A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Effects of Estrogen in Healthy Postmenopausal Women

A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Effects of Estrogen on Uterine Endometrium in Healthy Postmenopausal Women

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of two different dose levels of estrogen or placebo in healthy postmenopausal women by measuring the changes in hormone levels and examining the changes in the uterine lining (endometrium).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Postmenopausal Symptoms
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Comparator: Estrace 2 mg; Drug: Comparator: Estrace 0.5 mg; Drug: Comparator: Placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 29
• Phase: Phase 1

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient is a healthy postmenopausal woman less than or equal to 65 years of age with onset of menopause less than or equal to 10 years prior to prestudy visit 1
• Patient has a uterus and no history of uterine bleeding in the past 3 months
• Patient has not had a previous endometrial biopsy within the last 4 weeks
• Patient has had a normal mammogram within the last 11 months
• Patient has had a normal pap-smear within the past 3 years prior to screening
• Patient has had a normal transvaginal ultrasound of the endometrium
• Patient is willing to avoid strenuous physical activity such as strenuous or unaccustomed weight lifting, running, bicycling, etc for the duration of the study
• Patient agrees to not consume grapefruit products beginning approximately 2 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug and throughout the study
• Patient agrees to limit daily consumption of alcohol. During the study, daily alcohol consumption should not be more than 2 glasses
• Patient agrees to limit daily consumption of caffeine. During the study, daily caffeine consumption should not exceed 3 cups of coffee
• Patient is a non-smoker

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient is mentally or legally incapacitated
• Patient has a history of any first degree relatives with breast or endometrial cancer
• Patient has a history of multiple and/or severe allergies to prescription or non-prescription drugs or food
• Patient has used any type of estrogen or progesterone preparation unless followed by appropriate wash-out periods
• Patient has had surgery, donated approximately 500 mL of blood or has participated in another investigational study within the last 4 weeks
• Patient has a history of deep vein thromboses, coronary artery disease, heart attack or stroke
• Patient is a current user of illegal drugs
• Patient has a history of hypersensitivity to estrogen products
• Patient is unable to refrain from using anti-coagulants

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: 3; Placebo	Drug: Comparator: Placebo; Placebo 0 mg capsule taken once daily for 28 days
Active Comparator: 17β-estradiol 2.0 milligrams; Estrace 2.0 mg tablet	Drug: Comparator: Estrace 2 mg; 2 mg tablets taken once daily for 28 days.; Other Names: Estrace
Active Comparator: 17β-estradiol 0.5 milligrams; Estrace 0.5 mg tablet	Drug: Comparator: Estrace 0.5 mg; 0.5 mg tablet taken once daily for 28 days; Other Names: Estrace

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Proliferative Effects Measurement	Ratio of the total number of positively stained cell nuclei to the total number of cell nuclei. Proliferating endometrial cells express the Ki-67 antigen. The ratio was converted to a percent proliferating cells by taking the number of Ki-67 positive stained nuclei in a given field and dividing by the total number of nuclei in that field and multiplying by 100. At least 5 high power fields were scored in this manner and an aggregate percent Ki-67 positive cells was reported. Square root transformation was taken to make it approximately normally distributed for an ANOVA model to apply.	4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Mean Gene Expression Intensity After 4 Weeks of Either 0.5 or 2 mg Estrace Compared to Placebo.	4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 8, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 9, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): January 12, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 22, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 21, 2016
• Last Verified: January 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Hormones; Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists; Estrogens; Contraceptive Agents, Hormonal; Contraceptive Agents; Reproductive Control Agents; Contraceptive Agents, Female; Estradiol; Estradiol 17 beta-cypionate; Estradiol 3-benzoate; Polyestradiol phosphate
• Other Study ID Numbers: 0000-122; 2009_505