MedTrace Logo

Famotidine for Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia in PD

NCT01937078 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 7

Last updated 2014-05-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia is a common problem in Parkinson's disease (PD). In particular, targeting non-dopaminergic systems may be an option for reducing dyskinesia without worsening motor symptoms. One such target may be histamine. The central histaminergic system is involved in diverse biological functions including thermoregulation, eating, and sleep; a role in motor activity is suggested by strong histaminergic innervation of the basal ganglia. Histamine H2 receptors are highly expressed in the striatum, particularly on the GABAergic striatal-pallidal and striatal-nigral pathways Histamine H2 stimulation modulates acetylcholine release. Previous studies have demonstrated that blocking acetylcholine with anticholinergic agents can induce chorea. The investigators propose that histamine H2 receptor stimulation decreases acetylcholine in the striatum and increases activity of the direct striatal output pathway, a key component of the neural mechanisms underlying dyskinesia.

The investigators hypothesise that H2 antagonists would reduce activity of the direct striatopallidal pathway and so potentially reduce levodopa-induced chorea

Famotidine has also been assessed in schizophrenia in a small cases series to treat schizophrenia, with tolerability. Clinical experience thus suggests the suitability of using this agent as a histamine H2 antagonist in clinical studies for PD.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Famotidine

Each patient will receive 4 randomized treatment phases - three famotidine (one at each of the dose levels) and one placebo. Each treatment phase will last for 14 days. Doses of drug will be titrated upwards, starting at 40mg once daily on day one, 40mg twice daily on day two, and 80mg twice daily (or placebo + drug equivalent) from day three and then continue on this dose for the next 12 days. Regardless of treatment phase, subjects will take 2 tablets twice daily, with varying ratios of active famotidine to placebo. Thus famotidine 80mg/d will consist of 1 tablet of 40 mg famotidine plus 1 tablet of placebo twice a day; 120 mg /d famotidine will be 2 tablets at 40 mg morning and 1 tablet famotidine 40 mg plus 1 tablet placebo evening; famotidine 160 mg/d will be famotidine 40 mg tablets, 2 tablets twice a day. The placebo phase will consist of 2 placebo tablets twice a day.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Health Network, Toronto

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Susan Fox · University Health Network, Toronto

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-04-30
Primary Completion
2014-03-31
Completion
2014-03-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01937078 on ClinicalTrials.gov