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. 2021 Sep 12;2021(9):CD011612. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011612.pub3

NCT01204918.

Study name Efficacy and tolerability of riluzole in treatment resistant depression
Methods Allocation: randomised
Intervention model: parallel assignment
Masking: double‐blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
Primary purpose: treatment
Participants Group A inclusion/exclusion
Inclusioc criteria
  • Age 18‐65 years

  • Written informed consent

  • Meets DSM‐IV criteria (by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV ‐ SCID‐I/P) for MDD, current

  • Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology ‐ Self‐Rated (IDS‐SR30) score of > 20 at screening, baseline and start of double‐blind phase (Phase 2)

  • May have a history of failure to respond to up to two FDA‐approved antidepressants at adequate doses during the current episode for at least 8 weeks, and for inclusion into the Phase 2 participants must have failed the 8‐week prospective citalopram treatment

  • Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of 18 or higher at baseline and start of Phase 2


Exclusion criteria
  • Pregnant women or women of child bearing potential who are not using a medically accepted means of contraception (to include oral contraceptive or implant, condom, diaphragm, spermicide, intrauterine device, tubal ligation, or partner with vasectomy)

  • Patients who no longer meet DSM‐IV criteria for MDD during the baseline visit

  • Patients who demonstrate > 50% decrease in depressive symptoms as reflected by the IDS‐SR total score from screen to baseline

  • Serious suicide or homicide risk, as assessed by evaluating clinician A serious suicide risk will be considered an inability to control suicide attempts, imminent risk of suicide in the investigator's judgment, or a history of serious suicidal behavior, which is defined using the Columbia‐Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C‐SSRS) as either (1) one or more actual suicide attempts in the 3 years before study entry with the lethality rated at 3 or higher, or (2) one or more interrupted suicide attempts with a potential lethality judged to result in serious injury or death

  • Unstable medical illness including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurological, or haematological disease

  • The following DSM‐IV diagnoses: substance use disorders active within the last six months, any bipolar disorder (current or past), any psychotic disorder (current or past)

  • History of a seizure disorder or clinical evidence of untreated hypothyroidism

  • Patients requiring excluded medications (see Table 3 for details)

  • Psychotic features in the current episode or a history of psychotic features, as assessed by SCID

  • Any investigational psychotropic drug within the last 3 months

  • Have failed 3 or more adequate antidepressant trials during the current Major Depressive Episode by MGH‐ATRQ criteria.

  • Patients with a history of antidepressant‐induced hypomania.

  • Patients with any evidence of clinically significant liver abnormalities, or any liver transaminase level >1.5 X ULN at initial screening, or >5 x ULN during Phase 2 treatment

  • Axis II personality disorders that are the primary purpose of treatment, or would interfere with a patient's safety or compliance

  • Patients currently being treated for a respiratory disorder (including asthma or COPD)

  • Any participant who scores a 5 or higher on item #10 of the MADRS


Group B inclusion/exclusion
Inclusion criteria
  • Age 18‐65

  • Written informed consent

  • Meets DSM‐IV criteria (by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV ‐ SCID‐I/P) for MDD

  • Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology ‐ Self‐Rated (IDS‐SR30) score of > 20 at screening and baseline visits, that is at the start of Phase 2

  • Has a history of failure to respond to 1, 2, or 3 FDA‐approved antidepressants at adequate doses during the current episode for at least 8 weeks, as defined by the MGH Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH‐ATRQ), and must be currently on the failed SSRI for at least 8 weeks and on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks

  • Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of 18 or higher at baseline and start of Phase 2


Exclusion criteria
  • Pregnant women or women of child bearing potential who are not using a medically accepted means of contraception (to include oral contraceptive or implant, condom, diaphragm, spermicide, intrauterine device, tubal ligation, or partner with vasectomy)

  • Patients who no longer meet DSM‐IV criteria for MDD during the baseline visit

  • Serious suicide or homicide risk, as assessed by evaluating clinician A serious suicide risk will be considered an inability to control suicide attempts, imminent risk of suicide in the investigator's judgment, or a history of serious suicidal behavior, which is defined using the Columbia‐Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C‐SSRS) as either (1) one or more actual suicide attempts in the 3 years before study entry with the lethality rated at 3 or higher, or (2) one or more interrupted suicide attempts with a potential lethality judged to result in serious injury or death

  • Unstable medical illness including cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurological, or hematological disease

  • The following DSM‐IV diagnoses: substance use disorders active within the last six months, any bipolar disorder (current or past), any psychotic disorder (current or past)

  • History of a seizure disorder or clinical evidence of untreated hypothyroidism

  • Patients requiring excluded medications (see Table 3 for details)

  • Psychotic features in the current episode or a history of psychotic features, as assessed by SCID

  • Any investigational psychotropic drug within the last 3 months

  • Have failed 3 or more adequate antidepressant trials during the current Major Depressive Episode by MGH‐ATRQ criteria

  • Patients with a history of antidepressant‐induced hypomania

  • Patients with any evidence of clinically significant liver abnormalities, or any liver transaminase level >2 X ULN at initial screening, or >5 x ULN during Phase 2 treatment

  • Axis II personality disorders that are the primary purpose of treatment, or would interfere with a patients safety or compliance

  • Patients currently being treated for a respiratory disorder (including asthma or COPD)

  • Any participant who scores a 5 or higher on item #10 of the MADRS

Interventions Riluzole 100 mg versus placebo added to ongoing SSRI or SNRI antidepressant
Outcomes Primary outcome measures: change in Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Time frame: 8 weeks of therapy. [Designated as safety issue: No]. This 10‐item instrument is completed by the clinician by using a structured interview and defined anchor points, and aims to quantify the degree of depression over the past 7 days. The MADRS is a widely studied instrument for depression, and its reliability and validity are high. This instrument is administered at every study visit during the double‐blind RCT, and at the screening, and baseline
Starting date June 2011
Contact information Gerard Sanacora, MD PhD; Yale University
Notes NCT01204918