Department of Defense PTSD Adaptive Platform Trial - Master Protocol

Last updated: March 6, 2025
Sponsor: Global Coalition for Adaptive Research
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2

Condition

Post-traumatic Stress Disorders

Treatment

Intervention A Placebo

Intervention B Vilazodone Hydrochloride

Intervention A Fluoxetine HCl

Clinical Study ID

NCT05422612
S-21-02 / IND 157676
  • Ages 18-65
  • All Genders
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

This is a Phase 2 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study that will evaluate multiple potential pharmacotherapeutic interventions for PTSD utilizing an adaptive platform trial design. Participants are randomized among the multiple cohorts in the study and the resulting randomization enables sharing/pooling of control participants, where all interventions may be compared to a common control (placebo). This master protocol describes the default procedures and analyses for all cohorts; treatment-specific procedures will be described in the Master Protocol cohort-specific appendices. Individual cohorts may have additional eligibility requirements, safety and efficacy procedures, or endpoints, which will be described in corresponding intervention-specific clinicaltrials.gov records.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria: A participant must meet all the following criteria to be eligible to participate in this study:

  1. Is willing and able to provide written informed consent.

  2. ≥18 and <65 years of age at Screening.

  3. Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5)criteria for PTSD according to CAPS-5-R, Past Month assessment at Screening andBaseline.

  4. The index trauma must have occurred more than 3 months prior to screening.

  5. Has a CAPS-5-R, Past Month total score of ≥26 at Screening and Baseline. Note: TheCAPS-5 scoring grid will be used to score answers and to calculate the total scoreto determine eligibility.

  6. Is currently serving, or has previously served, in a branch of the US militaryservice (ie, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard including Reservesand National Guard).

  7. Agrees to consistently use an acceptable method of birth control as defined inSection 7.4.2 (required for both males and females who are of reproductive potentialand sexually active with partners of the opposite sex) throughout the duration ofparticipants' involvement in the study and for a minimum of 30 days after the lastdose of study intervention or longer, as specified in the assigned cohort-specificappendices.

  8. For females of reproductive potential, acceptable birth control methods aredefined as: hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine device, or double barriercontraception (ie, male condom and diaphragm, male condom or diaphragm withspermicidal gel or foam). Hormonal contraceptives must have been started atleast 2 months prior to the Baseline visit. In addition, agrees to no eggdonation or harvesting for the duration of the study and for at least 30 daysafter the last dose of study treatment or as specified in the assignedcohort-specific appendices.

  9. Non-reproductive potential for females is defined by a post-menopausal (12consecutive months without menses or surgically sterile). If in question, anFollicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) of >40 U/mL, per central laboratory testingmust be documented. Surgical sterility (hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy,or bilateral tubal ligation) must be documented.

  10. Females of reproductive potential must have a negative pregnancy test at thescreening (serum) and baseline (urine) visits.

  11. For males, adequate birth control methods will be defined as the use of doublebarrier contraception (eg, male condom and diaphragm, male condom or diaphragmwith spermicidal gel or foam). In addition, male participants must agree not todonate sperm for the duration of the study and for at least 30 days after thelast dose of study treatment or as specified in the assigned cohort-specificappendices.

  12. Non-reproductive potential for males is defined as surgical sterility (ie,vasectomy) at least 3 months prior to baseline.

  13. Is able and willing to participate in study assessments and undergo blood draws.

  14. Is willing to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) eg, is not claustrophobic,has no contraindications to MRI.

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria: A participant who meets any of the following criteria will not be eligible to participate in this trial:

  1. Is pregnant or breastfeeding at the Screening or Baseline visits, or planningpregnancy during the study.

  2. Is at risk for suicide based on any of the following:

  3. Had any suicidal ideation or behavior (including preparatory behavior) thatrequired psychiatric hospitalization in the 3 months prior to screening.

  4. Had more than 2 actual suicide attempts within the last 3 years, not includinginterrupted or aborted attempts, preparatory acts or behaviors, or non-suicidalself-injurious behavior (as per C-SSRS response).

