinion of the investigator, would limit compliance with study requirements.
- History of opioid misuse disorder OR opioid risk assessment tool score \>8.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Children's Health of Dallas
Dallas, Texas, 75235, United States
Related Publications (39)
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MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Victor M Aquino, MD
UT Southwestern Department of Pediatric Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- phase 3
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- DOUBLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER
- Masking Details
- Parent would be masked as well
- Purpose
- SUPPORTIVE CARE
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Nurse Practitioner - Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
March 17, 2025
First Posted
April 23, 2025
Study Start (Estimated)
January 1, 2028
Primary Completion (Estimated)
August 1, 2029
Study Completion (Estimated)
August 1, 2029
Last Updated
October 23, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-10
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
There is no reason to share individualized participant data in this study. My plan is to deidentify all data and all data will be anonymous.