Determining Optimal Treatment Sequences in Anxious Depression (DOTS-AD)

Description

Acute, double-blind, adaptively randomized treatment with duloxetine or escitalopram, followed by double-blind, randomized adjunctive treatment with clonazepam or pregabalin for persistent symptoms.

Conditions

Anxious Depression, Depression

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

Acute, double-blind, adaptively randomized treatment with duloxetine or escitalopram, followed by double-blind, randomized adjunctive treatment with clonazepam or pregabalin for persistent symptoms.

Determining Optimal Treatment Sequences in Anxious Depression (DOTS-AD)

Determining Optimal Treatment Sequences in Anxious Depression (DOTS-AD)

Condition
Anxious Depression
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45219

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Written, informed consent.
  • * Patients must be fluent in the English.
  • * 18 to 50 years of age, inclusive, at Visit 1.
  • * Patients must meet DSM-5 criteria for generalized, social and/or separation anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder, confirmed by the MINI.99 Patients may also meet criteria for persistent depressive disorder or major depressive disorder however, these may not be the primary focus of treatment.
  • * HAM-A score ≥20 at Visits 1 and 2.
  • * Clinical Global Impressions- Severity (CGI-S) score ≥4 at Visits 1 and 2.
  • * No clinically significant abnormalities on physical examination and EKG.
  • * Negative pregnancy test at Visit 1 in females.
  • * Negative urine drug screen at Visit 1.
  • * Sexually active patients must practice a reliable method of contraception (Section 15.0) that will continue for the duration of the study and for a minimum of 30 days following the end of study participation. Reliable methods of contraception are defined below; other forms of contraceptives (pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological) are not accepted:
  • 1. Surgical sterilization
  • 2. Oral contraceptives (e.g. estrogren-progestin combination or progestin)
  • 3. Transdermally-delivered contraceptives (e.g., Ortho-Evra), depot injections (e.g., Depo-Provera)
  • 4. Vaginal contraceptive ring (e.g., NuvaRing), contraceptive implants (e.g., Implanon, Norplant II/Jadelle)
  • 5. An intrauterine device
  • 6. Diaphragm plus condom.
  • * For patients directly enrolling into Phase 2: treatment with escitalopram (or its racemic equivalent citalopram) or duloxetine for ≥6 weeks, at time of screening.
  • * DSM-5 diagnosis other than generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety or panic disorder(s) that is the primary focus of treatment.
  • * A history of intellectual disability.
  • * Suicide risk as determined by either: (1) any suicide attempt within the past 6 months and/or (2) significant risk at Visit 1 (Screening) or Visit 2 (Baseline), as judged by the Investigator.
  • * Allergy, intolerance, non-response or hypersensitivity to escitalopram, duloxetine, pregabalin or clonazepam.
  • * Subjects taking other medications that require a taper or washout of more than 5 days.
  • * Patients who have initiated/terminated psychotherapy/behavior therapy within 1 month before Visit 2 (Baseline) will be excluded; if the patient is engaged in psychotherapy, it must have been stable for 1 month prior to baseline.
  • * A clinically-significant medical illness.
  • * QTc \>450 in males or \>460 in females (prolonged QTc based on American Heart Association recommendations for Standardization and Interpretation of the EKG100
  • * Alcohol or substance use disorder within 6 months of baseline (nicotine use is permitted).
  • * Positive urine pregnancy test/pregnancy or breast feeding.
  • * A positive urine drug screen.
  • * Patients who are unable to swallow capsules.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 50 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Cincinnati,

Jeffrey R Strawn, MD, FAACAP, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Cincinnati

Study Record Dates

2025-12-31