GRASSP: Gralise® for Spine Surgery Pain (GRASSP)

Gralise® for Spine Surgery Pain (GRASSP): A Partially Enriched, Placebo Controlled, Randomized, Double Blind, Cross-Over Trial of Gralise® for the Treatment of Post Laminectomy Pain Syndrome

Evaluate the analgesic benefit of Gralise® for post-laminectomy pain syndrome (PLPS)

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Post-laminectomy Pain Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Gralise®; Drug: Placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 53
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Rochester, New York, United States, 14618
      • University of Rochester

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria.

1. Male and female subjects age 18 to 80 years.
2. Primary diagnosis of post-laminectomy pain syndrome (PLPS), defined as having their most severe pain related to a prior history of lumbar surgery including decompressive (e.g. laminectomy) or fusion (e.g. posterior lumbar interbody fusion) procedures performed from the L1-S1 level at least 6 months prior to enrollment.
3. Pain Detect score ≥12, denoting neuropathic pain is probable.
4. At least 50% of present pain intensity is attributed to the lower extremity (Quebec Task Force Grade 3 or 4) on most days.
5. All subjects must be decisionally capable and must give their own consent to be enrolled.

Exclusion Criteria.

1. Lumbar surgery <6 months prior to enrollment
2. Subjects with PLPS and pain free interval (defined as chronic low back pain and radicular symptoms <=3/10) related the indication for their PLPS defining event and a new, acute or subacute symptom pattern (e.g. new disc herniation at an adjacent level as documented by imaging).
3. Subjects regularly taking gabapentin or pregabalin for their chronic pain after spine surgery who do not endorse relief (defined as either minimally, much or very much improved on a 7 point likert scale when asked about these medications' effects).
4. Having another type of pain that is as or more severe than pain associated with PLPS.
5. An average daily pain score of 10 on the NRS scale during either the screening or initial washout period.
6. Concurrent medication that includes antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (exceptions: pregabalin or gabapentin).
7. Subjects taking concomitant neuropathic pain medication (stable dose for at least 4 weeks) may reduce the number and/or dose of their current pain medications: If the number and/or dose exceed the limits of allowed neuropathic pain medications (refer to Use of Allowed Pain Medication), then the number and/or dose must be reduced to fall within acceptable limits. Concomitant neuropathic pain medication needs to be kept stable during the study.
8. Subjects who have previously not responded to treatment with gabapentin at doses of ≥900 mg/day or pregabalin at doses ≥300 mg/day.
9. Known hypersensitivity to Gralise, or gabapentin, or its ingredients.
10. Dose limiting adverse events to gabapentin; subjects who previously experienced dose-limiting adverse effects that prevented titration of gabapentin to an effective dose.
11. History of alcohol and/or drug abuse in the investigator's judgment, based on subject history and physical examination.
12. Subject who consumes excessive amounts of alcohol, defined as greater than 3 glasses of alcoholic beverages (1 glass is approximately equivalent to: beer [10 ounces], wine [4 ounces], or distilled spirits [1 ounce]) per day on a regular basis.
13. Participation in a clinical trial of an investigational drug or device within 30 days of the screening visit.
14. Gastric reduction surgery.
15. Acute gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, dyspepsia, or gastric or duodenal ulcers.
16. Malignancy within past 2 years other than basal cell carcinoma.
17. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
18. History of seizure or is at risk of seizure due to head trauma.
19. History of significant cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, liver or kidney disease (subjects with renal impairment or creatine clearance <30 ml/min).
20. Any significant medical condition, laboratory abnormality, or psychiatric illness (e.g. depression, mood problems, suicidal thoughts) that would prevent the subject from participating in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Group A; 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily Gralise®). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®). 10 day washout (no intervention). 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily placebo; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily placebo). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily placebo). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily placebo; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily placebo).	Drug: Gralise®; 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily Gralise®). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®).; Other Names: Gralise: Gabapentin ER; Drug: Placebo; 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily placebo; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily placebo). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily placebo). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily placebo; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily placebo).; Other Names: Placebo: inactive pill manufactured to mimic gralise.
Other: Group B; 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily placebo; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily placebo). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily placebo). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily placebo; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily placebo). 10 day washout (no intervention). 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily Gralise®). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®).	Drug: Gralise®; 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily Gralise®). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily Gralise®; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily Gralise®).; Other Names: Gralise: Gabapentin ER; Drug: Placebo; 14 day titration (days 1-7 at 600 mg daily placebo; days 8-14 at 1200 mg daily placebo). 28 day maintenance (1800 mg daily placebo). 7 day taper (days 1-4 at 1200 mg daily placebo; days 5-7 at 600 mg daily placebo).; Other Names: Placebo: inactive pill manufactured to mimic gralise.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean Change in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)	Using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (0=no pain, 10=worst pain imaginable).	baseline to 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	The VAS asks subjects to place a mark indicative of their low back pain during the past day on a 100mm line, with 0mm representing no pain and 100mm representing extreme pain.	baseline to 6 weeks
Mean Change in Patient Global Assessment (PGA)	Subjects will be asked to rate their low back pain according to the PGA. PGA is the impact of disease activity. PGA is measured on a 5-point scale, where 1=very good, 2=good, 3=fair, 4=poor, and 5=very poor.	baseline to 6 weeks
Mean McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (MPQ-2)	The McGill Pain questionnaire is 22 questions where patient rate their pain symptoms with each question scaled 0-10 for a total 220 points where a higher score indicates worse outcome.	6 weeks
Mean Change in Modified Brief Pain Inventory- Short Form (mBPI-sf)	The mBPI is a series of questions that rates the severity and impact of pain on daily function. The questionnaire is made up of 4 pain severity items using the NRS scale, and seven 11-point pain interference scales (0 indicating no interference and 10 indicating complete interference). The scale ranges from 0 to 70. Higher scores indicate worse outcome.	baseline to 6 weeks
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)	The ISI has 7 questions with each question ranging from 0-4 for a total of 28 points with higher scores indicating more severe insomnia.	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Rochester
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: John Markman, MD, University of Rochester

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 7, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 7, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): January 9, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 30, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 9, 2019
• Last Verified: July 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: post laminectomy pain syndrome, failed back surgery syndrome
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease; Syndrome; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Central Nervous System Depressants; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Analgesics; Sensory System Agents; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Excitatory Amino Acid Agents; Tranquilizing Agents; Psychotropic Drugs; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Anticonvulsants; Antimanic Agents; Gabapentin
• Other Study ID Numbers: RSRB00041904