A Study of Suvorexant in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue and Insomnia (DREAM)

A Double-blind, Crossover, Placebo-controlled Study to Compare the Effects of Nighttime Administration of Suvorexant in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue and Insomnia

This study assesses the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of suvorexant in multiple sclerosis patients. Enrolled subjects will receive 2 weeks of treatment during treatment period 1 with either suvorexant or matching placebo (1:1). After treatment period 1, subjects will undergo a washout period of 1 week then 2 weeks of the alternate treatment (either suvorexant or placebo). The primary hypothesis is that suvorexant will provide greater improvement in sleep, as measured by symptom rating scales, compared to placebo.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis; Fatigue; Insomnia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Suvorexant; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

The target enrollment number is 30 people with multiple sclerosis who meet inclusion criteria. After informed consent is given, potential subjects will be screened to ensure they meet eligibility criteria. Subjects who meet eligibility criteria will complete baseline assessments and will then be randomized to receive 2 weeks of treatment (Treatment Period 1) with either suvorexant or matching placebo (1:1). The initial dose of suvorexant will be 10 mg at bedtime, with optional titration to 20 mg after 5-7 days. Study drug will be dispensed by an independent research pharmacist, keeping both study staff and the subject blinded. All subjects, whether in placebo or active arm, will receive a wearable sleep monitor to be worn for 7 days at baseline, and during both treatment periods. All subjects will keep 7-day sleep diaries at baseline and during each study period. At the end of Treatment Period 1 (2 weeks), subjects will undergo efficacy assessments with repeated clinical scales. Subjects will then go through a 1-week open-label off-drug washout period. Subjects will then be crossed over into the alternate treatment group, which will once again be double-blinded; those on active treatment (suvorexant) in Treatment Period 1 will be switched to placebo, and those on placebo in Treatment Period 1 will be switched to active treatment. Treatment Period 2 will also be 2 weeks long, and at the end of this, subjects will undergo final assessment with clinical scales.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 36
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Kirkland, Washington, United States, 98034
      • EvergreenHealth Multiple Sclerosis Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis made at least 3 months prior based on McDonald criteria;
• Age 18-75 inclusive;
• Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0- 7.5;
• Clinical stability defined as no multiple sclerosis exacerbation or change in disease modifying therapy for 60 days prior to screening;
• Screening Fatigue Severity Scale score of ≥4.0;

• Has Insomnia Disorder defined by diagnostic criteria published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5); namely, subject report of all of the following:

  • One of the following: difficulty initiating sleep; difficulty maintaining sleep; or early morning waking;
  • Sleep disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, educational, academic, behavioral, or other important areas of functioning;
  • Sleep difficulty has occurred on 3 or more nights per week;
  • Sleep difficulty has been present for at least the past 3 months;
  • Sleep difficulty occurs despite adequate opportunity for sleep;
  • Insomnia is not explained by another sleep disorder;
  • Insomnia is not attributable to physiological effects of a consumed substance;
• May use other medications that could influence sleep, other than those specifically prohibited, as long as the dose is stable for 4 weeks preceding screening, with no dose changes during the study;
• Signed and dated Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent form before any protocol-specific screening procedures have been performed.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of potential multiple sclerosis-associated fatigue drugs within 3 days of screening until study completion, including modafinil, armodafinil, amantadine, methylphenidate, products with amphetamine or dextroamphetamine;
• Use of any of any prohibited medication (including Digoxin, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, opiates, Zolpidem, Zaleplon, Eszopiclone, moderate or strong CYP3A inhibitors, or strong inducers of CYP3A) from 3 days prior to screening to termination visit;
• Female who is breast-feeding, pregnant, or has the potential to become pregnant during the course of the study (fertile and unwilling/unable to use effective contraceptive measures);
• History of narcolepsy;
• Has a diagnosis of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), defined by forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV1) < 50% of predicted on most recent available pulmonary function test (PFT). Pulmonary function test is not required if the subject has never been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• Has a history of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with severe obstructive sleep apnea defined as having an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 30 on prior polysomnograph (PSG). Polysomnograph is not required if there is no history of obstructive sleep apnea;
• Is concurrently using other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, including alcohol, except that one alcoholic drink per day will be allowed for those with normal hepatic function provided the drink is consumed at least 2 hours prior to or 8 hours after taking the study drug. Medical marijuana is allowed if consumed at the patient's usual dose at least 2 hours prior to or 8 hours after taking the study drug. Recreational marijuana is not allowed from screening until end of study;
• Has evidence at screening of severe hepatic impairment as defined by a Child-Pugh score > 10;
• Cognitive impairment that in the opinion of the investigator would prevent completion of study procedures or the ability to provide informed consent;
• Suicidality or severe depression as measured by screening Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI) score > 28 or score of >1 on Beck Depression Inventory II Question 9 (suicidality screen) at any time during the study;
• Any other serious and/or unstable medical condition.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Suvorexant; Suvorexant - 10 mg (one tablet) taken by mouth once daily at bedtime with option to up-titrate to 20 mg (two tablets) taken by mouth once daily at bedtime.	Drug: Suvorexant; See detailed information in associated Arm Description.; Other Names: Belsomra
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Placebo - one tablet taken by mouth once daily at bedtime and two tablets taken by mouth daily at bedtime if subject up-titrates.	Drug: Placebo; Sugar pill manufactured to mimic suvorexant 10 mg tablet.; Other Names: Sugar pill