  5. Has any history of suicidal ideation and/or intent following initiation of amedication used for psychiatric symptoms or disorders.

  6. Has any history of suicide-related hospitalization following initiation of amedication used for psychiatric symptoms or disorders.

  7. Is taking any prohibited medication per Section 8.5.1 or cohort-specificrestrictions (see cohort-specific appendices), is unable/unwilling to discontinuemedications, or in the PI's judgement, cannot discontinue medications. Subjects mustagree to a washout period of at least 14 days or 5 half-lives, whichever is longer,prior to the first dose of study intervention. Note, the half-life of the parentdrug (not metabolites) should be used in this calculation.

  8. In the 3 months prior to the Baseline visit, has initiated or terminated individualor group PTSD specific psychotherapy (eg, Eye Movement Desensitization &Reprocessing, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Stress InoculationTraining, Present Centered Therapy), or therapy is anticipated to conclude duringthe study. Completion of ≤2 sessions in the prior 3 months with no plans to continueis not exclusionary. Participants in stable trauma-focused or non-trauma focusedtherapy must agree to continue treatment for the duration of participation in thestudy.

  9. Has undergone or plans to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Note: participantswho are currently undergoing stable hormone replacement therapy are eligible forinclusion in the study.

  10. Meets DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association 2013) criteria for moderate or severealcohol use disorder (AUD) or other substance use disorders (SUDs), includingcannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, orstimulants within 3 months of screening. Nicotine use disorder is allowed.

  11. Has a positive screen for illicit drugs (excluding cannabis) or recent heavy alcoholconsumption (as possibly indicated by an elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)or an elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT)ratio - to be interpreted in the context of other clinical information) at theBaseline visit.

  12. Has a lifetime history or current symptoms of psychotic features, as determined bythe Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Psychotic Disorders andMood Disorders with Psychotic Features screening questions.

  13. Has a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) considered not well-managed (AHI ≥5) with C-, Bi-, or V PAP. Participants who have AHI ≥5 at Screening with theOSA screening device may repeat the OSA assessment prior to the Baseline visit orprovide documentation from a physician stating that their C-, Bi-, or V-PAP machineAHI readings are <5.

  14. Has a history of neoplastic disease or completion of treatment in the last 5 years,except for treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

  15. Has any clinically significant abnormal findings on the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) at the Screening or Baseline visits, such as:.

  16. Abnormal heart rhythm (such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation,or torsade de pointes)

  17. ECG with a QTc interval >450 msec for males or >470 msec for females (QTinterval corrected with Fridericia correction [QTcF]).At Screening, eligibilitywill be based on the central ECG reading. At baseline, eligibility will bebased on the local ECG reading by a qualified site investigator.

  18. Has abnormal laboratory results at the Screening visit:

  19. serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dL OR

  20. estimated creatinine clearance of <50 mL/min calculated by the Cockcroft andGault formula).

  21. Has clinically significant abnormal laboratory results at the Screening visit thatindicate impaired liver function:

  22. ALT or AST >2 × ULN

  23. total bilirubin level >1.5 × ULN (unless previously known Gilbert syndrome)

  24. prolonged prothrombin time >1.5 × ULN

  25. Has a prior history of drug induced liver injury characterized by ALT or AST >3 ×upper limit of normal (ULN) AND total bilirubin level >2 × ULN without cholestasis (ie, Alkaline Phosphatase <2 × ULN).

  26. Has any other clinically significant laboratory result at Screening that couldimpact the participant's safety or participation in the study, as determined by theSite PI.

  27. Has any other concurrent psychiatric or medical condition that would impact theparticipant's safety, ability to appropriately complete evaluations, orparticipation in the study, as determined by the Site PI.

  28. Does not have a stable method of contact over the duration of the study.

  29. Is currently involved in litigation, medical evaluation for disability benefits ordamages, or benefit examination related to the PTSD diagnosis.

