Botulinum Toxin A in Frequent and Chronic Tension-type Headache

Tension-Type Headache Clinical Trial

— BACT  

Official title:

BACT - Botulinum Toxin A in Frequent and Chronic Tension-type Headache With the FollowTheSutures Paradigm. A Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Cross-over Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04857671
• Other study ID #: 90953
• Secondary ID: 2019-001385-16
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: October 3, 2022
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: October 2023
• Source: Helse Nord-Trøndelag HF
• Contact: Kristina Devik, MD
• Phone: +47 74215477
• Email: kristina.devik[@]helse-nordtrondelag.no
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) is an underestimated disabling condition that affects a large number of patients. The treatment options for both episodic tension-type headaches, but especially CTTH are few. Poor long-term effects of existing treatment for CTTH (Sarotex, SSRIs, physiotherapy) are reported. Patients with CTTH also have a high risk of developing drug overdose headache (MOH). Non-drug treatments with physiotherapy or alternative medicine also show poor long-term effects. Literature reviews show that there is surprisingly little research on CTTH. Some small clinical trials report a good effect of treatment with botulinum toxin A, but larger controlled trials are needed to confirm or deny this.

The investigators will study effect of treatment with botulinum toxin A in CTTH in BACT study, and will include participants with both frequent and chronic TTH with 10 or more headache days per month.

If BACT outcomes are positive, this will open a possibility for a new treatment for TTH patients.

Description:

BACT studies the efficacy of treatment with botulinum toxin with a follwthestuture injection regime in frequent and chronic tension type headache (TTH). This is be a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple blind, cross-over trial. The primary efficacy variable is the difference in monthly headache days in the active period versus the placebo period. In this study, injections will follow a slightly modified FollowTheSutures injection protocol. Study duration is 36 weeks long. The target population is male and female patients 18 to 75 years of age with TTH, with 10 or more headache days per month.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 66
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: March 1, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion criteria:

Eligible participants must meet all of the inclusion criteria in this study.

• Aged 18 to 75 years

• Frequent or chronical tension type headache according to the ICHD-3 (2.2.3) criteria with 10 or more headache days per month

• Headache history of minimum one year.

• Previously unsatisfactory treatment effect, bothersome side-effects to or contra-indications to at least one TTH prophylactic drug.

• Subject agrees to maintain current preventive headache medication regimens (no change in type, frequency, or dose) during the whole study period.

• In case of women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) they have to be using highly effective contraception (for more details below).

• Signed informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

All candidates meeting any of the exclusion criteria at baseline or visit nr.2 will be excluded from study participation:

• Patients with migraine with more than 1 migraine day per month.

• Patients with other forms of primary or secondary headaches; including medication overuse headache (MOH).

• Change in type, dosage or dose frequency of preventive headache medication < 1 months prior to inclusion.

• Previous exposure at any time to any botulinum toxin serotype.

• Pregnancy, breastfeeding or planned pregnancy.

• Patients with diseases that are contraindications for use of BoNT-A (Myasthenia gravis, Eaton-Lambert syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, other diseases interfering with neuromuscular function) or allergy to BoNT-A, or treatment with drugs affecting the neuromuscular junction;

• Active infection at the sites of injection

• Subject has been diagnosed with any major infectious processes such as osteomyelitis, or primary or secondary malignancies involving the face that have been active or required treatment in the past 6 months.

• Any psychiatric disorder that may affect ability to comply with study procedures in the opinion of study investigator.

• Other severe chronical pain conditions.

• Abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs.

• Participating in another trial that might affect the current study.

Contraception for women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) Such methods will include combined (oestrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, intravaginal or transdermal); progestogen-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, injectable or implantable); intrauterine device (IUD); intrauterine hormone-releasing system (IUS); bilateral tubal occlusion; vasectomised partner; sexual abstinence. This group of patients should not be using other drugs that might interact and reduce the efficacy of the used anticonceptive drug. WOCBP is defined as fertile women, following menarche and until becoming post-menopausal unless permanently sterile. Permanent sterilisation methods, include hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. A postmenopausal state is defined as no menses for 12 months without an alternative medical cause.

Ability to understand study procedures and to comply with them for the entire length of the study. WOCBP will have to agree to take a pregnancy test before the injection with the study drug.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Headache
• Tension-Type Headache

Intervention

Drug:
• Botulinum Toxin Type A in saline water
100 Allergan units Botulinum toxin A in a total of 2 ml sodium chloride (NaCl) 0,9% Braun. 5 IU of Botox per injection point (0,1ml); in total 100 IU per 20 injections points.
• Isotone saline water
2ml Na Cl (sodium chloride) 0,9% Braun. 0,1ml per injection point in total 20 injections points

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Norway	Namsos Sykehus	Namsos

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Helse Nord-Trøndelag HF	Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Sandvika Nevrosenter

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Norway, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Difference in TTH-headache days in week 5-8 of the active period versus the placebo period.	Difference in TTH- headache days in week 5-8 of the active period versus the placebo period.	36 weeks
Secondary	50% responders (50% reduction in TTH-headache days from baseline) in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	50% responders (50% reduction in TTH-headache days from baseline) in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	36 weeks
Secondary	Difference in TTH-headache days in week 1-4 and 9-12, and in the entire treatment period	Difference in TTH-headache days in week 1-4 and 9-12, and in the entire treatment period	36 weeks
Secondary	30% responders (30% reduction in TTH-headache days from baseline) in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	30% responders (30% reduction in TTH-headache days from baseline) in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	36 weeks
Secondary	Quality of life score on EQ-5D-5L	EQ-5D-5L at week 8 and 12 after injection	36 weeks
Secondary	Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I)	scale 7-points - (very much better) to 7 (very much worse) 8 and 12 after injection	36 weeks
Secondary	Average maximum pain intensity in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS from 0 to10) in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	NRS scale: 0 meaning no pain and 10 meaning the worst pain imaginable)	36 weeks
Secondary	Headache Impact Test (HIT-6)	HIT-6 at week 8 and 12 after injection	36 weeks
Secondary	Average number of headache hours per day in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12.	Average number of headache hours per day in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12.	36 weeks
Secondary	Average number of days with intake of painkillers per month in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	Average number of days with intake of painkillers per month in week 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12	36 weeks
Secondary	Acceptability	Acceptability	36 weeks
Secondary	Difference in occurrence of adverse events and serious adverse events in the active period and the placebo period	Difference in occurrence of adverse events and serious adverse events in the active period and the placebo period	36 weeks