Pilot Study of Mirtazapine for the Dual Tx of Depression and CINV in High-Grade Glioma Pts on TMZ

September 19, 2025 updated by: Daniela A. Bota, University of California, Irvine

Pilot Study of Mirtazapine for the Dual Treatment of Depression and Temozolomide-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV) in Newly-Diagnosed High-Grade Glioma Patients on Temozolomide Therapy

The purpose of the study is to estimate the ability of mirtazapine to reduce depression, nausea, and vomiting, and maintain weight in depressed glioma patients undergoing Temozolomide (TMZ) therapy. Of equal importance, the investigators will monitor the tolerability of Mirtazapine in these patients over the course of the study.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

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

Research Hypothesis: For glioma patients undergoing TMZ chemotherapy, Mirtazapine will address TMZ-associated nausea and vomiting (CINV) and weight loss in addition to depression. Mirtazapine acts as an antagonist at the 5-HT3 receptor, which may explain its anti-emetic properties. Mirtazapine is also an appetite stimulant, which may help curb the weight loss associated with TMZ chemotherapy.

Specific aim 1: To administer the Beck Depression Inventory to approximately 100 patients meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria in order to identify at least 36 with clinical depression (defined as total score >= 21).

Specific aim 2: To put at least 36 clinically depressed patients identified in aim one on mirtazapine for eight weeks.

Specific aim 3: To administer the Beck Depression Inventory to patients from aim two at four weeks and at eight weeks of treatment with mirtazapine.

Specific aim 4: To document weight and frequencies of nausea, vomiting, and insomnia among participants over the course of the study.

Specific aim 5: To document adverse events experienced by participants over the course of the study and determine, to the extent possible, if mirtazapine is the cause.

The investigators will:

  1. Assess changes in the distribution of depression scores as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (a self-administered instrument extensively used and validated in glioma studies) from baseline to after eight weeks of treatment with mirtazapine.
  2. Assess changes in nausea, vomiting, Sleeping and body weight between baseline and the eight-week follow-up visit,
  3. Document the trajectory of changes in depression, nausea, vomiting, and weight over the three study time points (baseline, four-week, and eight-week visit).
  4. Lastly, collect information on the tolerability of mirtazapine in our patient population.

Main Research Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that the mirtazapine regimen will improve depression scores at eight-weeks, compared to baseline scores. Further, the investigators hypothesize that the mirtazapine regimen will limit the reduction of weight and the incidence of nausea/vomiting and insomnia at eight weeks compared to baseline.

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 (Estimated)

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.
120

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 2

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: UC Irvine Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Phone Number: 1-877-UC-STUDY
  • Email: UCstudy@uci.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Orange, California, United States, 92868
        • UC Irvine Health/Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer 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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Understand and voluntarily sign and date an informed consent document prior to any study related assessments/procedures are conducted.
  • Histologically confirmed diagnosis of glioma
  • No prior treatment with temozolomide TMZ
  • Patient will receive temozolomide TMZ therapy as part of their standard treatment.
  • Males and Females ≥18 years of age at the time of signing the informed consent document. Able to understand consent forms and study materials in English
  • Willing to use approved methods of contraception for duration of study
  • Karnofsy Performance Score (KPS) of at least 60
  • Patients should have stopped any anti-depressant medications by standard of care at least a month before enrolling in the trial
  • Willing and able to adhere to the study visit schedule and other protocol requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior treatment with other chemotherapy drugs for glioma
  • Known hypersensitivity to Mirtazapine and 5-HT3 receptor antagonists
  • Life expectancy of less than three months
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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: mirtazapine in glioma patients treated with Temozolomide
Using the well-known Beck Depression Inventory, we will assess the changes in depression scores from baseline to after four and eight weeks of treatment with mirtazapine. We will also assess the change in nausea, vomiting, and weight at the same time points, and collect information on tolerability of mirtazapine throughout the course of the study.
Drug: Mirtazapine (Remeron)
Eligible patients should start Mirtazapine 15mg and stay there unless not tolerated, If there is no improvement in nausea dose can be increased to 30 mg and respectively 45 mg, 4 days apart. If excessive sleep, dose can be doubled. Patients should not take tryptophan while they are part of the study.

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
Depression level in glioma patients on temozolomide therapy treated with Mirtazapine
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The assessment is conducted using the Beck Depression Inventory. The scoring scale ranges from 1 to 63. Participants with a baseline depression score of 21 or more will be classified as depressed and will be issued a prescription for mirtazapine. Total depression score between baseline and eight weeks will be compared for each patient. Distributional properties of the data will be assessed using appropriate statistical method to examine whether there is statistically significant improvement or not.
8 weeks
Patient Weight Change
Time Frame: 8 weeks
To estimate the ability of mirtazapine to maintain weight in depressed glioma patients undergoing Temozolomide (TMZ) therapy. Weight change for each patient between baseline and 8 week will be calculated and analyzed using applicable statistical method.
8 weeks
Frequency and grade of nausea and vomiting in depressed glioma patients on temozolomide therapy treated with Mirtazapine
Time Frame: 8 weeks
To assess the patient's level of nausea and vomiting on a nausea/vomiting scale of 1 to 7. Lower value indicates less nausea and vomiting; while higher value indicates more nausea and vomiting. Data will be assessed using appropriate statistical method to examine whether there is statistically significant improvement or not.
8 weeks
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events
Time Frame: 8 weeks
To monitor the adverse event of Mirtazapine over the course of the study. AEs will be graded according to CTCAE V5.
8 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
Percentage of adherence to mirtazapine regimen
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The percentage will be calculated based on patient's pill diary entries. Higher percentage indicates patient is more compliant.
8 weeks
Frequency of dose modifications of mirtazapine
Time Frame: 8 weeks
The dose of mirtazapine can be adjusted based on patients' conditions and adverse event reports per protocol. This is defined as the number of times that the mirtazapine dose has to be modified for each patient.
8 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 California, Irvine

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: Daniela Bota, MD PHD, University of California, Irvine

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 (Actual)

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 26, 2019

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2030

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).
April 2, 2019

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.
April 30, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

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.
May 2, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
September 24, 2025

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.
September 19, 2025

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.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 20194907
  • UCI 18-83 (Other Identifier: CFCCC)

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.

No

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.

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