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) Score	7-question survey assessing symptoms of insomnia over the past week. Maximum score is 28, minimum is 0, with higher scores indicating greater severity. Guidelines for Scoring/Interpretation: Add scores for all seven items = _____ Total score ranges from 0-28 0-7 = No clinically significant insomnia 8-14 = Subthreshold insomnia 15-21 = Clinical insomnia (moderate	Change from Baseline to 2 Weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Modified Fatigue Index Scale (MFIS) Score	This scale has 21 items with physical, cognitive and psychosocial questions regarding their fatigue levels. Subjects will complete the Modified Fatigue Index Scale (MFIS) as the first test conducted on the day of visit. Their ratings on the 21-item questionnaire will be based on their fatigue experience over the previous 1 week. Each question is on a scale from 0 to 4. Higher scores represent worse fatigue. Minimum score is 0 and maximum score is 84.	Change from Baseline to 2 Weeks
Patient Global Impression of Change	This is a single question: "How would you rate change in your level of physical and mental function, during the study?" Responses range from "Extremely improved", "Much improved", "Slightly improved", "No change", "Slightly worse", "Much worse", and "Extremely worse". Higher score indicates improvement. Scale is 0-5 given responses. 0 is minimum, 5 is maximum.	Change from Baseline to 2 Weeks
Fatigue Visual Analog Scale	0-100 scale rating fatigue with 0 being not fatigued at all, 100 being fatigue as bad as can be. Patients are instructed to place an "X" on the scale based on their overall level of fatigue. On the low-end of the scale are feelings of being awake and alert, having high-energy and vigor. On the high end of the scale are feelings of tiredness, drowsiness, sluggishness, low-energy, lassitude.	Change from Baseline to 2 Weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Sleep Latency	A measure of minutes between being awake and falling asleep.	Change from Baseline to 2 Weeks
Subjective Quality of Sleep (sQUAL)	This is a single question, "How would you describe the quality of your sleep last night?" There are 4 choices to answer: 1= poor, 2 = fair, 3= good, 4= excellent. 1 is Minimum, 4 is maximum. A higher score means a better outcome.	Change from Baseline to 2 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Theodore R. Brown, MD MPH
• Collaborators: Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Theodore R Brown, MD, MPH, EvergreenHealth Multiple Sclerosis Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 28, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 21, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): March 21, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 28, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 6, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): April 12, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 27, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis; Fatigue; Sleep; Insomnia; Suvorexant; Belsomra; Sleep disorder
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Demyelinating Diseases; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Multiple Sclerosis; Sclerosis; Fatigue; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Sleep Aids, Pharmaceutical; Orexin Receptor Antagonists; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Central Nervous System Depressants; Neurotransmitter Agents; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Suvorexant
• Other Study ID Numbers: TRB 2017.2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: There is no plan to share individual participant data.

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.: Yes