NCT00505414

A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of CG5503 (Tapentadol) in the Treatment of Chronic Tumor Related Pain Compared With Placebo and Morphine

A Randomized Withdrawal, Active- and Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Multi-center Phase III Trial Assessing Safety and Efficacy of Oral CG5503 (Tapentadol) Prolonged Release (PR*) in Subjects With Moderate to Severe Chronic Malignant Tumor-related Pain. *Prolonged Release and is the Recommended Nomenclature for Use in the European Union (EU). ER Means Extended Release and is the Recommended Nomenclature for Use in the United States of America (USA). "PR" is Synonymous With "ER" and is Interchangeable.

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 136 (actual)
• Sponsor: Grünenthal GmbH · Industry
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether CG5503 (tapentadol) is effective and safe in the treatment of chronic tumor related pain compared to placebo.

Detailed description

Normally chronic tumor related pain is controlled when subjects receive repeated doses of opioid analgesics. However, opioid therapy is commonly associated with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, sedation, constipation, addiction, tolerance, and respiratory depression. Tapentadol, a newly synthesized drug with an Prolonged Release (ER) formulation, also acts as a centrally acting pain reliever but has a dual mode of action. The aim of this trial is to investigate the effectiveness (level of pain control) and safety (side effects) of Tapentadol Prolonged Release (ER) compared to a tablet with no active ingredient drug (placebo) and a corresponding dose of Morphine (an opioid commonly used to treat tumor related pain). This trial is a randomized, double-blind (neither investigator nor patient will know which treatment was received), active- and placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized-withdrawal, multicenter trial. To maintain the blind all subjects were re-randomized at the start of the maintenance period. To maintain the blind all tapentadol subjects were re-randomized at the start of the maintenance period. Subjects that received morphine in the titration period continued in the maintenance period on morphine. The trial includes a 2 week titration phase starting with either 45 mg Morphine Sulfate Controlled Release (CR) twice daily or 100 mg tapentadol ER taken twice daily (bid). Based on effectiveness and side effects participants can up-titrate in steps of 50 mg Tapentadol ER or 15 mg Morphine Sulfate CR to a maximal dose of 250 mg Tapentadol ER bid or 90 mg Morphine Sulfate CR twice daily respectively. If subjects meet the stabilization criteria at the end of the titration phase they will be re-randomized to either placebo or active treatment and will continue 4 weeks at the last dose level in the maintenance phase. Assessments of pain relief, defined as a responder include the pain intensity numeric rating scale (NRS). The Patient Global Impression of Change scale (PGIC) will also be used as a secondary efficacy endpoint. Safety evaluations include monitoring of adverse events, physical examinations, and clinical laboratory tests. Venous blood samples will be collected for the determination of serum concentrations of tapentadol.

Conditions

• Pain
• Neoplasm
• Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Tapentadol in the Titration Phase
DRUG	Morphine in the Maintenance Phase	Participant started the trials with 45 mg morphine controlled release twice daily. Upward titration could then occur at a minimum of 3-day intervals in increments of 15 mg morphine twice daily. The maximum dose of morphine controlled release was 90 mg twice daily. Downward titration (but not below 45 mg twice daily) was permitted. In the maintenance phase participants continued on the dose level established in titration phase. Participants randomized to the morphine arm remained on morphine if they qualified for the maintenance phase of the study. The participants were maintained on the dose established at the end of the titration phase. The adverse events listed were documented in the maintenance phase.
DRUG	Matching Placebo in the Maintenance Phase after Tapentadol in the Titration Phase	Participant randomized to placebo in the maintenance phase received 100 mg tapentadol prolonged release twice daily for 3 days to taper them off of the tapentadol dose they had received in the titration period. From the fourth day of the maintenance period onwards they received placebo twice daily.
DRUG	Tapentadol in the Maintenance Phase	The participants re-randomized to receive tapentadol prolonged release in the maintenance phase were maintained on the dose established in the titration phase.
DRUG	Morphine in the Titration Phase	After signing informed consent eligible subjects were randomized to receive morphine controlled release. The oral medication was taken twice daily, morning and evening every 12 hours (with a minimum of 6 hours between doses). Participant started the trials with 45 mg morphine controlled release twice daily. Upward titration could then occur at a minimum of 3-day intervals in increments of 15 mg morphine twice daily. The maximum dose of morphine controlled release was 90 mg twice daily. Downward titration (but not below 45 mg twice daily) was permitted.

Timeline

• Start date: 2007-06-01
• Primary completion: 2009-02-01
• Completion: 2009-05-01
• First posted: 2007-07-23
• Last updated: 2019-11-01
• Results posted: 2010-07-02

Locations

37 sites across 6 countries: United States, Argentina, Chile, France, Latvia, Ukraine