Neuropathy results from damage to the nerves in the feet and legs. It is usually experienced as pain, tingling or numbness. In HIV-infected people, neuropathy can result from the infection itself or be a side effect of antiretroviral treatment. The purpose of this study is to determine whether two different drugs, methadone and duloxetine, reduce neuropathy-associated pain in HIV-infected people. This study will also examine whether utilization of both of these drugs is more effective than treatment with only one.
Peripheral neuropathy is now recognized as the most common neurological complication of HIV disease and its treatment. Before highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was introduced, the prevalence of HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) was already estimated to be 35%, mostly contained to populations with moderate to advanced immunosuppression. Now, since the advent of HAART, the prevalence of HIV-associated neuropathy has increased to 52%, possibly due to a combination of antiretroviral toxic neuropathy (ATN), decreased mortality, and accumulated medical comorbidities. Successful treatment of neuropathic pain is inherently difficult, and treatment of HIV-associated neuropathic pain is particularly complicated. To date, evidence supporting effective therapies for neuropathic HIV-associated pain is lacking, despite several types and classes of drugs having been evaluated in clinical trials. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of duloxetine, methadone, and the combination of duloxetine and methadone in painful HIV-associated neuropathy. Both of these drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but for purposes unrelated to HIV-associated neuropathy, and no previous studies have utilized these two treatments for this purpose. For this study, 120 participants with painful HIV-associated neuropathy will be recruited. The trial will last for approximately 23 weeks. Each participant will receive a total of 4 study treatments. The following treatment pairings will be given in a sequence determined by randomization: 1. duloxetine and methadone placebo 2. methadone and duloxetine placebo 3. duloxetine and methadone 4. duloxetine placebo and methadone placebo Each treatment period will last 4 weeks and will be followed by a 1-week combined taper and washout. People wishing to enroll in this study will have a screening visit that will last about 3 hours. During this visit, participants will have an HIV test, physical exam, neurologic exam, blood drawn, electrocardiogram (EKG), and a pregnancy test, if applicable. Participants will also be asked about their current health and any medications they may be taking. They will also be asked about their mood and be given the results of tests performed at the screening visit. If screening qualifies participants for the study, they will return for a pre-entry visit lasting 2 hours. During this visit, participants will have a limited physical exam and be asked about changes in their health or medicines since screening. Participants will also be given a pain diary with instructions to record neuropathy pain every day for each of the 7 days before beginning the study and throughout the study. After beginning the study, participants will return to the clinic for another 8 visits. These visits are at the end of each 4-week treatment period and at the end of each 1-week crossover period. At each visit, there will be a limited physical exam and participants will answer questions about their health and medications. Participants will also be told the results of routine lab tests and pregnancy tests performed during the study.
During each treatment period, participants will take duloxetine in the following doses. On Days 1 to 5, participants will take one 30-mg capsule orally, once daily. On Days 6 to 28, participants will take two 30-mg capsules orally, once daily. During days 29 to 31 dosage will be reduced to one capsule daily and then discontinued on Day 32.
During each treatment period, participants will take duloxetine placebo in the following doses. On Days 1 to 5, participants will take one 30-mg capsule orally, once daily. On Days 6 to 28, participants will take two 30-mg capsules orally, once daily. During days 29 to 31 dosage will be reduced to one capsule daily and then discontinued on Day 32.
During each treatment period, participants will take methadone in the following doses. On Days 1 to 5, participants will take one 5-mg capsule orally, twice daily. On Days 6 to 10, participants will take one 5-mg capsule orally, three times daily. On Days 11 to 28, participants will take two 5-mg capsules orally, three times daily. On Days 29 to 31, dosage will be one 5-mg capsule orally, three times daily. On Days 32 to 34, dosage will be decreased to one 5-mg capsule, twice daily and ultimately discontinued on Day 35.
Ucsd, Avrc Crs
San Diego, California, United States
Harbor-UCLA Med. Ctr. CRS
Torrance, California, United States
University of Colorado Hospital CRS
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Northwestern University CRS
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Weekly Mean Pain Score Derived From Self-reported Average Daily Pain Intensity on an 11-point Likert Scale
Pain was measured on an 11-point Likert numerical rating scale, ranging from 0=''No pain" to 10=''Pain as bad as you can imagine". Participants were given pain diaries at weeks 0, 5, 10, and 15. They started the diary 7 days prior to their clinic visits at weeks 0, 4, 9, 14, and 19. During the 7 days, each morning, they recorded their pain level due to neuropathy by circling the number that best described their neuropathy pain on average over the past 24 hours.
