Effect of Testosterone in Men With Erectile Dysfunction (TED)

May 28, 2017 updated by: Boston University

Androgen Modulation of Response to Selective Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors in Erectile Dysfunction

The purpose of this placebo-controlled study is to determine if testosterone replacement therapy, administered by transdermal gel, can improve the response to sildenafil (Viagra R) treatment in men who have erectile dysfunction (ED) and low testosterone levels.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial in men, 40-70 years of age, who present with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction and have androgen deficiency defined as serum total testosterone level below 300 ng/dL, measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS (15) and/or free testosterone level (measured by equilibrium dialysis) below 50 pg/ml. Sexual function assessments will include validated erectile function questionnaires (IIEF), sexual activity diaries, sexual desire, partner interaction and intimacy, affects balance scale, mood, ED-related quality of life, and penile rigidity in response to a visual erotic stimulus. The initial assessment will be made prior to treatment with sildenafil citrate, i.e., in subjects who are naïve to or withdrawn from PDE5 inhibitors and/or testosterone. Participants will then be allotted three sildenafil citrate tablets per week (12 pills per month), but will not use more than one tablet within any 24-hour period. During the Sildenafil-Dose Optimization period, subjects naïve to sildenafil citrate will start with a 50 mg dose. Those who have used sildenafil citrate in the past will take the same dose that was found to be efficacious for them. After three weeks, the dose of sildenafil citrate will be increased to 100-mg in non-responders. For those who cannot tolerate the 50-mg dose, a dose of 25 mg will be given. After three weeks on the optimized dose of sildenafil citrate, subjects will undergo a second evaluation of sexual function. They will then be randomly assigned to receive this optimized dose of sildenafil citrate with either placebo gel (15 g per day) or active testosterone gel (10 g active gel + 5 g placebo gel per day). The daily dose of active testosterone gel was selected to increase average serum into the upper-half of the normal range for healthy, young men (e.g., 500-1000 ng/dL). In order to assure that serum testosterone levels are in the target range (500-1000 ng/dL), testosterone dose will be adjusted by an unblinded individual two to three weeks after initiation of testosterone/placebo treatment, based on the measurement of serum testosterone levels. If the average testosterone level is less than 500 ng/dL, the daily dose will be increased to 15g of active gel. If the average testosterone is greater than 1,000 ng/dL, the daily dose will be decreased to 5 g of active gel (and 10 g of placebo gel). This dose adjustment will take effect at week 4 (day 28) of treatment. Subjects will be treated for an additional 12-weeks with sildenafil citrate and the optimized dose of testosterone gel or placebo gel. Sexual function will be evaluated at the end of this treatment period.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
140

