Escitalopram in Asthma Patients With Frequent Exacerbation

Recruiting now · Phase 2 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Asthma

In brief

Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as escitalopram are widely used for mood and anxiety disorders. However, they have also been explored, with promising findings, for a variety of disorders outside of psychiatry. Clinical studies of SSRIs in depressed people with asthma were associated with decreased asthma exacerbations and improvement in asthma control. In this study, the number of asthma exacerbations will be assessed as the primary outcome measure in patients using escitalopram vs. placebo.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06216535

Run by

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

People needed

105

Starts

2025-05-19

Expected to finish

2029-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-01-26

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 75. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Moderate to severe persistent asthma
• Treatment with medium to high dose ICS and LABA therapy
• Three or more severe asthma exacerbations (requiring ≥ 3 days of systemic corticosteroids) in the past year
• Age 18-75 years old, male or female sex, English or Spanish speaking
• Participants will be required to be clinically stable with no recent exacerbations, infections or changes in asthma controller therapy for at least 4 weeks before study entry
• Biologic therapy for asthma (e.g., omalizumab, mepolizumab, reslizumab, benralizumab, dupilumab, tezepelumab) will be allowed if started at least 6 months prior to randomization

You may not qualify if…

• Current substance use disorder and/or current tobacco use or greater than 10 pack-years lifetime use
• A current MDD episode as well as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder
• Vulnerable populations including intellectual disability or other severe cognitive impairment, inmates, pregnant or nursing women or women of childbearing age who will not use UT Southwestern IRB-approved methods of birth control or abstinence during the study
• Currently taking an antidepressant (antidepressants that are not SSRIs nor SNRIs prescribed for an indication other than depression at subtherapeutic doses are acceptable)
• High risk for suicide defined as > 1 past suicide attempts or any attempt within the past 12 months
• Severe or life-threatening medical illness that would make completion of study unlikely or clinically significant laboratory or ECG findings at baseline

Where it is running

• UT Southwestern, 1440 Empire Central, Ste. LD4.100 — Dallas, Texas, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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