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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03924323

A Study of Escitalopram in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

This is a study in minors (7 to 17 years old) diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and evaluated using standard questionnaires as having at least moderate severity of GAD. Participating minors will be assigned to receive either the study drug escitalopram or a pill without any drug in it called a placebo. The purpose of this research is to study the safety and effectiveness of escitalopram in minors with GAD.

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Key information

Age range

7 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 4

Primary location

Harmonex /ID# 233342, Dothan, Alabama, United States

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Subject's parent/legal representative must give written informed consent, including privacy authorization, prior to study participation. The subject will complete an informed assent prior to study participation.
  • Subject meets DSM-5 criteria for a primary diagnosis of GAD at screening established by a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and confirmed/supported using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children and adolescents (MINI Kid).
  • Male subjects who are sexually active with a partner of childbearing potential must use, with their partner, a condom plus an approved method of highly effective contraception from the time of informed consent until 14 days after the last dose of study drug.
  • Female subjects who are sexually active and are of childbearing potential must use, with their partner, an approved method of highly effective contraception from the time of informed consent until 14 days after the last dose of study drug.
  • Female subjects who are not of childbearing potential do not need to use any methods of contraception. This includes preadolescent and adolescent females who have not reached menarche. - Subject must have venous access enough to allow blood sampling and be compliant with blood draws as per the protocol.

Exclusion criteria

  • Current diagnosis of MDD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or lifetime diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, feeding and/or eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, or pervasive development disorder.
  • Suspected or previously diagnosed intellectual disability disorder.
  • One or more first-degree relatives with diagnosed bipolar I disorder.
  • History of seizure disorder (other than febrile seizures).
  • History of electroconvulsive therapy at any time during the subject's lifetime.
  • Known hypersensitivity to escitalopram (escitalopram oxalate) or citalopram or any of the inactive ingredients or had frequent or severe allergic reactions to multiple medications.
  • Taking any medications that are contraindicated to escitalopram (escitalopram oxalate).
  • Inability to speak, read, or understand English well enough to complete the assessments.
  • No active suicidal ideation or lifetime history of suicidal behavior as assessed by Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).

Treatment and study plan

Escitalopram

Drug

8-weeks of treatment followed by 1-week taper down period

Placebo

Other

Matching oral administration of inactive substance once daily

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS) Severity Score

    Time frame: Baseline to Week 8

    The PARS is a clinician-rated instrument for assessing the severity of anxiety symptoms associated with common anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in children. The PARS severity score for GAD will be assessed for all symptoms identified in the generalized anxiety section of the PARS symptom checklist derived by summing 5 of the 7 severity/impairment/interference items (2, 3, 5, 6, and 7) each item ranged from 0 (none) to 5 (extreme severity/impairment/interference). PARS severity scores for GAD ranged from 0 (none) to 25 (extreme severity), with a score of 15 indicating moderate illness severity.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Response Rate on the PARS

    Time frame: Week 8

    Response is defined as a 50% improvement on the PARS severity score for GAD

  2. Remission Rate on the PARS

    Time frame: Week 8

    Remission is defined as PARS severity score for GAD ≤8 (using 6 PARS items: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7)

  3. Change on the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S)

    Time frame: Week 8

    Remission rate on CGI-S at acute treatment endpoint (Week 8). Remission rate is defined as the percentage of subjects having a CGI-S score ≤2 at endpoint. CGI-S is a seven point scale where 1=Normal and 7=Among the most extremely ill patients.

  4. Change on the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)

    Time frame: Week 8

    Remission rate on the CGAS at acute treatment endpoint (Week 8). Functional remission is defined as CGAS >70. The CGAS used is a 100-point scale ranging from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating better functioning.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

AbbVie

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Flexibly-dosed, Efficacy and Safety Study of Escitalopram in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Apr 23, 2019
Registry last updated
Nov 14, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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