A Study of Seltorexant as Adjunctive Therapy to Antidepressants in Adult and Elderly Participants With Major Depressive Disorder With Insomnia Symptoms Who Have Responded Inadequately to Antidepressant and Long-term Safety Extension Treatment With Seltorexant

Phase 3

Completed

Conditions: Depressive Disorder, Major

Interventions: Drug: Placebo
Drug: Seltorexant

Registration Number: NCT04533529

Lead Sponsor: Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of seltorexant compared with placebo as adjunctive therapy to an antidepressant in improving depressive symptoms in participants with major depressive disorder with insomnia symptoms (MDDIS) who have had an inadequate response to current antidepressant therapy with an selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) in double-blind treatment phase and to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of seltorexant as adjunctive therapy to an antidepressant in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) in open-label treatment phase.

Detailed Description: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common, serious, recurrent disorder. Seltorexant (JNJ-42847922) is a potent and selective antagonist of the human orexin-2 receptor (OX2R) that is being developed for adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder with insomnia symptoms (MDDIS). The hypothesis for this study is that adjunctive treatment with seltorexant is superior to placebo in treating depressive symptoms, as measured by change in Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score from baseline to Day 43 in adult and elderly participants with MDDIS who have had an inadequate response to treatment with a SSRI/SNRI. The study will be conducted in 4 phases: a screening phase (up to 30 days), a double-blind (DB) treatment phase (43 days), open label (OL) treatment phase (1-year), and a post treatment follow-up phase (7 to 14 days after end of treatment). The total study duration for each participant will be up to 64 weeks. Efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers will be assessed at specified time points during this study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 588

Inclusion Criteria

Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for 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) diagnosed with first depressive episode prior to age 60. The length of the current depressive episode must be less than or equal to (<=) 24 months prior to randomization
Have had an inadequate response to at least 1 but no more than 2 antidepressants, administered at an adequate dose and duration in the current episode of depression. The current antidepressant cannot be the first antidepressant treatment for the first lifetime episode of depression. An inadequate response is defined as less than (<) 50 percent (%) reduction but with some improvement (that is, improvement greater than [>] 0%) in depressive symptom severity with residual symptoms beyond insomnia present, and overall good tolerability, as assessed by the Massachusetts General Hospital-Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ)
Is 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 formulation and available in the participating country: citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, milnacipran, levomilnacipran, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, vilazodone, or vortioxetine at a stable dose (at therapeutic dose level) for at least 6 weeks, and for no greater than 18 months in the current episode
Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 40 kilograms per meter square (kg/m^2), inclusive (BMI = weight/height^2)
Participant must be medically stable on the basis of the following performed at screening: physical examination (including a brief neurological examination), vital signs (including blood pressure), and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at screening and baseline

Exclusion Criteria

Has a recent (last 3 months) history of, or current signs and symptoms of, a) severe renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance [CrCl] <30 milliliter per minute [mL/min]); b) clinically significant or unstable cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurologic, hematologic, rheumatologic, immunologic or endocrine disorders; c) uncontrolled Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Has a current or recent history of homicidal ideation or serious suicidal ideation within the past 3 months, corresponding to a positive response on item 4 (active suicidal ideation with some intent to act, without specific plan) or item 5 (active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent) for ideation on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), or a history of suicidal behavior within the past 6 months, as validated by the C-SSRS at screening or Day 1. Participants with prior suicidal behavior in the past year, or prior serious suicidal ideation/plan within the past 6 months, should be carefully screened. For current suicidal ideation, only participants with non serious items (1-3 of the suicidal ideation section of the C-SSRS) may be included at the discretion of the investigator
Has a history of treatment-resistant MDD, defined as a lack of response to 2 or more adequate antidepressant treatments in the current episode, as indicated by no or minimal (<25% improvement in symptoms) when treated with an antidepressant of adequate dose (per MGH-ATRQ) and duration (at least 6 weeks)
Has history or current diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, borderline personality disorder, or somatoform disorders
Has any significant primary sleep disorder, including but not limited to obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or parasomnias. Participants with insomnia disorder are allowed
Has a history of moderate to severe substance use disorder including alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria within 6 months before screening

