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A Study of Aticaprant as Adjunctive Therapy in Adult Participants With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) With Moderate-to-severe Anhedonia and Inadequate Response to Current Antidepressant Therapy

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
Depressive Disorder, Major
Anhedonia
Interventions
Drug: Aticaprant
Other: Placebo
Registration Number
NCT05455684
Lead Sponsor
Janssen Research & Development, LLC
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of aticaprant compared with placebo as adjunctive therapy to an antidepressant in improving depressive symptoms in adult participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) with moderate-to-severe anhedonia (ANH+) who have had an inadequate response to current antidepressant therapy with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).

Detailed Description

Depression is a common and serious psychiatric disorder which is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is associated with elevated mortality and suicide risk. Aticaprant (JNJ-67953964) is a once daily, highly selective kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist, with demonstrated selectivity over mu opioid receptor (MOR) and delta opioid receptor (DOR) being developed for adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) with moderate-to-severe anhedonia (ANH+). The study consists of a screening phase (up to 30 days prior to randomization), double-blind treatment phase (43 days), and follow-up phase (up to 14 days). The total duration of the study will be up to 87 days. Safety evaluations including adverse events, physical examinations, urine drug test, alcohol breath tests, and clinical laboratory tests will be assessed at specific time points during this study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
513
Inclusion Criteria
  • Be medically stable on the basis of physical examination, medical history, vital signs, and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at screening and baseline
  • Have a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 item (HDRS-17) total score of 20 or higher at the first and second screening interviews and must not demonstrate a clinically significant improvement between the first and the second independent HDRS-17 assessments
  • Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for recurrent or single episode major depressive disorder (MDD), without psychotic features, based upon clinical assessment and confirmed by the structured clinical interview for DSM-5 Axis I disorders-clinical trials version (SCID-CT). Participants 65 years of age or older must have had the first onset of depression prior to 55 years of age
  • Have had an inadequate response to at least 1 oral antidepressant treatment, administered at an adequate dose (at or above the minimum therapeutic dose per Massachusetts General Hospital Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire [MGH ATRQ]) and duration (at least 6 weeks) in the current episode of depression. An inadequate response is defined as less than(<) 50% reduction in depressive symptom severity but with some improvement (>0%) (ie, there may be minimal to moderate symptomatic improvement since the initiation of treatment, but some of the initial symptoms are still present, troubling to the participant and affecting behavior and function), as assessed by the MGH ATRQ
  • Is currently receiving and tolerating well any one of the following selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) for depressive symptoms at screening, in any approved formulation and available in the participating country/territory: citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, milnacipran, levomilnacipran, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine at a stable dose for at least 6 weeks. The current antidepressant cannot be the first antidepressant treatment for the first lifetime episode of depression
  • Participant's current major depressive episode, and antidepressant treatment response in the current depressive episode, must all be confirmed by the site independent qualification assessment
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Have had in the current depressive episode, no response (treatment failure) to 5 or more antidepressant treatments including the current SSRI/SNRI (that is, the one presumed to be continued in the treatment phase) assessed using the Massachusetts General Hospital Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH ATRQ)
  • Has a history or evidence of clinically meaningful noncompliance with current antidepressant therapy
  • Has a history of moderate-to-severe substance use disorder including alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria within 6 months before screening
  • Has had in the current episode an inadequate response to adequate course of intravenous or intranasal ketamine or esketamine, electroconvulsive therapy, vagal nerve stimulation, or deep brain stimulation device
  • Has current, or a history (past 6 months), of seizures
  • Has a current homicidal ideation/intent, per the investigator's clinical judgment, or has suicidal ideation with some intent to act within 3 months prior to the start of the Screening Phase, per the investigator's clinical judgment or based on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), corresponding to a response of "Yes" on Item 4 or Item 5, or a history of suicidal behavior within the past 6 months prior to the start of the Screening Phase. Participants reporting suicidal ideation with intent to act or suicidal behavior at baseline should be excluded
  • Has one or more of the following diagnoses: a) A DSM-5 diagnosis (which has been the primary focus of psychiatric treatment within the past 2 years) of any of the following: panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia; b) A current (in the past year) DSM-5 diagnosis of: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa; c) A current or prior (lifetime) DSM-5 diagnosis of: a psychotic disorder or MDD with psychotic features, bipolar or related disorders, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorders, somatoform disorders
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
AticaprantAticaprantParticipants will receive aticaprant tablets orally once daily for 42 days during double-blind treatment phase in addition to the current antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI/SNRI) therapy. Participants who will complete the double-blind treatment phase (Day 43) may be eligible to participate in a separate 52-week open-label long-term safety study (67953964MDD3003).
PlaceboPlaceboParticipants will receive matching placebo orally once daily for 42 days during double-blind treatment phase in addition to their current antidepressant (SSRI/SNRI) therapy. Participants who will complete the double-blind treatment phase (Day 43) may be eligible to participate in a separate 52-week open-label long-term safety study (67953964MDD3003).
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change from Baseline in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score to Day 43Baseline to Day 43

