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NCT Number: NCT06951698

A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of KarXT for the Treatment of Manic Episodes in Bipolar-I Disorder

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of KarXT for the treatment of manic episodes in Bipolar-I Disorder

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Key information

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, ABB, Buenos Aires F.D., Argentina

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About this study

This is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, inpatient study in subjects with bipolar disorder experiencing an acute episode of mania or mania with mixed features.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of KarXT compared to placebo in treating symptoms of mania during a 3-week inpatient period. The duration of the study including screening, the double-blind inpatient treatment period and safety-follow-up is no more than seven weeks.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must have a primary diagnosis of Bipolar-I disorder established by a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation.
  • Participants must be experiencing an acute episode or relapse of mania or mania with mixed features (≤ 3 weeks).
  • Participants must require hospitalization for the acute exacerbation or relapse of mania.
  • Participants must have all psychotropic medications washed out in no more than 14 days prior to the first dose of the study drug.
  • Participants must have a Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score of ≥ 20 at Screening and at Baseline.
  • Participants must have a Clinical Global Impressions-Bipolar (CGI-BP) ≥ 4 at Screening and at Baseline.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants must not have any primary Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition, Text Revision) (DSM-5-TR) disorder, other than BP-I with mania or mania with mixed features within 12 months before screening, including BP-I with depression (for previous 3 months only), BP-II disorder, borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, and primary psychotic disorder, with the exception of mild anxiety disorders.
  • Participants must not have a primary diagnosis of BP-I with rapid cycling (≥ 4 distinct mood episodes in one year).
  • Participants must not have a DSM-5-TR diagnosis of moderate to severe substance use disorder (except tobacco use disorder) within the 12 months before screening, or current use as determined by urine toxicology screen or alcohol test.
  • Participants must not be at risk for suicidal behavior at screening or the baseline visit as determined by the Investigator's clinical assessment and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
  • Participants must not have a history of irritable bowel syndrome (with or without constipation) or serious constipation requiring treatment within the last 6 months.
  • Participants must not have a history or high risk of urinary retention, gastric retention, or untreated narrow-angle glaucoma.
  • Other protocol-defined Inclusion/Exclusion criteria apply.

Treatment and study plan

KarXT

Drug

Specified dose on specified days

Other names: BMS-986510, Xanomeline, Trospium Chloride

Placebo

Other

Specified dose on specified days

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) score

    Time frame: At week 3

    The YMRS comprised of 11 items that assess the severity of manic symptoms. All items are given a severity rating, with 4 items graded from 0 to 8 (irritability, speech, thought content, and disruptive/aggressive behavior), and the remaining 7 items are graded from 0 to 4 points. The highest score obtainable on the YMRS is 60 and the higher the number the greater the number of symptoms and/or the greater their severity.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline in Clinical Global Impressions-Bipolar (CGI-BP)

    Time frame: At week 3

    The CGI-BP is designed to assess the severity, improvement, and efficacy of treatment in individuals with bipolar disorder. Only section I, illness severity, will be used, which includes three components: mania, depression, and overall bipolar illness. The ratings are on a 7-point scale (1 = normal, not ill; 2 = minimally ill; 3 = mildly ill; 4 = moderately ill; 5 = markedly ill; 6 = severely ill; 7 = very severely ill)

  2. Occurrence of response based on a ≥ 50% decrease from baseline in YMRS total score

    Time frame: At week 3

  3. Occurrence of response based on CGI-BP change from baseline ≥ 1

    Time frame: At week 3

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

BMS Clinical Trials Contact Center www.BMSClinicalTrials.com

CONTACT

[email protected]

855-907-3286

First line of the email MUST contain NCT # and Site #.

CONTACT

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of KarXT for the Treatment of Manic Episodes in Bipolar-I Disorder (BALSAM-1)

Acronym: BALSAM-1

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 30, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 27, 2026

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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