Sildenafil for Early Pulmonary Vascular Disease in Scleroderma (SEPVADIS)

October 13, 2025 updated by: Johns Hopkins University
This is a Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of sildenafil in men and women with Scleroderma with mildly elevated pulmonary pressures (SSc-MEP) to determine whether sildenafil may be an effective treatment for SSc-MEP.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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

Data shows that sildenafil (SIL) is an effective therapy in SSc-PAH. SIL has been safely used in many patients with various vascular and cardiovascular diseases over the past three decades. Randomized controlled trial data for SIL shows improvement in 6MWD, hemodynamics, and even evidence of cardiac remodeling in PAH and SSc-PAH patients. Based upon these data, SIL may be an effective therapy in SSc-MEP. This study will help determine whether sildenafil could be a good treatment for patients with scleroderma that have mildly elevated pulmonary pressures.

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.
30

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.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Louisiana
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70806
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Louisiana State University
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Matthew Lammi, MD
        • Contact:
          • Matthew Lammi, MD
          • Phone Number: 504-568-4634
        • Contact:
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Recruiting
        • Johns Hopkins
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Stephen Mathai, MD

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

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Previous documentation of mean pulmonary artery pressure between 21 and 24 mm Hg with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (or left ventricular end-diastolic pressure) ≤ 15 mm Hg within six months before study entry.
  • Diagnosis of SSc according to 2013 American College of Rheumatology/ European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) classification criteria.
  • Pulmonary function tests with forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) >50% AND either a) total lung capacity (TLC) or forced vital capacity (FVC) > 70% predicted or b) TLC or FVC between 60% and 70% predicted with no more than mild interstitial lung disease on computerized tomography scan of the chest on studies obtained within 6 months of enrollment.
  • Ventilation perfusion scan or computed tomography with intravenous contrast (CT angiogram) without evidence of chronic thromboembolism at anytime before study entry.
  • Ability to perform six minute walk testing without significant limitations in musculoskeletal function or coordination.
  • Informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • World Health Organization (WHO) Class IV functional status.
  • Systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg at screening visit prior to enrollment.
  • Clinically significant untreated sleep apnea.
  • Left-sided valvular disease (more than moderate mitral valve stenosis or insufficiency or aortic stenosis or insufficiency), pulmonary artery or valve stenosis, or ejection fraction < 45% on most recent echocardiography (within 1 year).
  • Use of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) therapy (prostacyclin analogues, endothelin-1 receptor antagonists,phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, riociguat, selexipag) within the past 3 months.
  • Hospitalized or acutely ill.
  • Renal failure (creatinine above 2.0) at screening visit.
  • Enrollment in a clinical trial or concurrent use of another investigational drug (non FDA approved) or device therapy within 30 days of screening visit.
  • Age < 18.
  • Currently pregnant.
  • Current use of nitrates.

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: Quadruple

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: Sildenafil
Sildenafil 20 mg by mouth three(3) times each day
Drug: Sildenafil
Sildenafil 20 mg three times a day. This is the approved dose for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is being studied in this trial with a population who has mildly elevated pulmonary pressures.
Other Names:
  • Revatio, Viagra
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo by mouth three(3) times each day
Other: Placebo
Oral pill placebo.

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
Difference in change in distance walked in 6 minute walk test (6MWT) at 4 months
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months
As assessed by change in 6 minute walk distance (6MWD) in feet (from baseline to 4 months) between the sildenafil group and the placebo group.
Baseline and 4 months

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
Difference in change in distance walked in 6MWT at 12 months
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 months
As assessed by change in 6 minute walk test distance in feet (from baseline to 12 months) between the sildenafil group and the placebo group.
Baseline and 12 months
Difference in change in right ventricular function as assessed by cardiac MRI
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months
As assessed by change in right ventricular function (normal/abnormal) on cardiac MRI.
Baseline and 4 months
Difference in change in right ventricular function as assessed by cardiac MRI
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 months
As assessed by change in right ventricular function (normal/abnormal) on cardiac MRI.
Baseline and 12 months
Difference in change in right ventricular function as assessed by invasive hemodynamics
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months
As assessed by change in right ventricular function (normal/abnormal) on invasive hemodynamics.
Baseline and 4 months
Difference in change in right ventricular function as assessed by invasive hemodynamics
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 months
As assessed by change in right ventricular function (normal/abnormal) on invasive hemodynamics.
Baseline and 12 months
Difference in change in right ventricular function as assessed by echocardiography
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 months
As assessed by change in right ventricular function (normal/abnormal) on echocardiography.
Baseline and 4 months
Difference in change in right ventricular function as assessed by echocardiography
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 months
As assessed by change in right ventricular function (normal/abnormal) on echocardiography.
Baseline and 12 months
Difference in change in N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide level
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 months and 12 months
As assessed by changes in plasma N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level (pg/mL) between sildenafil and placebo groups at four months and twelve months.
Baseline, 4 months and 12 months
Difference in change in health related quality of life as assessed by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF36) questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 months and 12 months
As assessed by changes in SF36 questionnaire between sildenafil and placebo groups at four months and twelve months. The SF36 yields a set of scaled scores in 8 domains, with higher numbers representing a better quality of life. Each scale is scored on a 0 to 100 range so that the lowest and highest possible scores are 0 and 100, respectively. Scores represent the percentage of total possible score achieved. In step 2, items in the same scale are averaged together to create the 8 scale scores. Items that are left blank (missing data) are not taken into account when calculating the scale scores. Hence, scale scores represent the average for all items in the scale that the respondent answered.
Baseline, 4 months and 12 months
Difference in change in health related quality of life as assessed by the emPHasis-10 health-related quality of life questionnaire (emPHasis-10).
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 months and 12 months
As assessed by changes in emPHasis-10 questionnaire between sildenafil and placebo groups. The Emphasis 10 score consists of 10 questions scored in a semantic 6-point scale (from 0 to 5), for a total maximum score of 50 (the higher the score, the worse the quality of life).
Baseline, 4 months and 12 months
Difference in safety profile as assessed by frequency of adverse events
Time Frame: Ongoing until study closes, up to 4 years
As assessed by frequency of adverse events between sildenafil and placebo groups.
Ongoing until study closes, up to 4 years
Difference in safety profile as assessed by severity of adverse events
Time Frame: Ongoing until study closes, up to 4 years
As assessed by severity of adverse events between sildenafil and placebo groups.
Ongoing until study closes, up to 4 years

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.
Johns Hopkins 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.
United States Department of Defense
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans

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: Stephen Mathai, MD, Johns Hopkins University

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 (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.
September 20, 2021

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.
September 1, 2026

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.
September 1, 2026

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).
March 11, 2021

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.
March 11, 2021

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.
March 15, 2021

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.
October 15, 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.
October 13, 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.
October 1, 2025

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.
  • IRB00265164

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.

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