Change from baseline in MADRS total score to Day 43 will be reported. The MADRS is a clinician-rated scale designed to measure depression severity and detects changes due to antidepressant treatment. The scale consists of 10 items, each of which is scored from 0 (item not present or normal) to 6 (severe or continuous presence of the symptoms), for a total possible score of 60. Higher scores represent a more severe condition.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Percentage of Responders on Depressive Symptoms Scale from Baseline to Day 43Baseline to Day 43

Percentage of responders on depressive symptoms scale, defined as a greater than or equal to (\>=) 50 percent (%) improvement in MADRS total score from baseline to Day 43 will be reported. The MADRS is a clinician-rated scale designed to measure depression severity and detects changes due to antidepressant treatment. The scale consists of 10 items, each of which is scored from 0 (item not present or normal) to 6 (severe or continuous presence of the symptoms), for a total possible score of 60. Higher scores represent a more severe condition.

Change from Baseline in Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) Total Score to Day 43Baseline to Day 43

Change from baseline in DARS total score to Day 43 will be reported. DARS is a 17-item self-report questionnaire that is designed to assess anhedonia in major depressive disorder (MDD), and particularly to increase scale generalizability while maintaining specificity. Respondents provide their own examples of rewarding experiences across the domains of hobbies, social activities, food/drink, and sensory experience. Participants answer a set of standardized questions about desire, motivation, effort, and consummatory pleasure with a recall period of "right now" for the examples provided. The instrument is scored as a total sum of all items (range 0-68) with higher scores reflecting increased motivation, effort and pleasure (that is, less anhedonia).

Change from Baseline in DARS Total Score Over TimeBaseline up to Day 57

Change from baseline in DARS total score over time will be reported. DARS is a 17-item self-report questionnaire that was designed to assess anhedonia in MDD, and particularly to increase scale generalizability while maintaining specificity. Respondents provide their own examples of rewarding experiences across the domains of hobbies, social activities, food/drink, and sensory experience. Participants answer a set of standardized questions about desire, motivation, effort and consummatory pleasure with a recall period of "right now" for the examples provided. The instrument is scored on 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much) and the total score is calculated as a sum of all items (range 0-68) with higher scores reflecting increased motivation, effort, and pleasure (that is, less anhedonia).

Change from Baseline in MADRS Total Score over TimeBaseline up to Day 57

Change from baseline in MADRS total score over time will be reported. The MADRS is a clinician-rated scale designed to measure depression severity and detects changes due to antidepressant treatment. The scale consists of 10 items, each of which is scored from 0 (item not present or normal) to 6 (severe or continuous presence of the symptoms), for a total possible score of 60. Higher scores represent a more severe condition.

Change from Baseline in the PHQ-9 Anhedonia-specific Item (PHQ-9, item 1) Over TimeBaseline up to Day 57

Change from baseline in the PHQ-9 Anhedonia-specific item (PHQ-9, item 1) over time will be reported. The 9-item PHQ-9 scale scores each of the 9 symptom domains of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) MDD criteria and it is used both as a screening tool and a measure of response to treatment for depression: Each item is rated on a 4-point scale (0=not at all, 1=several days, 2=more than half the days, and 3=nearly every day). The participant's item responses are summed to provide a total score (range of 0 to 27), with higher scores indicating greater severity of depressive symptoms.