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118
        • Boston University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men, 40-70 years of age, in a stable relationship, with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction for at least 6 months; defined as an IIEF-EF domain score between 11 and 25 (mild to moderate ED)
  • Neutral or extremely dissatisfied with one's sex life
  • Presence of androgen deficiency defined as serum total testosterone level less than 300 ng/dL (measured by LC-MS/MS) and/or free testosterone level (measured by equilibrium dialysis) less than 50 pg/ml.
  • Able to understand the nature of the study and provide written, informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Contraindication for use of testosterone, e.g., history of prostate or breast cancer
  • benign prostatic hyperplasia with AUA/IPSS symptom scores of 21 or greater
  • erythrocytosis (hematocrit >50% at baseline)
  • untreated, severe sleep apnea
  • serum PSA levels >4 ug/L will be excluded unless they have had a urologic evaluation in the past three months to exclude prostate cancer.
  • Contraindication for use of sildenafil, e.g., symptomatic coronary artery disease taking long-acting or short-acting nitrate drugs on a regular basis.
  • Symptomatic postural hypotension
  • Congestive heart failure with class III or IV symptoms
  • History of myocardial infarction or stroke within the past six months
  • Primary diagnosis of another sexual disorder such as premature ejaculation
  • AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase elevation greater than three times the upper limit of normal, creatinine greater than 2 mg/dL.
  • Currently taking testosterone or oral androgen precursors; unless willing to discontinue their use for 4 weeks (oral precursors or transdermal testosterone patch or gel) or 6 weeks (if injectable testosterone) before the initial screen visit.
  • Currently taking medications that affect androgen metabolism, action, or clearance (dilantin, phenobarbital, aldactone, flutamide, finasteride).
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or diabetes mellitus, e.g., if their baseline hemoglobin A1C is less than 8.5%.
  • Structural abnormalities of the penis, including Peyronie's disease, will be excluded.
  • Men who are taking medications for erectile dysfunction, including sildenafil, must stop using these medications for at least 4 weeks before starting Visit 2.
  • DSM-IV criteria for an Axis I psychiatric disorder within the past year, including depression; use of psychotropic medication for at least six months, or dementia is also an exclusion.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Active Testosterone Gel
Active Testosterone Gel and on demand use of sildenafil citrate (3 tablets per week). Starting dose of 50 mg. Titrated to 100 mg or 25 mg depending on efficacy and tolerability. Begins as open label run in period for 3 - 6 weeks, and continues during the placebo-controlled testosterone gel intervention for 16 weeks.
Drug: Sildenafil citrate (open label)
On demand use of sildenafil citrate (3 tablets per week). Starting dose of 50 mg. Titrated to 100 mg or 25 mg depending on efficacy and tolerability. Begins as open label run in period for 3 - 6 weeks, and continues during the placebo-controlled testosterone gel intervention for 16 weeks.
Other Names:
  • Viagra (Pfizer Inc.)
Drug: Testosterone gel
Testosterone Gel 1%: Starting active dose 10 g/day. Increased to 15 g/day or decreased to 5 g/day in order to attain morning total testosterone level between 500 - 1000 ng/dL. Blinding achieved by combining a total of 3 tubes of active or placebo gel, applied to upper arms and shoulders each day.
Other Names:
  • Testim (Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
Placebo Comparator: Placebo Gel
Placebo Gel and on demand use of sildenafil citrate (3 tablets per week). Starting dose of 50 mg. Titrated to 100 mg or 25 mg depending on efficacy and tolerability. Begins as open label run in period for 3 - 6 weeks, and continues during the placebo-controlled testosterone gel intervention for 16 weeks.
Drug: Sildenafil citrate (open label)
On demand use of sildenafil citrate (3 tablets per week). Starting dose of 50 mg. Titrated to 100 mg or 25 mg depending on efficacy and tolerability. Begins as open label run in period for 3 - 6 weeks, and continues during the placebo-controlled testosterone gel intervention for 16 weeks.
Other Names:
  • Viagra (Pfizer Inc.)
Other: Placebo gel
3 tubes of placebo gel equivalent to the amount of the testosterone gel will be applied during the placebo-controlled testosterone gel intervention for 16 weeks..

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in Erectile Function Domain Score of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)
Time Frame: Week 0, week 8, week 11, week 14
IIEF is a validated, 15-item questionnaire that assesses 5 domains of sexual function: erectile function (range 1-30), orgasmic function (range 0-10), sexual desire (range 2-10), intercourse satisfaction (range 0-15), and overall sexual satisfaction (range 2-10). Each question was answered on a 6-point or 5-point scale from 0/1 to 5 (best) with Erectile Function domain range of 1 to 30 with higher scores representing better function.
Week 0, week 8, week 11, week 14