Time frame: During the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Number of Participants With 30% or More Improvement in Mean Pain Score on an 11-point Likert Scale
Pain was measured on an 11-point Likert numerical rating scale, ranging from 0=''No pain" to 10=''Pain as bad as you can imagine" at baseline and over the fourth treatment week of each treatment period. The % of improvement was calculated as (x-y)/x,where x was the MPI score at baseline, and y was the MPI score at the end of each treatment stage.
Time frame: At Baseline and over the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Number of Participants With 50% or More Improvement in Mean Pain Score on an 11-point Likert Scale
Pain was measured on an 11-point Likert numerical rating scale, ranging from 0=''No pain" to 10=''Pain as bad as you can imagine" at baseline and over the fourth treatment week of each treatment period. The % of improvement was calculated as (x-y)/x,where x was the MPI score at baseline, and y was the MPI score at the end of each treatment stage.
Time frame: At Baseline and over the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Mean Nighttime Pain Measure on an 11-point Likert Scale
Pain was measured on an 11-point Likert numerical rating scale, ranging from 0=''No pain" to 10=''Pain as bad as you can imagine". Participants were given pain diaries at weeks 0, 5, 10, and 15. They started the diary 7 days prior to their clinic visits at weeks 0, 4, 9, 14, and 19. During the 7 days, each morning, they recorded their pain level due to neuropathy by circling the number that best described their neuropathy pain on average during the night time.
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Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
15
During each treatment period, participants will take methadone placebo in the following doses. On Days 1 to 5, participants will take one 5-mg capsule orally, twice daily. On Days 6 to 10, participants will take one 5-mg capsule orally, three times daily. On Days 11 to 28, participants will take two 5-mg capsules orally, three times daily. On Days 29 to 31, dosage will be one 5-mg capsule orally, three times daily. On Days 32 to 34, dosage will be decreased to one 5-mg capsule, twice daily and ultimately discontinued on Day 35.
Massachusetts General Hospital ACTG CRS
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Washington U CRS
St Louis, Missouri, United States
MetroHealth CRS
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Houston AIDS Research Team CRS
Houston, Texas, United States
Time frame: Over the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Pain-related Interference Measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Interference Items
The BPI interference scale measured level of interference with the following seven items: 1. General activity 2. Mood 3. Walking ability 4. Normal work 5. Relations with other people 6. Sleep 7. Enjoyment of life Interference scales range from 0='Does not interfere' to 10='Completely interferes'. The overall BPI score is the mean of seven item with the minimum and maximal scores of 0 and 70, respectively.
Time frame: At the fourth week of each treatment period
Quality of Life Measured by SF-36 Healthy Survey (SF-36)
The data for this outcome are not available for the analysis due to an issue with a company which provides software to calculate SF-36.
Time frame: At the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Emotional Functioning as Measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
The CES-D is a 20-item self-report rating inventory measuring characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression. Participants were asked to score each item: (0) Rarely, (1) Occasionally, (2) Sometimes, and (3) Most of time. Some items are multiplied by -1 to change direction. The overall CES-D score is simply the sum of 20 items. The highest possible total CES-D score is 48, and the lowest possible score is -12. The total CES-D score is considered missing if more than 4 items are not answered.
Time frame: At the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Patient and Clinician Global Impression of Change (PGIC and CGIC) on a 7-point Likert Scale
The GIC scale is a validated instrument that consists of seven verbal descriptors on a 7-point scale: 1. Very much improved 2. Much improved 3. Minimally improved 4. No change 5. Minimally worse 6. Much worse 7. Very much worse Participants were carefully instructed to consider the impact of study treatments on their level of neuropathic pain intensity during the baseline phase of the study.
Time frame: At the fourth treatment week of each treatment period
Use of Rescue Medication (Acetaminophen)
Time frame: During each treatment period and the subsequent cross-over (or final study week) period
Maximum Tolerated Dose of Duloxetine and Methadone
Time frame: During each treatment period
Number of Participants With Treatment-emergent Grade 2 to 4 Adverse Events
The DAIDS Table for Grading the Severity of Adult and Pediatric Adverse Events (DAIDS AE Grading Table), Version 1.0, December 2004 was used (see the link to the grading table in Protocol Section)
Time frame: From study entry to end of study at week 20 or premature study discontinuation