Percentage of Participants with a Score Less than (<) 2 in the PHQ-9 Anhedonia-specific Item (PHQ-9, Item 1) at Day 43Day 43

Percentage of participants with a score \< 2 in the PHQ-9 Anhedonia-specific Item (PHQ-9, Item 1) at Day 43 will be reported.

Change from Baseline in the Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Short Form-Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities - 8a (PROMIS-APS 8a) Over TimeBaseline up to Day 57

The PROMIS-APS 8a includes items selected from the PROMIS item bank to provide an assessment of the current degree of involvement in one's usual social roles, activities, and responsibilities, including work, family, friends, and leisure. The 8-item short form will be used in this study, and responses to every item are in a 5-point ordinal scale ranging from 1 = "Always" to 5 = "Never," with higher scores indicating better social functioning. The total scores of PROMIS-APS 8a are scaled on a T-score metric with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation (SD) of 10.

Percentage of Participants with Remission of Depressive Symptoms Defined as a MADRS Total Score <=10 at Day 43Day 43

Percentage of participants with remission of depressive symptoms, defined as a MADRS total score less than or equal to (\<=) 10 at Day 43 will be reported. The MADRS is a clinician-rated scale designed to measure depression severity and detects changes due to antidepressant treatment. The scale consists of 10 items, each of which is scored from 0 (item not present or normal) to 6 (severe or continuous presence of the symptoms), for a total possible score of 60. Higher scores represent a more severe condition.

Change from Baseline in Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item (PHQ-9) Total Score to Day 43Baseline to Day 43

Change from baseline in PHQ-9 total score to Day 43 will be reported. The 9-item PHQ-9 scale scores each of the 9 symptom domains of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) MDD criteria and it is used both as a screening tool and a measure of response to treatment for depression. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale (0=not at all, 1=several days, 2=more than half the days, and 3=nearly every day). The participant's item responses are summed to provide a total score (range of 0 to 27), with higher scores indicating greater severity of depressive symptoms.

Change from Baseline over Time in the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI:D)Baseline up to Day 43

The WPAI:D questionnaire is a validated short instrument that assesses impairment in work and other regular activities over the past 7 days. The WPAI questionnaire assesses 4 separate measures: absenteeism (that is , the proportion of work time missed due to MDD), presenteeism (that is, the degree of impairment while working due to MDD), work productivity loss (ie, overall work impairment due to MDD/absenteeism plus presenteeism), and activity impairment (that is, the degree of impairment of regular, nonwork activity due to MDD). The WPAI outcomes are expressed as impairment percentages, with higher values indicating greater impairment and less productivity, that is, worse outcomes.

Trial Locations

Locations (120)

Narodni ustav dusevniho zdravi

🇨🇿

Klecany, Czechia

Praglandia s r o

🇨🇿

Prague 5, Czechia

Clintrial s r o

🇨🇿

Praha 10, Czechia

AD71 s.r.o.

🇨🇿

Praha 10, Czechia

NeuropsychiatrieHK, s.r.o.

🇨🇿

Praha 6, Czechia

Psychiatricka ordinace

🇨🇿

Usti nad Labem, Czechia

Obudai Egeszsegugyi Centrum Kft

🇭🇺

Budapest, Hungary

Semmelweis Egyetem

🇭🇺

Budapest, Hungary

Bugat Pal Korhaz

🇭🇺

Gyongyos, Hungary

Dr Mathe es Tarsa Bt

🇭🇺

Kalocsa, Hungary

PsychoTech Kft

🇭🇺

Pecs, Hungary

Tolna Megyei Balassa Janos Korhaz

🇭🇺

Szekszárd, Hungary

Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII (Presidio Papa Giovanni XXIII)

🇮🇹

Bergamo, Italy

Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Mater Domini

🇮🇹

Catanzaro, Italy

AUSL LE di Lecce

🇮🇹

Lecce, Italy

Fundacao Faculdade Regional de Medicina de Sao Jose do Rio Preto Hospital de Base

