Zavegepant Intranasal Spray for the Acute Treatment of Episodic Cluster Headache

Zavegepant Intranasal Spray for the Acute Treatment of Episodic Cluster Headache: A Prospective, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Interventional Pilot Study

The purpose of this study is to assess headache response rate for minimal pain at 30 minutes following zavegepant administration and to assess additional effectiveness and treatment failure endpoints at various timepoints after zavegepant administration

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Cluster Headache
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Zavegepant 20 mg

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Mark J Burish, MD, PhD; Phone Number: 713-486-7771; Email: nctt.wec@uth.tmc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
      • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
      • Contact: Mark J Burish, MD,PhD; Phone Number: (713) 704-3127; Email: Mark.J.Burish@uth.tmc.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• A diagnosis of episodic cluster headache according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition
• A history of at least 2 prior headache bouts
• Onset of cluster headache before age 50 years
• Cluster headache attacks last a minimum duration of 45 minutes (if untreated)
• Evidence of signed informed consent (ICF) as described in the protocol, indicating compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the ICF and this protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

General exclusions

• Pregnant or breastfeeding patients.
• Inability to follow training instructions for use of nasal device.
• Unable to speak or read English.
• Unable to access the internet (for the Questionnaires / Case Report Forms).
• Females of childbearing potential, without the ability to use 2 acceptable methods of contraception to avoid pregnancy for up to 48 hours after each study drug administration, followed by 1 acceptable method for 28 days after the last administration of study treatment.
• Body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2
• Prisoners or subjects who are involuntarily incarcerated.
• Subjects who are compulsorily detained for treatment of either a psychiatric or physical (e.g., infectious disease) illness.
• Have participated in another clinical research study with biological investigational agents (or other relevant agents) in the last 90 days.
• Positive drug screen for drugs of abuse at the investigator's discretion (e.g., positive amphetamines may be allowed when prescribed for an approved indication such as ADHD)

Past medical history exclusions:

• Co-existing disease or other characteristics that precludes appropriate diagnosis of cluster headache. Other headache and facial pain disorders are allowed as long as their attacks are distinguishable from cluster headache attacks
• Currently uncontrolled, unstable, or recently diagnosed cardiovascular or neurovascular disease, Raynaud's disease, uncontrolled hypertension, a history of myocardial infarction , Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), cardiac surgery, stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) in the prior 6 months
• A known history of severe hepatic impairment, or diagnosis of Gilbert's Syndrome or any other active hepatic or biliary disorder
• A history of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
• Active drug or alcohol use or dependence that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements
• Response of "yes" to Question 4 or 5 for suicidal ideation, or any suicidal behavioral question on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) at screening (or up to 1 year prior to the screening, as assessed in the medical history), or any indication of serious risk of suicide in the opinion of the investigator
• Psychiatric disorders that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would interfere with adherence to study requirements. This includes participants who have confirmed but untreated psychiatric disorders, or have psychiatric disorders that, in the opinion of the site investigator, would make them unable to undergo an ECG, have laboratory testing, or administer the medication at the appropriate time. "Psychiatric disorders" refers specifically to the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) classes of disorders: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders, Bipolar and Related Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, Trauma- and Stressor-Related disorders, Dissociative Disorders, Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders, Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders, or Neurocognitive Disorders
• Hematologic or solid malignancy diagnosis within 5 years prior to the screening visit. Subjects with a history of localized basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer are eligible for the study if they are cancer-free prior to the screening visit

Nasal issues

• History of nasal surgery in the 6 months preceding the screening visit
• Nose piercings that might interfere with positioning of the study medication
• Evidence at screening of significant nasal conditions that may affect the administration or absorption of the nasal product (e.g., severe septum deviation, nasal deformity or blockage, inflammation, perforation, mucosal erosion or ulceration, polyposis, nasal trauma) as evaluated by the Investigator or medically qualified delegate
• Prominent nasal congestion or rhinorrhea associated with cluster headache attacks that, in the opinion of the study team, will interfere with ipsilateral absorption of a nasal spray

Laboratory and ECG abnormalities within 3 months of screening including:

• ECG abnormalities including Corrected QT interval (QTc) > 470 msec, Left Bundle Branch Block (LBB), Right Bundle Branch Block (RBB) with QRS>150 msec, or Intraventricular Conduction Defect with a QRS duration ≥ 150 msec
• History of stage 4 renal disease (creatinine clearance<30 mL/min)
• Any unacceptable findings on laboratory studies or physical examination including bilirubin >1.5x upper limit of normal(ULN), Neutrophil count ≤ 1000/uL (or equivalent), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) or Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) >1.5x ULN
• Uncontrolled diabetes, defined as HbA1c ≥ 7.5%

Zavegepant-specific exclusions

• History of hypersensitivity reaction to zavegepant or to any of the components of zavegepant
• Previous use of zavegepant, or previously intolerant of zavegepant (if tried for noncluster headache reasons)
• Concomitant use of potent inhibitors/inducers of Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B3 (OATP1B3) or Sodium/Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide (NTCP) transporters including atazanavir, clarithromycin, cyclosporine, estrone sulfate, lopinavir, gemfibrozil, rifampin, or ritonavir

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Zavegepant	Drug: Zavegepant 20 mg; Participants will administer zavegepant 10 mg twice in quick succession (once into the left nostril, once into the right nostril, for a total of 20mg) to treat up to 3 separate cluster headache attacks maintaining a minimum interval of 48 hours between administrations.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Percentage of participants who achieve minimal pain at 30 minutes following their first administration of zavegepant 20mg.	Minimal pain is defined as 0 or 1 on the 0-4 numerical rating scale.	end of study (up to 70 days from baseline)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Percentage of participants who achieve minimal pain at 15 minutes following zavegepant administration	Minimal pain is defined as 0 or 1 on the 0-4 numerical rating scale.	end of study (up to 70 days from baseline)
Percentage of participants who achieve pain freedom at 30 minutes following zavegepant administration	Pain freedom is defined as 0 on the 0-4 numerical rating scale.	end of study (up to 70 days from baseline)
Percentage of participants who achieve pain freedom at 15 minutes following zavegepant administration	Pain freedom is defined as 0 on the 0-4 numerical rating scale.	end of study (up to 70 days from baseline)
Percentage of participants who use rescue therapy between 30-180 minutes following zavegepant administration		end of study (up to 70 days from baseline)
Treatment failure as assessed by the percentage of participants with cluster headache recurrence within 3 hours	Pain recurrence is defined as both of the following: 1. A pain intensity of 0 or 1 on a 0-4 numerical rating scale at 30 minutes post-dose, and 2. pain intensity of 3 or 4 (on a 0-4 numerical rating scale) at any point between 30 minutes post-dose and 180 minutes post headache onset	end of study (up to 70 days from baseline)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
• Collaborators: Pfizer
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Mark J Burish, MD, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 14, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 14, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: headache; CGRP; Zavegepant
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Headache Disorders, Primary; Headache Disorders; Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Headache; Cluster Headache
• Other Study ID Numbers: HSC-MS-26-0153

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Concern for de-identifying participants

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.: No