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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02611687

Efficacy and Safety of Pitolisant in Pediatric Narcoleptic Patients With or Without Cataplexy, Double-blind Study Followed by a Prolonged Open-label Period

The purpose of this multicenter double blind study is to assess efficacy and safety of Pitolisant versus placebo in paediatric Narcoleptic patients with or without cataplexy.

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Key information

Age range

6 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Terveystalo Helsinki Uniklinikka, Helsinki, Finland

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Male and female children from 6 to less than 18 years of age suffering from narcolepsy with or without cataplexy - ICSD-3 criteria (narcolepsy type 1 and 2).
  • PDSS
  • Patients should be free of non-authorized medication, in particular psychostimulant treatments as from the screening visit onwards.
  • Parents - and patients old enough to understand who have expressed a willingness to participate in the study, who have signed and dated the informed consent form prior to beginning protocol required procedures.
  • In the opinion of the investigator, the patient must have adequate support to comply with the entire study requirements as described in the protocol (e.g., transportation to and from trial site, self rating scales and diaries completion, drug compliance, scheduled visits, tests).

Exclusion criteria

  • Any other conditions that can be considered the primary causes of EDS.
  • Cataplectic patients treated by anticataplectics which are not under a stable treatment at the time of inclusion.
  • Patients treated for cataplexy or any other pathology, by tricyclic antidepressants.
  • Any significant abnormality of the electrocardiogram and particularly Fridericia's QTc interval.
  • Patients with significant abnormality or clinical laboratory results.
  • Psychiatric and neurological disorders in the investigator's opinion, would preclude the patient's participation and completion of this trial or comprise reliable representation of subjective symptoms.
  • Active clinically significant illness, including unstable cardiovascular, endocrine, neoplastic, gastrointestinal, haematological, hepatic, immunologic, metabolic, neurological (other than narcolepsy/cataplexy), pulmonary, and/or renal disease which could interfere with the study conduct or counter-indicate the study treatments or place the patient at risk during the trial or compromise the study objectives.

Treatment and study plan

Pitolisant

Drug

Tablet

Other names: BF2.649

Placebo

Drug

Tablet

Primary outcomes

  1. To Evaluate the Efficacy of Pitolisant in Reducing Residual Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale Score.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Changes in EDS measured by the Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale Score (UNS) from baseline (mean of two pre-treatment measures) to the end of double-blind period (mean of the last two measures).

    The UNS is an 11-item scale used to measure the intensity and frequency of symptoms of narcolepsy (EDS and cataplexy). The total score varies from 0 to 44, with higher scores denoting greater narcoleptic tendencies.

Secondary outcomes

  1. To Evaluate the Efficacy of Pitolisant in Reducing Residual Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Changes in EDS measured by the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS) from baseline (mean of two pre-treatment measures) to the end of double-blind period (mean of the last two measures).

    The PDSS total score can range from 0 and 32 and a score >13 is considered abnormal sleepiness.

  2. To Evaluate the Efficacy of Pitolisant in Reducing Residual Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale-Cataplexy Subscore .

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Changes in EDS measured by Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale-Cataplexy Subscore (UNS-CTP) in patients with type 1 narcolepsy from baseline (mean of two pre-treatment measures) to the end of double-blind period (mean of the last two measures).

    This subscore is defined as the sum of the first 4 items of the UNS, UNS-CTP subscore ranges from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Bioprojet

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Double Blind, Multicentre, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of Pitolisant in Children From 6 to Less Than 18 Years With Narcolepsy With/Without Cataplexy, Followed by a Prolonged Open-label Period

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2025
First posted
Nov 23, 2015
Registry last updated
Jun 26, 2025

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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