Long Term Chamomile Therapy for Anxiety

June 6, 2017 updated by: University of Pennsylvania

Long-Term Chamomile Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Prior research has shown that chamomile may be an effective, short-term anti-anxiety treatment. This study will examine the initial and long-term benefits of chamomile extract therapy for the prevention of recurrent anxiety disorder.

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

Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric conditions. They affect up to 25% of the US adult population. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic, recurrent form of the disorder. Although benzodiazepines and serotonin reuptake inhibitors have become the mainstay therapy of GAD, these drugs are often associated with unwanted side effects, habituation, and withdrawal symptoms. Many individuals decline using conventional drug therapy for financial, cultural, or personal reasons such as the stigma of mental illness. As a result, many individuals will seek alternative therapy for their anxiety symptoms. The identification of effective alternative therapies for GAD would be of particular relevance. Among alternative therapies for anxiety, chamomile has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for its calming effect. It is well tolerated and demonstrates pharmacological activity in animal models of anxiety. Despite its widespread use and availability, there has been only one clinical trial of chamomile safety and efficacy in GAD. The current application seeks to build upon the results of that prior chamomile study. In that 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we found a significant superiority of chamomile (vs. placebo) in reducing GAD symptoms. We also found chamomile to be exceedingly well tolerated (vs. placebo). The current application seeks to extend these promising preliminary results by conducting a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-substitution, long-term safety and efficacy study of chamomile in preventing GAD relapse. For specific aim #1 we will ask: "Does long-term chamomile therapy (vs. placebo) prolong the time to relapse of anxiety symptoms following recovery from GAD?" To answer this question, 180 patients with moderate to severe GAD will receive open-label chamomile extract 500-1,500 mg daily for 8 weeks. Responders to chamomile, who remain well for 4 additional weeks of consolidation therapy, will be randomized to double-blind continuation therapy with chamomile 500-1,500 mg daily or placebo for an additional 26 weeks. We hypothesize that continuation chamomile therapy will result in a prolonged time to relapse (vs. placebo). For specific aim #2 we will ask: "What is the relative safety and tolerability of long-term chamomile therapy (vs. placebo) in patients who have recovered from GAD?" To answer this question, we will examine the following outcome measures: (i) the proportion of patients in each treatment condition who relapse; (ii) the frequency, severity, and duration of treatment-emergent adverse events; (iii) the frequency of discontinuation symptoms during initial double-blind therapy; and, (iv) the frequency of early study discontinuation. We hypothesize that chamomile therapy will result in a lower proportion of anxiety relapses and a lower study discontinuation rate (vs. placebo). We further hypothesize that chamomile therapy will result in a similar frequency of discontinuation symptoms and treatment-emergent adverse events (vs. placebo).

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.
180

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 3

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
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104-3309
        • Depression Research Unit

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

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women at least 18 years old (all races and ethnicity)
  • DSM IV diagnosis of GAD as the primary anxiety disorder
  • Baseline GAD-7 score ≥ 10
  • Baseline CGI/S score at least 4
  • Not taking anti-anxiety medication (e.g., Benzodiazepines, buspirone, antidepressants)
  • Not taking antidepressant, mood stabilizer, or tranquilizer therapy for a prior DSM IV Axis I mood disorder that is in remission
  • Able to understand and provide informed consent
  • Able to participate in a 38-week study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients < 18 years old
  • Primary DSM IV Axis I anxiety disorder other than GAD (e.g., panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, phobia disorder, acute stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance-induced anxiety disorder)
  • Current DSM IV Axis I psychotic disorder
  • Substance abuse or dependence within the prior 3 months
  • Current DSM IV Axis I bipolar or major depressive disorder [Note: Patients with co-morbid depressive disorder NOS (e.g., minor depression, recurrent brief depressive disorder, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)] will not be excluded
  • Unstable medical condition
  • Allergy to chamomile
  • Documented allergy to plants of the asteraceae family (e.g., ragweed, asters, chrysanthemum)
  • Allergic to mugwort or birch pollen
  • Concurrent anti-anxiety tranquilizer, antidepressant or mood stabilizer therapy
  • Concurrent use of over-the-counter anti-anxiety and/or antidepressant preparations (e.g., chamomile, St. John's Wort, kava kava)
  • Concurrent use of established antidepressant, mood stabilizer, or tranquilizer therapy for pre-existing affective disorder. [Note: Patients with a history of affective disorder (in remission) who are not currently taking antidepressant, mood stabilizer, or tranquilizer therapy are not excluded from the trial]
  • Women of child-bearing potential not willing to use a medically proven form of contraception
  • Positive pregnancy test
  • Actively suicidal or suicide attempt within the preceding 12 months

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: Triple

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: Chamomile Extract
Pharmaceutical grade oral chamomile extract.
Drug: Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
500 mg 3 times daily
Other Names:
  • Chamomile
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Pharmaceutical grade lactose monohydrate.
Drug: Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
500 mg 3 times daily
Other Names:
  • Chamomile

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
Time to Relapse in Each Treatment Condition.
Time Frame: 26 weeks
The primary outcome was time to relapse during continuation therapy, analyzed using Cox proportional hazards. Relapse is dichotomously defined as an increase in CGI/S (a clinician-rated global measure of anxiety's severity) score from ≤ 3 (at study visit 6) to ≥ 4 (on two consecutive scheduled or unscheduled study visits ≥ 2 weeks apart) plus meeting DSM IV-TR criteria for GAD (minus the 6-month time criterion).
26 weeks

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
The Proportion of Subjects in Each Treatment Condition Who Relapse.
Time Frame: 26 weeks
The proportion of subjects in each treatment condition who relapsed after randomization
26 weeks
Frequency, Severity, and Duration of Treatment-emergent Adverse Events.
Time Frame: 26 weeks
We will report the frequency, severity, and duration of treatment-emergent adverse events by treatment arm.
26 weeks
Frequency of Discontinuation Symptoms at the Start of Double-blind Therapy in Each Treatment Condition.
Time Frame: 26 weeks
Discontinuation emergent signs and symptoms checklist (DESS) is a patient-rated measure of the presence and severity of discontinuation symptoms occurring after medication discontinuation. %
26 weeks
Frequency of Early Study Discontinuation in Each Treatment Condition.
Time Frame: 26 weeks
This is the # of subjects who discontinued the study during randomization phase due to other reasons.
26 weeks

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.
University of Pennsylvania

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jun J Mao, MD, University of Pennsylvania

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.
February 1, 2010

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.
June 1, 2015

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.
June 1, 2015

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).
February 18, 2010

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.
February 18, 2010

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.
February 22, 2010

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.
July 6, 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.
June 6, 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.
June 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.
  • AT005074

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

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