🇧🇷

Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil

A Shine S R O

🇨🇿

Plzen, Czechia

Nyiro Gyula Korhaz

🇭🇺

Budapest, Hungary

Centrum Badan Klinicznych PI House sp z o o

🇵🇱

Gdansk, Poland

SW Biomedical Research LLC

🇺🇸

Tucson, Arizona, United States

University of Arizona

🇺🇸

Tucson, Arizona, United States

Advanced Research Center Inc

🇺🇸

Anaheim, California, United States

Proscience Research Group

🇺🇸

Culver City, California, United States

Behavioral Research Specialists LLC

🇺🇸

Glendale, California, United States

Asclepes Research

🇺🇸

Long Beach, California, United States

Excell Research Inc

🇺🇸

Oceanside, California, United States

Syrentis Clinical Research

🇺🇸

Santa Ana, California, United States

Viking Clinical Research Ltd

🇺🇸

Temecula, California, United States

University of Connecticut Health Center

🇺🇸

Farmington, Connecticut, United States

Innovative Research of West Florida, Incorporated

🇺🇸

Clearwater, Florida, United States

Vertex Research Group, Inc

🇺🇸

Clermont, Florida, United States

Gulfcoast Medical Research Center

🇺🇸

Fort Myers, Florida, United States

New Life Medical Research Center, Inc.

🇺🇸

Hialeah, Florida, United States

Amedica Research Institute Inc

🇺🇸

Hialeah, Florida, United States

Convenient Medical Center

🇺🇸

Hialeah, Florida, United States

Galiz Research

🇺🇸

Hialeah, Florida, United States

Meridian International Research

🇺🇸

Miami Gardens, Florida, United States

University of Miami

🇺🇸

Miami Lakes, Florida, United States

Pharmax Research Clinic Inc

🇺🇸

Miami, Florida, United States

A Plus Research

🇺🇸

Miami, Florida, United States

Medical Research Group of Central Florida

🇺🇸

Orange City, Florida, United States

USF, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences

🇺🇸

Tampa, Florida, United States

Research Network America

🇺🇸

Berwyn, Illinois, United States

Chicago Research Center

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute

🇺🇸

Kansas City, Kansas, United States

Clinical Trials of America

🇺🇸

Monroe, Louisiana, United States

ActivMed Practices and Research

🇺🇸

Methuen, Massachusetts, United States

Psychiatric Care and Research Center (PCRC)

🇺🇸

O'Fallon, Missouri, United States

Montefiore Medical Center PRIME

🇺🇸

Bronx, New York, United States

Bioscience Research LLC

🇺🇸

Mount Kisco, New York, United States

Fieve Clinical Research Inc

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Finger Lakes Clinical Research

🇺🇸

Rochester, New York, United States

Patient Priority Clinical Sites LLC

🇺🇸

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

University of Cincinnati Medical Center

🇺🇸

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Midwest Clinical Research Center

🇺🇸

Dayton, Ohio, United States

Charak Center for Health and Wellness

🇺🇸

Garfield Heights, Ohio, United States

Suburban Research Associates

🇺🇸

Media, Pennsylvania, United States

University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

West Houston Clinical Research Service

🇺🇸

Bellaire, Texas, United States

North Texas Clinical Trials

🇺🇸

Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Bay Area Clinical Services

🇺🇸

Friendswood, Texas, United States

Clinical Trial Network - Houston

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

Alpine Research Organization

🇺🇸

Clinton, Utah, United States

University of Virginia

🇺🇸

Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Northwest Clinical Research Center

🇺🇸

Bellevue, Washington, United States

CENydET - Centro Neurobiologico y de Stress Traumatico

🇦🇷

Ciudad Autonoma Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hospital Italiano

