Skip to main content
Clinical Trials/NCT00983814
NCT00983814
Completed
Phase 2

A Two-Period Trial (Open-Label and Randomized Placebo-Controlled Substitution) of Droxidopa Treatment in Adults With ADHD With Co-administration of Carbidopa

Chelsea Therapeutics1 site in 1 country20 target enrollmentOctober 2009

Overview

Phase
Phase 2
Intervention
Droxidopa+Carbidopa
Conditions
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Sponsor
Chelsea Therapeutics
Enrollment
20
Locations
1
Primary Endpoint
Change From Baseline in Total AISRS Score at the End of Double-blind Treatment (Week 8)
Status
Completed
Last Updated
2 years ago

Overview

Brief Summary

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder characterized by lifelong issues of inattention, distraction, organizational difficulties, forgetfulness, restlessness, talking out of turn, difficulty waiting and interrupting others. ADHD is the second most common neuropsychiatric disorder affecting 4.4% of the United States (US) adult population, or between 8-9 million individuals.

Droxidopa (L-dihydroxyphenylserine (L-DOPS)) is a synthetic catecholamine which is converted to norepinephrine (NE) via decarboxylation, resulting in increased levels of NE centrally in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripherally. Co-treatment with carboxylase inhibitors, such as carbidopa, given with droxidopa, can increase the CNS levels of NE with greater crossing of the blood-brain barrier. Droxidopa has received orphan drug approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension in individuals with primary autonomic failure. The half-life of droxidopa is approximately 2-3 hours, resulting in administration three times daily.

Detailed Description

This will be a 12-week study of twenty enrolled participants with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV) criteria adult ADHD (age 18-55), with a goal of completing twenty participants in the trial. The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of droxidopa therapy on adult ADHD symptoms over the course of a six-week open-label titration period followed by a two-week double-blind, placebo-controlled period. The primary outcome measure will be changes from baseline in total score on the Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS). Secondary measures will be changes in self-reported ADHD symptoms on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1) and global impairment on the Clinician Global Impression Scale (CGI).

Registry
clinicaltrials.gov
Start Date
October 2009
End Date
July 2011
Last Updated
2 years ago
Study Type
Interventional
Study Design
Parallel
Sex
All

Investigators

Sponsor
Chelsea Therapeutics
Responsible Party
Sponsor

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • At the time of consent, are between the ages of 18-55, inclusive.
  • Meet DSM-IV criteria for ADHD as assessed by the Adult ADHD Clinician Diagnostic Scale (ACDS) v1.
  • Concomitant Axis I diagnoses that are allowed include social anxiety disorder or dysthymia which does not require treatment. Psychiatric co-morbidities will be diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis Disorders (SCID).
  • Must have a satisfactory medical assessment with no clinically significant abnormalities as determined by medical history, physical exam, electrocardiogram (ECG), and clinical laboratory testing.
  • Must be able to swallow capsules.
  • In the opinion of the investigator, the participant must understand and be able, willing and likely to fully comply with the study procedures and restrictions.
  • Must have given signed and dated informed consent in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Guidelines.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Lifetime or present history of bipolar or psychotic disorders, that in the investigator's opinion, interfere with the diagnosis and/or with the conduct of the study.
  • Uncontrolled comorbid major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder or dysthymia.
  • Women of childbearing potential who are not using a medically accepted contraception.
  • Sexually active males whose partner is a woman of child-bearing potential must agree to use condoms for the duration of the study and for 4 weeks after the last dose.
  • Women who are pregnant, breast feeding, or plan to become pregnant during the course of this study.
  • Clinically significant electrocardiogram or laboratory abnormalities at screening that are deemed exclusionary in the opinion of the Principal Investigator.
  • Participants taking any psychotropic medication on a regular basis. Participants will need to be free of all psychotropic medications (one week for psychostimulants, four weeks for all other medications), except for as needed (PRN) benzodiazepines or hypnotics. Allowed psychiatric co-morbidities include social anxiety disorder or dysthymia which does not require treatment.
  • Participants with any concurrent chronic or acute illness or unstable medical condition that could, in the opinion of the study physician, confound the results of safety assessments, increase risk to the participant or lead to difficulty complying with the protocol. Participants who have a history of mental retardation or severe learning disability will be excluded.
  • Participants who in the investigator's opinion meet any of the exclusionary criteria specified on the FDA label of either Droxidopa or carbidopa.
  • Have uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure \>140 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and/or diastolic blood pressure \>110 mmHg or use of ≥2 antihypertensive medications.

Arms & Interventions

Droxidopa+Carbidopa Open-Label

3 weeks of open label droxidopa (200, 400, or 600 milligrams \[mg\] three times daily \[TID\]) monotherapy followed by 3 weeks of droxidopa in combination with carbidopa (25 mg or 50 mg TID).

Intervention: Droxidopa+Carbidopa

Placebo Randomized Period

2 week double-blind period in which participants either continued to receive droxidopa+carbidopa treatment or placebo

Intervention: Droxidopa+Carbidopa

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change From Baseline in Total AISRS Score at the End of Double-blind Treatment (Week 8)

Time Frame: Baseline, Week 8

The AISRS is an 18-item validated investigator-administered instrument for the assessment of ADHD symptoms with an inattentive subscale (9 items) and a hyperactive-impulsive subscale (9 items). The severity of each of the items was rated on a 4-point scale (0-none, 1-mild, 2-moderate, 3-severe). The total score was the sum of the inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive subscales and ranged from 0 (none) to 54 (most severe). A higher score corresponded to a worse severity of ADHD.

Secondary Outcomes

  • Change From Baseline in Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) v1.1 Total Score at the End of Double-blind Treatment (Week 8)(Baseline, Week 8)
  • Change From Baseline in Global Impairment on the Clinician Global Impression (CGI) Scale at the End of Double-blind Treatment (Week 8)(Baseline, Week 8)

Study Sites (1)

Loading locations...

Similar Trials