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo	Placebo	Participants will receive matching placebo tablet orally once daily, from Day 1 to Day 42 in double blind (DB) treatment phase.
Seltorexant	Seltorexant	Participants will receive seltorexant tablet orally once daily, from Day 1 to Day 42 in double blind (DB) treatment phase. Eligible participants who will enter the open label (OL) treatment phase will receive seltorexant tablet daily from OL baseline until the end of phase/ early withdrawal (EW) visit (Up to 1 Year).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Pulse Rate	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in pulse rate will be reported.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Weight	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in weight as a part of physical examination will be reported.
Double-blind (DB) Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score	Baseline, Day 43	MADRS is a clinician-administered scale designed to measure depression severity and detects changes due to antidepressant treatment. The MADRS evaluates the following 10 items: apparent sadness, reported sadness, inner tension, reduced sleep, reduced appetite, concentration difficulties, lassitude, inability to feel, pessimistic thoughts, and suicidal thoughts. Each item 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.
Open-Label (OL) Treatment Phase: Number of Participants with Adverse Events (AEs) including AEs of Special Interest (AESI) as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability	1 year	Number of participants with AE including AE of special interest as a measure of safety and tolerability will be reported. An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a investigational or non-investigational medicinal product. An AE does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the treatment. AESI will comprise of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, complex, sleep-related behaviors/parasomnias, sleep terrors, bruxism, sleep sex, sleep related eating disorder, catathrenia, fall and motor vehicle accident.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Blood Pressure	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in blood pressure will be reported.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Body Mass Index (BMI)	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in BMI as a part of physical examination will be reported.
OL Treatment Phase: Change from Baseline in PR Interval	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in PR interval will be measured by ECG.
OL Treatment Phase: Participant-reported Sexual Functioning Using Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) Score	Up to 1 year	The ASEX is a patient-reported 5-item rating scale that quantifies sex drive, arousal, vaginal lubrication/penile erection, ability to reach orgasm, and satisfaction from orgasm. The total scores range from 5 to 30, with the higher scores indicating more sexual dysfunction.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Suicidality Assessment Using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in suicidality assessment using C-SSRS will be reported. C-SSRS is a clinician rated assessment of suicidal behavior and/or intent. Scale consists of 28 items in 4 sections: suicide behavior, actual attempts, suicidal ideation, and intensity of ideation. Suicidal ideation consists of 5 'yes/no' items: wish to be dead, non-specific active suicidal thoughts, active suicidal ideation with any methods (not plan) without intention to act, active suicidal ideation with some intent to act without specific plan, active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent. Only items with yes responses are listed. Worsening of suicidal ideation indicates an increase in severity of suicidal ideation from baseline. Suicidal behavior consists of 5 'yes/no' items: preparatory acts or behavior, aborted attempt, actual attempt, completed suicide.
OL Treatment Phase: Physician Withdrawal Checklist (PWC-20) Scores	End of Treatment/Early withdrawal to end of the Follow-up visit (up to 14 days)	Withdrawal symptoms assessment using the PWC-20 will be reported. The PWC-20 is a simple and accurate method used to assess potential withdrawal symptoms following cessation of treatment. The PWC-20 is a reliable and sensitive instrument for the assessment of discontinuation symptoms. Each individual item score ranges from 0 (not present) to 3 (severe), where higher scores = more affected condition.
OL Treatment Phase: Number of Participants with Laboratory Abnormalities	Up to 1 year	Number of participants with laboratory abnormalities related to hematology, serum chemistry, coagulation, liver function tests and urinalysis will be reported.
OL Treatment Phase: Change from Baseline in Heart Rate (HR)	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in HR will be measured by ECG.
OL Treatment Phase: Change from Baseline in QRS Interval	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in QRS interval will be measured by ECG.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in QTc Interval	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc interval) using Fridericia method will be measured by electrocardiogram (ECG).
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in QT Interval	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	Change from baseline in QT interval will be measured by ECG.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
DB Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Patient Health Questionnaire, 9-Item (PHQ-9) Total Score	Baseline and Day 43	The PHQ-9 is a 9-item, participant reported outcome measure to assess depressive symptoms. The scale scores each of the 9 symptom domains of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-5th edition (DSM-5) major depressive disorder (MDD) criteria. 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.