🇦🇷

Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

STAT Research S A

🇦🇷

Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

CIPREC

🇦🇷

Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Resolution

🇦🇷

Ciudad de Mendoza, Argentina

Fundacion Lennox

🇦🇷

Cordoba, Argentina

CENPIA

🇦🇷

La Plata, Argentina

Instituto Medico de La Fundacion Estudios Clinicos

🇦🇷

Rosario, Argentina

Peninsula Therapeutic & Research Group

🇦🇺

Frankston, Australia

Albert Road Clinic

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Australia

The Alfred Hospital

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Australia

Anima

🇧🇪

Alken, Belgium

C.H.U. Brugmann

🇧🇪

Bruxelles, Belgium

Pz Duffel

🇧🇪

Duffel, Belgium

Vitaz

🇧🇪

Sint Niklaas, Belgium

Universidade Federal do Ceara Hospital Universitario Walter Cantidio

🇧🇷

Fortaleza, Brazil

Instituto Goiano de Neuropsiquiatria

🇧🇷

Goiania, Brazil

NPCRS Nucleo de Pesquisa Clinica do Rio Grande do Sul

🇧🇷

Porto Alegre, Brazil

Ruschel Medicina e Pesquisa Clínica Ltda

🇧🇷

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BR Trials

🇧🇷

Sao Paulo, Brazil

CEMEC - Centro Multidisciplinar de Estudos Clínicos

🇧🇷

São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil

CPQuali Pesquisa Clinica LTDA ME

🇧🇷

São Paulo, Brazil

Ambulatory for Individual Practice for Specialized Medical Care in Psychiatry Dr. Ivo Natsov ET

🇧🇬

Cherven Bryag, Bulgaria

Ambulatory Group practice for specialized help in psychiary Philipopolis ODD

🇧🇬

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Medical Center Mentalcare OOD

🇧🇬

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Mental Health Center - Rousse

🇧🇬

Ruse, Bulgaria

Medical Center St. Naum

🇧🇬

Sofia, Bulgaria

Mental Health Center - Veliko Tarnovo EOOD

🇧🇬

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico

🇮🇹

Milano, Italy

ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco

🇮🇹

Milano, Italy

Ospedale San Raffaele

🇮🇹

Milano, Italy

Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese Policlinico Santa Maria alle Scotte

🇮🇹

Siena, Italy

Gabinet Lekarski Psychiatryczny Ireneusz Kaczorowski

🇵🇱

Belchatow, Poland

Mlynowamed Specjalistyczny Psychiatryczny Gabinet Lekarski Joanna Lazarczyk

🇵🇱

Bialystok, Poland

Specjalistyczna Indywidualna Praktyka Lekarska

🇵🇱

Lodz, Poland

SPZOZ Uniwersytecki Szpi.Klin. nr 4 UM w Lodzi

🇵🇱

Lodz, Poland

Osrodek Badan Klinicznych CROMED

🇵🇱

Poznan, Poland

Specjalistyczny Gabinet Psychiatryczny Kowalkowski Gerard

🇵🇱

Torun, Poland

Hospital de Braga

🇵🇹

Braga, Portugal

Hospital CUF Inf. Santo

🇵🇹

Lisboa, Portugal

Fund. Champalimaud

🇵🇹

Lisboa, Portugal

Institucion Hosp Hestia Palau

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

Hosp Univ Vall D Hebron

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

Hosp Clinic de Barcelona

🇪🇸

Barcelona, Spain

Hosp. Univ. La Paz

🇪🇸

Madrid, Spain

Hosp Regional Univ de Malaga

🇪🇸

Malaga, Spain

Hosp. Univ. Son Espases

🇪🇸

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Hosp. El Bierzo

🇪🇸

Ponferrada, Spain

Corporacio Sanitari Parc Tauli

🇪🇸

Sabadell, Spain

Hosp. Alvaro Cunqueiro

🇪🇸

Vigo, Spain

Hosp. Psiquiatrico Alava

🇪🇸

Vitoria, Spain

Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset

🇸🇪

Goteborg, Sweden

ProbarE i Lund AB

🇸🇪

Lund, Sweden

ProbarE i Stockholm AB

🇸🇪

Stockholm, Sweden

Studieenheten Akademiskt Specialistcentrum Stockholm

🇸🇪

Stockholm, Sweden

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