Nitrous Oxide as Treatment for Fibromyalgia

Study Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore a potential role of nitrous oxide in treating pain associated with fibromyalgia.

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms

Yes
Study Type

An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes.


An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.


Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies.

Interventional
Eligible Ages 18 Years - 75 Years
Gender All
More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - 2016 American College of Rheumatology Revised criteria for fibromyalgia (2016-ACR) - Subjects 18 -75 years of age.
  • - Self-reported pain of at least 4 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) at screening and baseline.
  • - Subject receives and agrees to remain on their stable fibromyalgia treatment plan established at least 4 weeks prior to dosing.
Stable means no change in dose or any pain medication.
  • - Ability to understand the requirements of the study, provide written informed consent, abide by the study restrictions, and agree to return for the required assessments.
  • - If currently on psychotherapy, it must have been maintained at the same frequency for 4 weeks prior to treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - Unstable doses of allowed antidepressants or muscle relaxants or dosages for any other medical condition.
  • - Pain due to concurrent autoimmune or inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel disease, or other chronic widespread pain condition(s) that may confound fibromyalgia pain.
  • - Psychiatric or cognitive disorder (e.g., current schizophrenia, severe depression, suicidal ideation, dementia, etc.) that the investigator or sponsor considers significant for this study.
  • - Clinically significant alcohol or other substance abuse within the last 2 years, in the opinion of the investigator.
  • - Current or recent history of medically inappropriate or illegal use of drugs of abuse including benzodiazepines, opiates, cocaine, cannabinoids, and amphetamines.
  • - Current treatment with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) ligands including ketamine, amantadine, dextromethorphan, memantine, methadone, or dextropropoxyphene.
  • - Subjects who are pregnant, breast feeding, or planning to become pregnant during the course of the study and for 28 days after the final administration of investigational product.
  • - Any other serious medical condition affecting heart, lung or any other organ system.
  • - Any impairment, activity or situation that in the judgment of the investigator would prevent satisfactory completion of the study protocol.

Trial Details

Trial ID:

This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries.

NCT05357066
Phase

Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans.

Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data.

Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs.

Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use.

Phase 2
Lead Sponsor

The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data.

University of Chicago
Principal Investigator

The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study.

Peter Nagele, MD, MSc
Principal Investigator Affiliation University of Chicago, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care
Agency Class

Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial.

Other
Overall Status Recruiting
Countries United States
Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied.

Fibromyalgia, Central Neuropathic Pain
Additional Details

Investigators are conducting this trial to determine the efficacy of nitrous oxide on fibromyalgia, a chronic, debilitating, disorder typified by widespread musculoskeletal pain, accompanied by symptoms of fatigue, affected sleep, memory issues, and mood disorders. Studies suggests that the chronic widespread pain seen in fibromyalgia patients has a neurogenic origin. Higher levels of ascending pathway neurochemicals, including nerve growth factor, substance P, and brain derived neurotrophic factor, are present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of fibromyalgia patients when compared to healthy controls. In addition, glutamate levels can be elevated in both the CSF and brain of fibromyalgia patients. Glutamate may play a central role, by acting on the NMDA-receptors to increase the central amplification of pain perception, which is thought to manifest as allodynia and hyperalgesia in fibromyalgia patients. NMDA-receptors are thus an attractive target for fibromyalgia therapeutic drug development. In four other randomized controlled trial(s) to evaluate ketamine an NMDA-receptor antagonist; two demonstrated an acute reduction in VAS pain scores (20- to -25 points) 90- to 120-minutes following IV ketamine 0.3 mg/kg compared with placebo; while the other two using different drug concentrations and dose regimen (0.3 mg/kg over 30 minutes and 0.5 mg/kg for 3 hours) showed a 0.5- to 0.9-point reduction in pain scores (10-cm VAS) at 90 to 180 minutes following IV ketamine compared with placebo. Although all four trials demonstrated significant acute pain improvement during and immediately following the infusions, there were no sustained improvements. Given nitrous oxide is another drug with known NMDA-receptor antagonism, this trial will evaluate the efficacy of inhaled 50% nitrous oxide compared to placebo (oxygen-air mixture). Study participants with a clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia, meeting 2016-Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria (2016-ACR) and neuropathic pain criterion will be randomly assigned to receive two, 60-minute inhalation sessions (50% nitrous oxide and placebo). Treatment outcomes will be monitored using diagnostic tools measuring functionality, pain, and mood: - Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) - Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) - Patients Global Impression of Change Scale (PGIC) - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) - Computerized Adaptive Test-Mental Health (CAT-MH)

Arms & Interventions

Arms

Active Comparator: Treatment; Nitrous Oxide 50%

A single 60-minute session of inhaled 50% nitrous oxide.

Placebo Comparator: Control; Oxygen-air mixture

A single 60-minute session of inhaled Oxygen-air mixture

Interventions

Drug: - Nitrous oxide gas for inhalation

Administration of inhaled 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen (FiO2 0.5) will be under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner who is experienced in the use and administration of the study drug, and is familiar with the indications, effects, dosages, methods, and frequency and duration of administration, and with the hazards, contraindications, and side effects and the precautions to be taken (MD, or CRNA); with study patient monitoring of pulse oximetry, heart rate, respiratory, non-invasive blood pressure, and end-tidal carbon dioxide.

Drug: - Placebo

Administration of the placebo (oxygen-air mixture [FiO2 ≈0.3]), will be under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner who is experienced in the use and administration of the study drug, and is familiar with the indications, effects, dosages, methods, and frequency and duration of administration, and with the hazards, contraindications, and side effects and the precautions to be taken (MD, or CRNA); with study patient monitoring of pulse oximetry, heart rate, respiratory, non-invasive blood pressure, and end-tidal carbon dioxide.

Contact a Trial Team

If you are interested in learning more about this trial, find the trial site nearest to your location and contact the site coordinator via email or phone. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider about the trials that may interest you and refer to our terms of service below.

University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Status

Recruiting

Address

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, 60637

Site Contact

Clinical Trials Manager

[email protected]

773-834-5778