DB Treatment Phase: Number of Participants with Adverse Events (AEs) including AEs of Special Interest (AESI) as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability	Up to Day 50 to 57 (every two weeks)	Number of participants with AE including AE of special interest as a measure of safety and tolerability will be reported. An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a investigational or non-investigational medicinal product. An AE does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the treatment. AESI include: Cataplexy, Sleep paralysis, complex, sleep-related behaviors/parasomnias such as: confusional arousal, somnambulism, sleep terror, bruxism, sleep sex, sleep-related eating disorder, sleep behavior disorder, catathrenia.
DB Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in the MADRS Without Sleep Item (MADRS-WOSI) Total Score	Baseline and Day 43	Change from Baseline in MADRS-WOSI will be reported. MADRS-WOSI is defined as the full MADRS without the sleep item. The total score ranges from 0 to 54, with higher scores corresponding to greater symptom severity.
DB Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in the MADRS-6 Total Score	Baseline and Day 43	The MADRS-6 scale is a clinician-administered questionnaire used to measure the severity of MDD symptoms. The MADRS-6 scale is a subset of the MADRS-10 scale, comprises of the following individual questionnaire items: Apparent Sadness, Reported Sadness, Inner Tension, Lassitude, Inability to Feel, and Pessimistic Thoughts. Scores range from 0 (no apparent symptoms) to 36 (most severe symptoms).
DB Treatment Phase: Percentage of Participants with Response on Depressive Symptoms Scale Based on Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)	Day 43	Percentage of participants with response on depressive symptoms scale based on MADRS will be reported. Responders are defined as percentage of participants with greater than or equal to (\>=) 50 percent (%) improvement in the MADRS total score from baseline to Day 43.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline Over Time in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	MADRS is a clinician-administered scale designed to measure depression severity and detects changes due to antidepressant treatment. The MADRS evaluates the following 10 items: apparent sadness, reported sadness, inner tension, reduced sleep, reduced appetite, concentration difficulties, lassitude, inability to feel, pessimistic thoughts, and suicidal thoughts. Each item 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.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline Over Time in the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI S) Score	Baseline (Day 43), up to 1 year	The CGI-S is a 7-point global assessment scale that measures the clinician's impression of the severity of illness exhibited by a participant, rating according to: 1=normal (not at all ill); 2=borderline ill; 3=mildly ill; 4=moderately ill; 5=markedly ill; 6=severely ill; and 7=among the most extremely ill participants. Higher scores indicate worsening.
OL Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline Over Time in Sleep Disturbance Using the PROMIS SD Short Form 8a T-score	Baseline (Day 43), up to Year 1	The PROMIS-Sleep Disturbance (PROMIS-SD) is used to assess self-reported perceptions of sleep quality, sleep depth and restoration associated with sleep. The full PROMIS-SD includes 27 items with each item based on a 7-day recall period and assessed on a 5 level Likert-type scale. The 8-item short form will be used in this study, in which responses are scored 1 to 5 for each item. A higher score on 5 of the 8 items reflects a worse outcome, whereas a higher score on 3 items reflects an improved outcome; therefore, the directionality of the 8 item scores are first synchronized prior to calculation of the total raw score. To find the total raw score for a short form with all questions answered, sum the values of the response to each question. For example, for the adult 8-item form, the lowest possible raw score is 8; the highest possible raw score is 40. Higher overall score indicates more sleep disturbance.
DB Treatment Phase: Change From Baseline in Sleep Disturbance Using the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System-Sleep Disturbance (PROMIS-SD) Short Form 8a T-score	Baseline and Day 43	The PROMIS-SD is used to assess self-reported perceptions of sleep quality, sleep depth and restoration associated with sleep. The full PROMIS-SD includes 27 items with each item based on a 7-day recall period and assessed on a 5 level Likert-type scale. The 8-item short form will be used in this study, in which responses are scored 1 to 5 for each item. A higher score on 5 of the 8 items reflects a worse outcome, whereas a higher score on 3 items reflects an improved outcome; therefore, the directionality of the 8 item scores are first synchronized prior to calculation of the total raw score. To find the total raw score for a short form with all questions answered, sum the values of the response to each question. For example, for the adult 8-item form, the lowest possible raw score is 8; the highest possible raw score is 40. Higher overall score indicates more sleep disturbance.
OL Treatment Phase: Change from Baseline Over Time in the MADRS-WOSI Total Score	Baseline (of OL phase), up to 1 year	Change from Baseline in MADRS-WOSI will be reported. MADRS-WOSI is defined as the full MADRS without the sleep item. The total score ranges from 0 to 54, with higher scores corresponding to greater symptom severity.

Trial Locations

Locations (122): Neuroterapie KH S R O
🇨🇿
Kutna Hora, Czechia
A Shine S R O
🇨🇿
Plzen, Czechia
Medical Services Prague S R O
🇨🇿
Praha 6, Czechia
Hosp Univ Vall D Hebron
🇪🇸
Barcelona, Spain
Advanced Research Center Inc
🇺🇸
Anaheim, California, United States
Synexus
🇺🇸
Cerritos, California, United States
Irvine Clinical Research
🇺🇸
Irvine, California, United States
Omega Clinical Trials LLC
🇺🇸
La Habra, California, United States
Synergy East
🇺🇸
Lemon Grove, California, United States
Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
🇺🇸
Los Angeles, California, United States
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Neuroterapie KH S R O
🇨🇿Kutna Hora, Czechia