Intervention to End Recurrent Unscheduled Bleeding Trial

Completed · Phase 3 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Contraception, Bleeding

In brief

The subdermal etonogestrel (ENG) implant, a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) method, is among the most effective forms of reversible contraception and thus, an important tool in the quest to reduce unintended pregnancy. However, despite overall increases in LARC use in the United States from 1.5% in 2002 to 7.2% in 2011, and 11.6% most recently in 2015, implant use continues to make up a small proportion of LARC use. While evidence to explain this low uptake of implants is lacking, one potential reason is patient and provider concerns about unpredictable bleeding. As a result of this, many studies have been performed in attempts to discover therapies for unscheduled bleeding in progestin-only contraceptive users. Some of these studies include those investigating selective progesterone receptor modulators, such as mifepristone and ulipristal acetate (UPA), which did find some benefit. Although a previous study showed mixed benefit, the investigators feel that this medication has demonstrated both biologic plausibility as well as clinically important outcomes. This previous study may not be entirely translatable to the proposed research as therapies were used for different indications (prophylaxis vs. treatment) and different progestins and delivery systems were studied. Therefore, the investigators believe UPA should not be discounted as a potential therapy. UPA may provide an additional safe and effective option for treatment of irregular bleeding with implants in women. In addition, UPA is currently available in outpatient pharmacies in the U.S. as a single 30mg oral tablet. The investigators propose to investigate UPA for the treatment of unscheduled and troublesome bleeding in ENG implant users.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03118297

Run by

Washington University School of Medicine

People needed

65

Starts

2017-05-01

Expected to finish

2018-01-31

Last updated by the study team

2018-08-31

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 45. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Women age 18-45
• Implant placed >90 days and <3 years prior to enrollment
• Patient complaint of bothersome irregular bleeding with implant
• Willing to be abstinent or use condoms during study period
• Willing to complete 30-day bleeding diary
• Willing to be randomized to placebo or ulipristal acetate
• Ability to send/receive SMS text message

You may not qualify if…

• Non-English speaking
• Implant placed >3 years prior to enrollment
• Contraindication to ulipristal acetate (current use of barbiturates, bosentan, carbamazepine, felbamate, griseofulvin, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, rifampin, St. John's Wort, topiramate, known or suspected pregnancy, hypersensitivity to active substance or excipients, uterine/cervical/ovarian/breast cancer, severe asthma insufficiently controlled by oral glucocorticoids)
• Inability or unwillingness to comply with medication protocol
• Inability or unwillingness to comply with bleeding diary
• Breastfeeding

Where it is running

• Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis — St Louis, Missouri, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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