Adjunctive Mixed Salts Amphetamine for Depressed Adults With Incomplete Response to Current Antidepressant Therapy

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study of Adjunctive, Flexible-Dose Mixed Salts Amphetamine in Adult Outpatients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Responding Inadequately to Current Antidepressant Therapy

In this Phase 4 trial we will study the safety, tolerability and efficacy of mixed salts amphetamine (MSA), trade name Adderall, augmentation of antidepressant therapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in depressed outpatient adults who are taking an antidepressant but have not had complete resolution of their symptoms.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: mixed salts amphetamine

Detailed Description

Forty adult outpatients with MDD who failed at least one adequate trial of antidepressant monotherapy will be consented in a 63-day, cross-sequential, multicenter study comprising two treatment phases of 21 days each. The time frame from consent to baseline is 7 days. Patients will receive placebo or MSA in Phase 1, and in Phase 2, participants will receive MSA. There will also be a two-week follow up visit after the completion of Phase 2.

We hypothesize that MSA will be safe and well tolerated, and will improve the patient's response to their antidepressant and provide superior symptom relief to antidepressant alone. The primary outcome measure is the Massachusetts General Hospital Cognitive-Physical Function Questionnaire (MGH-CPFQ).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 41
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
      • Rush University Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female outpatients between the ages of 18-70.
2. Subject must meet criteria for single or recurrent, non-psychotic episode of MDD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV Text Revised (DSM-IV-TR) diagnosis, as determined by Structured Clinical Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (SCID) and confirmed by assessment of investigator.
3. Current depressive episode must be at least 8 weeks in duration.
4. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 (HDRS-17) score ≥ 14 at both the screen and baseline visits.
5. Subject must have been receiving an adequate, stable dose of ADT, based on Massachusetts General Hospital-Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ).
6. Subject must be responding inadequately to his/her current monotherapy ADT in the current major depressive episode (MDE).
7. Subjects must be able to read and understand English and be able to provide written informed consent.
8. Subjects must be considered reliable, able to comply with protocol requirements and understand the risks and benefits, per the investigator's clinical judgment.

9. Female subjects of childbearing potential must agree to use adequate form of birth control throughout the course of the study.

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Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inadequate response during the current episode to more than 3 adequate trials of an ADT, as defined by the MGH-ATRQ.
2. Psychiatric hospitalization within the last 6 months.
3. Presence of cognitive disorder(s), bipolar disorder, Axis II pathology or other condition that investigator believes would interfere with participation in the study.
4. Substance use disorder, current (as defined by DSM-IV-TR SCID) or positive results on urine drug screen or laboratory blood tests.
5. Risk to self or others.
6. The presence of any medical condition, current or past, stable or unstable, that contraindicates the use of antidepressant medication or mixed amphetamine salts medication as determined by clinician's judgment.
7. Clinically significant abnormal findings on physical exam, EKG or laboratory tests; current unstable, untreated hypertension in the opinion of the investigator; history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or seizure disorder (other than febrile childhood seizure).
8. Allergies and/or adverse drug reactions to MSA.
9. Failure to respond to an adequate trial of MSA adjunctive to ADT in the current episode.
10. Subjects taking narcotics, herbal/homeopathic remedies and/or other substance with psychotropic activity, based upon clinical judgment of study investigator.

