A Study of Esketamine Nasal Spray, Administered as Monotherapy, in Adult Participants With Treatment-resistant Depression

Completed · Phase 4 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant

In brief

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of each individual dose of esketamine nasal spray, 56 milligram (mg) and 84 mg, compared with placebo nasal spray in improving depressive symptoms in participants with treatment resistant depression (TRD), as assessed by the change from baseline in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score from Day 1 (prerandomization) to the end of the 4 week double-blind treatment phase (Day 28).

Key facts

Study ID: NCT04599855
Run by: Janssen Research & Development, LLC
People needed: 477
Starts: 2020-11-04
Expected to finish: 2024-01-31
Last updated by the study team: 2025-04-25

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Participant must meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for single-episode MDD or recurrent MDD, without psychotic features, based upon clinical assessment and confirmed by the MINI. Participants 65 years of age or older must have had the first onset of depression prior to 55 years of age
Participant must have had nonresponse (<=25% improvement) to >=2 oral antidepressant treatments in the current episode of depression, assessed using the MGH-ATRQ, and confirmed by documented records (example, medical/pharmacy/prescription records or a letter from a treating physician)
Participant must have an Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician rated, 30-item (IDS-C30) total score of >=34
The participant's current major depressive episode, depression symptom severity, and antidepressant treatment response in the current depressive episode, must be confirmed by the State vs. Trait, Assessibility, Face Validity, Ecological Validity, Rule of Three P's (SAFER) Interview
Participant must be medically stable on the basis of physical examination, medical history, vital signs (including blood pressure), and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed in the screening phase. If there are any abnormalities that are not specified in the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the determination of their clinical significance must be determined by the investigator and recorded in the participant's source documents and initiated by the investigator
Participant must be medically stable on the basis of clinical laboratory tests performed in the screening phase. If the results of the serum chemistry panel, hematology, or urinalysis are outside the normal reference ranges, the participant may be included only if the investigator judges the abnormalities or deviations from normal to be not clinically significant or to be appropriate and reasonable for the population under study. This determination must be recorded in the participant's source documents and initialed by the investigator: (a) Participants with a pre-existing history of thyroid disease/disorder who are treated with thyroid hormones must be on a stable dosage for 3 months prior to the start of the screening phase; (b) For any participant (regardless of thyroid history), if the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) value is out of range, a free thyroxine (FT4) will be conducted. If the FT4 value is abnormal and considered to be clinically significant (after discussion with the medical monitor), the participant is not eligible
Participant must be comfortable with self-administration of nasal spray medication and be able to follow the nasal spray administration instructions provided

You may not qualify if…

The participant has used ketamine/esketamine (lifetime)
The participant's depressive symptoms have previously demonstrated nonresponse to an adequate course of treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the current major depressive episode, defined as at least 7 treatments with unilateral/bilateral ECT
Participant has received vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) or has received deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the current episode of depression
Participant has a current or history of seizures (uncomplicated childhood febrile seizures with no sequelae are not exclusionary)
Participant has any anatomical or medical condition that, per the investigator's clinical judgment based on assessment, may impede delivery or absorption of nasal spray study drug

Where it is running

UAB Huntsville Regional Medical Campus — Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Preferred Research Partners — Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Behavioral Research Specialists LLC — Glendale, California, United States
CalNeuro Research — Los Angeles, California, United States
Pacific Research Partners — Oakland, California, United States
Anderson Clinical Research — Redlands, California, United States
University of California at San Diego — San Diego, California, United States
Artemis Institute for Clinical Research — San Diego, California, United States
UCSF Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building — San Francisco, California, United States
Velocity Clinical Research — Santa Ana, California, United States
CMB Clinical Trials — Santee, California, United States
University of Connecticut Health Center — Farmington, Connecticut, United States
Velocity Clinical Research, Hallandale Beach — Hallandale, Florida, United States
Accel Research Sites — Lakeland, Florida, United States
APG Research LLC — Orlando, Florida, United States
USF, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences — Tampa, Florida, United States
Neuroscience Research Institute — West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Atlanta Behavioral Research, LLC — Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Psych Atlanta, P.C. — Marietta, Georgia, United States
Rush University Medical Center — Chicago, Illinois, United States
Chicago Research Center — Chicago, Illinois, United States
University of Chicago — Chicago, Illinois, United States
Joliet Center for Clinical Research — Joliet, Illinois, United States
Pillar Clinical Research, LLC — Lincolnwood, Illinois, United States
UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology — Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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