  30. Has participated in any interventional clinical trial or treatment with anyinvestigational drug or other investigational intervention within 3 months or 5half-lives, whichever is longer, of screening. Note: Previous participation in an observational study is permitted. Note: Subjects who are enrolled in the M-PACT, and who are eligible for rerandomization, are permitted to remain in the study and receive alternative cohortintervention following a 14 day or 5 half-lives washout period, whichever is longer.The half-life of the parent drug (not metabolites) should be used in thiscalculation.

  31. Is unavailable for the duration of the trial, unlikely to be compliant with theprotocol, or deemed by the Site PI to be unsuitable for participation in the trialfor any reason.

  32. Systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg orSystolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure <50 mm Hg.

Study Design

Total Participants: 800
Treatment Group(s): 10
Primary Treatment: Intervention A Placebo
Phase: 2
Study Start date:
November 02, 2023
Estimated Completion Date:
September 30, 2026

Study Description

The general structure of the Military and Veterans PTSD Adaptive Platform Clinical Trial (M-PACT) consists of a 30-day Screening Period, a 12-week Treatment Period, and a 4-week Safety Follow-up. The trial will include up to 5 open cohorts (it is possible for 1 of the cohorts to begin sooner than the others, as necessary). Importantly, the integration of multi-modal biomarker assessments within the M-PACT allows for defining future cohorts based on to-be-determined biomarker signatures in a multi-stage approach. Initial testing in non-biomarker-defined cohorts will be referred to as "main stage" testing, while testing in biomarker-defined cohorts will occur within "biomarker extensions." Initially designed as up to 5-arms versus control, the adaptive platform trial will continue enrollment until decisions are made to stop all cohorts. At quarterly interim analyses, unblinded data will be reviewed by an independent, firewalled Independent Statistical Analysis Committee (ISAC) and a Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). At each interim analysis, the possible cohort-level decisions that could be made by the prespecified adaptive plan include stopping enrollment to a cohort for futility, stopping enrollment to a cohort for anticipated success, or stopping enrollment to a cohort for reaching the maximum sample size. For cohort-specific interventions intending to pursue a labeling claim (which will be clearly stated in the cohort-specific appendix before cohort initiation), early stopping for success will not be considered. New cohorts for investigation can be added at any time. The DSMB may recommend stopping any cohort for safety reasons.

Candidate biomarker data will be retrospectively analyzed after each cohort has completed main stage testing, and cohort testing may be re-initiated for prospective evaluation of the treatment in a subject population enriched (eg, either only biomarker "positive" or only biomarker "negative" subjects would be enrolled) or stratified based on biomarker status. In addition, candidate biomarkers (which may also be characterized or validated externally to the M-PACT) may be used to stratify randomization across cohorts or as a prospective enrichment strategy at the initiation of a cohort. Exploratory biomarker data will be evaluated throughout the trial to identify additional candidate biomarkers for testing within the M-PACT.

For information specific to each intervention included in this platform trial, please refer to the below corresponding, separate, clinicaltrials.gov records:

Vilazodone NCT05948579; Fluoxetine NCT05948553; Daridorexant NCT05948540; SLS-002 NCT06816433.

Parties interested in having their intervention considered for testing within the M-PACT should complete a request for information form using this webpage https://citeline.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8eTQKw6TNug4z42.

Connect with a study center

  • Phoenix VA Healthcare System

    Phoenix, Arizona 85012-1839
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Homestead Associates in Research, Inc.

    Miami, Florida 33032
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Advanced Discovery Research

    Atlanta, Georgia 30318
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Advanced Discovery Research

    Decatur, Georgia 30030-3438
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Cincinnati Veteran's Affairs Medical Center

    Fort Thomas, Kentucky 41075
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Upstate Clinical Research Associates, LLC

    Williamsville, New York 14221
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

  • Madigan Army Medical Center

    Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington 98433
    United States

    Active - Recruiting

Not the study for you?

Let us help you find the best match. Sign up as a volunteer and receive email notifications when clinical trials are posted in the medical category of interest to you.