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in Other Domains of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)
Time Frame: Week 0, week 8, week 11, week 14
IIEF is a validated, 15-item questionnaire that assesses 5 domains of sexual function: erectile function (range 1-30), orgasmic function (range 0-10), sexual desire (range 2-10), intercourse satisfaction (range 0-15), and overall sexual satisfaction (range 2-10). Each question was answered on a 6-point or 5-point scale from 0/1 to 5 (best) with a total possible score (sum of 5 domains) range of 5 to 75 with higher scores representing better function.
Week 0, week 8, week 11, week 14
Change From Baseline in Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP)
Time Frame: Week 0, week 8, week 14
Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) diaries were used to assess frequency of sexual activity, sildenafil use, vaginal penetration, completion of intercourse with ejaculation, and overall satisfaction with sexual encounters. Minimum value is 0 with no maximum limit, wherein higher values representing better sexual encounter.
Week 0, week 8, week 14
Change From Baseline in Successful Sexual Intercourse of Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP)
Time Frame: Week 0, week 8, week 14
Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) diaries were used to assess frequency of sexual activity, sildenafil use, vaginal penetration, completion of intercourse with ejaculation, and overall satisfaction with sexual encounters. Higher percentage of Ejaculations or Satisfaction in successful sexual intercourse represents better sexual function.
Week 0, week 8, week 14
Change From Baseline in Men's Sexual Health Questionnaire (MSHQ)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
MSHQ, a 25-item questionnaire, assesses sexual function and satisfaction. It consists 5 domains: Erection (3 items, ranging from 0 to 15 (best)), Ejaculation (7 items, ranging from 1 to 35 (best)), Satisfaction (6 items, ranging from 6 to 30 (best)), Sexual desire (4 items, ranging 4-20 (best)), and Sexual activity (3 items, ranging 3-15 (best)). A composite score is the sum of Ejaculation and Satisfaction domains, ranging from 7 to 65 (best), with higher score representing better sexual function and satisfaction.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Quality of Life Specific to Male Erection Difficulties (QOL-MED)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
The Quality of Life for men with Erection Difficulties (QOL-MED) is a cross-cultural instrument to measure quality of life specific to male erection difficulties. The 18 items for this scale were generated from interviews with men with erection difficulties by TH Wagner in 1996. Higher QOL-MED scores reflect better quality of life. Scores were standardized to range of 0 to 100.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Marital Interaction Scale of CAncer Rehabilitation Evaluation System-Short Form (CARES-SF)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
CAncer Rehabilitation Evaluation System-short form (CARES-SF) marital interaction scale consists of 6 items (range from 0 (best) to 4) and mean of these 6 questions was used to determine intimacy and partner interaction. Lower CARES-SF scores correspond with improved marital interaction.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Psychological General Well-Being Index Score (PGWBI)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
Well-being and mood were assessed using the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI), a 22-item questionnaire that evaluated six dimensions of self-reported wellness: Anxiety (5 questions), Depressed Mood (3 questions), Positive Well-Being (4 questions), Self Control (3 questions), General Health (3 questions), and Vitality (4 questions). Higher scores in each dimension reflect increasing well-being. A global score (ranging from 0 (poor QoL) to 110 (good QoL)) was calculated as the sum of each domain score. The global score and those of its 6 dimensions were normalized to a 100% scale to facilitate comparison.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Derogatis Affects Balance Scale (DABS)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
The Derogatis Affects Balance Scale (DABS) is a 40-item mood inventory and consists of 4 positive affect dimensions (joy, contentment, vigor, and affection) as well as 4 negative affect dimensions(anxiety, depression, guilt, and hostility). Each domain was calculated as the sum of 5-items and could range from 0 to 20, wherein higher scores indicate greater affectivity.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Positive Affects Ratio (PAR) of Derogatis Affects Balance Scale (DABS)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 14
The Derogatis Affects Balance Scale (DABS) is a 40-item mood inventory and consists of 4 positive affect dimensions (joy, contentment, vigor, and affection) as well as 4 negative affect dimensions(anxiety, depression, guilt, and hostility). Positive Affects Ratio (PAR), ranging from 0 to 1, is the proportion of total scores (sum of all 8 domains) that is positive (sum of 4 positive domains). Higher PAR represents better affectivity.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 14

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in Total Testosterone
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 14
Total testosterone levels were measured between 7:30 and 10:10 a.m. using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Hormone Standardization Program.
Week 0, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Free Testosterone
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 14
Free testosterone levels were calculated from total testosterone at screening and equilibrium dialysis at randomization and at trial end.
Week 0, Week 14
Change From Baseline in Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 14
Week 0, Week 14

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Boston University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 7, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 7, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 8, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 29, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 28, 2017

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • H-25065
  • R01HD047722-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Diabetes

Clinical Trials on Sildenafil citrate (open label)

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings