Firdapse for Post-BOTOX Vocal Weakness

September 30, 2025 updated by: Augusta University

Amifampridine for the Treatment of Transient Vocal Weakness After OnabotulinumtoxinA Injection for Spasmodic Dysphonia

Botox injections into the thyroarytenoid muscle are a predictable and effective treatment for SD, but typically result in transient symptoms of voice weakness and breathiness during the first 2-3 weeks after injection. Investigators hypothesize that voice weakness and breathiness after Botox treatment can be alleviated using amifampridine.

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

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a dystonia which results in vocal breaks. The mainstay of treatment involves injections using Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), a neuromuscular blocker which inhibits pre-synaptic release of acetylcholine into the neuromuscular junction. Botox injections into the thyroarytenoid muscle are a predictable and effective treatment for SD, but typically result in transient symptoms of voice weakness and breathiness during the first 2-3 weeks after injection. These symptoms can be present for even longer if Botox is over- dosed.

Investigators hypothesize that these initial, transient symptoms of voice weakness and breathiness after Botox treatment can be alleviated using amifampridine which acts at the neuromuscular junction to increase synaptic presence of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. In these initial studies, investigators will look at patients who have significant breathiness following an injection.

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.
18

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
    • Georgia
      • Augusta, Georgia, United States, 30912
        • Augusta University

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:

  1. Male or female ≥18 years of age.
  2. Capable of providing informed consent.
  3. Confirmed physician diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia.
  4. Receives onabotulinumtoxinA for treatment of their spasmodic dysphonia.
  5. Experiences significant breathiness ± 5 days following their injection.
  6. If sexually active and of childbearing potential, willing to use an acceptable method of contraception (as noted below) from screening visit until 3 months after the last dose of investigational product.

A.NOTE: No adequate clinical data on exposed pregnancies are available for amifampridine. No nonclinical safety data are available regarding the effects of amifampridine on reproductive function. Amifampridine phosphate should not be used during pregnancy. It is unknown whether amifampridine is excreted in human breast milk. The excretion of amifampridine in milk has not been studied in animals. Amifampridine phosphate should not be used during breastfeeding. Acceptable methods of birth control include:

  1. Hormonal contraception (e.g., oral contraceptive, transdermal contraceptive, contraceptive implant, or injectable hormonal contraceptive) for at least 3 months prior to study drug administration, throughout the study, and for 3 months after the last dose of study drug.
  2. Double-barrier birth control (e.g., a combination of male condom with either cap, diaphragm, or sponge together with spermicide) starting at the Screening visit, throughout the study, and for at least 4 weeks after the last dose of study drug. NOTE: Use of a male and female condom simultaneously is NOT an acceptable method of double-barrier birth control.
  3. Intrauterine contraception/device starting at the Screening visit, throughout the study, and for 3 months after the last dose of study drug.
  4. Total abstinence from sexual intercourse (only acceptable if it is the preferred and usual lifestyle of the subject) for at least 1 complete menstrual cycle prior to the Screening visit, throughout the study, and for 3 months after the last dose of study drug.
  5. Maintenance of a monogamous relationship with a male partner who has been surgically sterilized by vasectomy.

B. NOTE: Periodic abstinence (calendar, symptothermal, postovulation methods), withdrawal (coitus interruptus), spermicides only, and lactational amenorrhea method are not acceptable methods of contraception.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. History of epilepsy and/or on medication/treatment for seizures (such as but not limited to valproic acid, lamotrigine, topiramate, carbamazepine, and phenytoin); or, on certain medications that may lower seizure threshold, such as:

    1. anaesthetic drugs (propofol),
    2. antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins, imipenem),
    3. some antidepressants (clomipramine, bupropion, and maprotiline),
    4. antipsychotics (clozapine, chlorpromazine),
    5. bronchodilators (aminophylline, theophylline),
    6. Immunomodifiers (cyclosporine), and
    7. Narcotic analgesics (pethidine, fentanyl).
  2. Any SGOT, SGPT that are more than 3x upper limit of normal; and, creatinine that is greater than 2.1
  3. Women who are pregnant, expecting to get pregnant, or breastfeeding.
  4. Any condition that, in the view of the Principal Investigator, places the subject at risk, or subjects with poor treatment compliance.

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: Treatment Arm
subjects will be given active drug and titrated up in 10mg increments (with max single dose being 30mg) until a change or drug side effect is noticed.
Drug: Amifampridine
10mg tablet
Other Names:
  • Firdapse

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
Voice Handicap Index-10
Time Frame: over 2 months
VHI-10 is a scale used to assess the severity of problematic symptoms associated with the voice. It is a series of 10 questions. Each questions is answered using numbers 0-4, with 0 meaning the patient never has a problem with that symptom; and, 4 meaning the patient always has a problem with that symptom.
over 2 months

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.
Augusta University

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: Michael H Rivner, MD, Charbonnier Professor Emeritus of Neurology

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.
October 28, 2021

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 27, 2025

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.
September 23, 2025

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).
November 5, 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.
November 5, 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.
November 17, 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 3, 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 30, 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.
February 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.
  • SD-DAP-01

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

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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