11. Pregnant or breastfeeding women.

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Group 1(A): Placebo/MSA; Phase I (3 weeks) placebo adjunctive to Anti-Depressant Therapy (ADT). The total daily dosing of the concurrent ADT will be as follow: escitalopram 10-40 mg; Fluoxetine 20-80 mg; paroxetine controlled release (CR) 25-100 mg (paroxetine 20-80 mg may be substituted if paroxetine CR is not available); sertraline 100-400 mg; venlafaxine extended release (XR) 150-600 mg; desvenlafaxine 50-200 mg; citalopram 20-80 mg; or duloxetine 60-180 mg; buproprion 150-450 mg; mirtazapine 15-45 mg, tricyclics (standard dosing, individually per label instructions). Phase II (3 weeks) mixed salts amphetamine adjunctive to ADT (as in Phase I).	Drug: mixed salts amphetamine; adjunctive to ADT; Other Names: Adderall
Active Comparator: Group 2(B): MSA/MSA; Phase I (3 weeks) mixed salts amphetamine adjunctive to Anti-Depressant Therapy (ADT). The total daily dosing of the concurrent ADT will be as follow: escitalopram 10-40 mg; Fluoxetine 20-80 mg; paroxetine controlled release (CR) 25-100 mg (paroxetine 20-80 mg may be substituted if paroxetine CR is not available); sertraline 100-400 mg; venlafaxine extended release (XR) 150-600 mg; desvenlafaxine 50-200 mg; citalopram 20-80 mg; or duloxetine 60-180 mg; buproprion 150-450 mg; mirtazapine 15-45 mg, tricyclics (standard dosing, individually per label instructions). Phase II (3 weeks) mixed salts amphetamine adjunctive to ADT (as in Phase I).	Drug: mixed salts amphetamine; adjunctive to ADT; Other Names: Adderall

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Scores on the Massachusetts General Hospital Cognitive and Physical Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-CPFQ)	The CPFQ is a seven-item self-administered questionnaire with higher scores indicating increased impairment in cognitive and physical functioning; score range being 7-42.	Baseline (Visit 2); End Phase I (Visit 5, Week 3): End Phase II (Visit 8, Week 6)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Scores of the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)	The group treated with mixed salt amphetamine (MSA) adjunctive to antidepressant therapy (ADT) will show a greater mean change from baseline to endpoint as compared to the group treated with placebo (PBO) adjunctive to ADT as measure by the change ion the MADRS scores. The MADRS is clinician-rated and consists of 10 items; each item is rated on a 0-6 scale, resulting in a maximum total score of 60 points, with higher scores indicative of greater depressive symptomology. The MADRS scoring instructions indicate that a total score ranging from 0 to 6 indicates that the patient is in the normal range (no depression), a score ranging from 7 to 19 indicates "mild depression," 20 to 34 indicates "moderate depression," a score of 35 and greater indicates "severe depression." There is evidence that an improvement of two points or more on the MADRS is considered clinically relevant.	Baseline (Visit 2); End Phase I (Visit 5, Week 3): End Phase II (Visit 8, Week 6)
Change in Scores on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self Report 16 (QIDS-SR-16)	The group with mixed salt amphetamine (MSA) adjunctive to antidepressant therapy (ADT) will show statistically significant improvement in core residual symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) extant on monotherapy ADT as measured by the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self Report 16. 16 items comprising 9 domains; each domain is scored from 0 to 3, with higher scores reflecting greater psychopathology. Total scores range from 0 to 27. Scoring procedure is to include ONLY the highest score on among the 4 sleep items (items 1 to 4); include ONLY the highest score among the 4 weight items (items 6 to 9); include ONLY the highest score on either of the 2 psychomotor items (15 and 16). The scores for these 3 domains are then added to the scores (0-3) for each of the 6 MDD symptom domains for a total score of 0-27.	Baseline (Visit 2); End Phase I (Visit 5, Week 3): End Phase II (Visit 8, Week 6)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mixed salt amphetamine (MSA) adjunctive to ADT will demonstrate clinically acceptable safety and tolerability	Participants who received mixed salt amphetamine, adjunctive to antidepressant therapy (ADT) will demonstrate clinically acceptable safety and tolerability, compared to placebo, based on reported adverse events, significant changes in blood pressure, pulse, weight, electrocardiogram, and Rush Sexual Inventory.	7 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Rush University Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Corey N Goldstein, MD, Rush University Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: December 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2014
• First Posted (Estimated): February 10, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 15, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 12, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Mood Disorders; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Major; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Adrenergic Agents; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Autonomic Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors; Membrane Transport Modulators; Dopamine Agents; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Sympathomimetics; Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; Amphetamine; Adderall
• Other Study ID Numbers: CTHF-1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO