A Study of Intranasal Esketamine Plus an Oral Antidepressant for Relapse Prevention in Adult Participants With Treatment-resistant Depression

NCT02493868 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE3 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 719

Last updated 2025-04-29

Study results available
· View outcomes & findings →

Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of intranasal esketamine plus an oral antidepressant compared with an oral antidepressant (active comparator) plus intranasal placebo in delaying relapse of depressive symptoms in participants with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) who are in stable remission after an induction and optimization course of intranasal esketamine plus an oral antidepressant.

Conditions

  • Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant

Interventions

DRUG

Esketamine

Open-label induction phase: Direct entry participants start at a dose of 56 mg on Day 1. On Day 4, the dose may be increased to 84 mg or remain at 56 mg. From Day 8 to 22, dose may be increased to 84 mg, remain the same or be reduced to 56 mg from 84 mg per protocol, at investigator's discretion based on efficacy and/or tolerability. On Day 25, a dose reduction from 84 mg to 56 mg is permitted but no dose increase is permitted. Optimization Phase: Direct-entry and transferred-entry participants will self-administer intranasal esketamine (same dose) for first 4 weeks, then individualized to either once weekly or once every other week based on depressive symptoms. Maintenance Phase: All participants assigned to esketamine will self-administer intranasal esketamine once weekly or once every other week based on depressive symptoms.

DRUG

Placebo

Optimization Phase: Transferred-entry participant will self-administer intranasal placebo at weekly treatment sessions for the first 4 weeks of this phase, then individualized to either once weekly or once every other week based on depressive symptoms. Maintenance Phase: Direct-entry and transferred-entry participants assigned to placebo will self-administer matching intranasal placebo once weekly or once based on depressive symptoms.

DRUG

Duloxetine (Oral Antidepressant)

Duloxetine could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of Massachusetts General Hospital - Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ) and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. The minimum therapeutic dose is 60 milligram per day (mg/day).

DRUG

Escitalopram (Oral antidepressant)

Escitalopram could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Escitalopram will be titrated upto a maximum dose of 20 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 10 mg/day.

DRUG

Sertraline (Oral Antidepressant)

Sertraline could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Sertraline will be titrated upto a maximum dose of 200 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 50 mg/day.

DRUG

Venlafaxine Extended Release (XR) (Oral Antidepressant)

Venlafaxine Extended Release could be selected as the oral antidepressant medication by the investigator based on review of MGH-ATRQ and relevant prior antidepressant medication information. Venlafaxine Extended Release will be titrated upto a maximum dose of 225 mg/day, but if not tolerated the dose can be reduced to the minimum therapeutic dose of 150 mg/day.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Janssen Research & Development, LLC

    lead INDUSTRY

Principal Investigators

  • Janssen Research & Development, LLC Clinical Trial · Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2015-10-01
Primary Completion
2018-02-15
Completion
2018-02-16

Countries

  • United States
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czechia
  • Estonia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hungary
  • Mexico
  • Poland
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

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 NCT02493868 on ClinicalTrials.gov