PregnancyPESSAR'ONENCT02328989
Pessary to Prevent Prematurity in Twins in Case of Short Cervix
A study testing Pessary in people with Pregnancy, run by University Hospital, Toulouse at 18 sites in France.
Trial summary
For 25 years, the twin pregnancy rate has regularly increased in the majority of European countries and in the United States, by 35% between 1981 and 2006. Increased use of medically assisted procreation and older maternal age are the two main causes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Pregnancy
- What is being tested?
- Pessary
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 324 participants
- Where
- 18 sitesFrance
- Study dates
- Nov 2014to Oct 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Asymptomatic twin pregnancies between 16 and 24+0 weeks CL < 25th percentile for GA
- < 35mm between 16 and 24+0d weeks Vaginal swabs for bacteriological analysis < 72 hours Patient age > 18 years Written informed consent obtained French first language (speak, read, understand) French social security cover
Who cannot join
- Painful regular contractions
- Major fetal abnormalities
- Fetal malformation
- Active vaginal bleeding, placenta praevia
- Discordance fetal weight more than 40%
- Treatment with progesterone
Show all 13Show fewer
- Patient with cerclage
- Ruptured of membrane
- Twin to twin transfusion syndrome
- Uterine malformation
- Chronic maternal disease (diabetes, hypertension, renal insufficiency, Heparin Treatment)
- Conisation history
- patients subject to a judicial safeguard order, participating in another research study including an exclusion period which has not expired at the time of screening will not be included
Trial locations and contacts
18 sites in 1 country.
18 sites in 1 country
France18 sites
CHU Angers
Angers
CHU Bordeaux
Bordeaux
CHU Caen
Caen
CHRU Lille
Lille, Lille
Hôpital Saint-Joseph
Marseille, Marseille
Hôpital Marseille AP-HM
Marseille
CHU Nantes
Nantes
GH Pitié Salpétriêre
Paris
Hôpital Antoine Béclère
Paris
Hôpital Bicêtre
Paris
Hôpital Necker
Paris
Hôpital Robert Debré
Paris
Maternité Port-Royal Cochin
Paris
CHI Poissy
Poissy
CHU Saint-Etienne
Saint-Etienne
Hôpital Universitaire de Strasbourg
Strasbourg
CHU Toulouse
Toulouse, France, 31059
CHU Tours
Tours
About this study
For 25 years, the twin pregnancy rate has regularly increased in the majority of European countries and in the United States, by 35% between 1981 and 2006. Increased use of medically assisted procreation and older maternal age are the two main causes. At the present time twin pregnancies represent nearly 20% of premature deliveries. The rate of very premature births (< 32-34 weeks) is 7 times higher in twin pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies. As prematurity accounts for 75% of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and extreme prematurity is the principal cause of neonatal mortality and of brain sequelae in twins, the search for a preventive treatment appears as a priority in perinatal medicine. The investigators recently showed in a prospective multicenter study that cervical ultrasound at 22 and 27 wks was a better predictive investigation of premature delivery < 34 wks than digital examination. Recently in a randomized trial in a population of short-cervix singleton pregnancies, the premature delivery rate decreased by 40% in the pessary group compared with the usual management group. No other trial of pessary use in short-cervix twin pregnancies was published today. Recently, in a historical comparison of twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with laser, Carreras et al. have showed a decreased rate of preterm delivery with the use of pessary in case of short cervix. The investigators wish to set up a randomized multicenter study in France in the population of short-cervix twin pregnancies to show a potential benefit of the pessary compared with simple surveillance.
Read the detailed description
For 25 years, the twin pregnancy rate has regularly increased in the majority of European countries and in the United States, by 35% between 1981 and 2006. Increased use of medically assisted procreation and older maternal age are the two main causes. At the present time twin pregnancies represent nearly 20% of premature deliveries. The rate of very premature births (< 32-34 weeks) is 7 times higher in twin pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies. As prematurity accounts for 75% of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and extreme prematurity is the principal cause of neonatal mortality and of brain sequelae in twins, the search for a preventive treatment appears as a priority in perinatal medicine. The investigators recently showed in a prospective multicenter study that cervical ultrasound at 22 and 27 wks was a better predictive investigation of premature delivery < 34 wks than digital examination.[1] As there is currently no recommended preventive treatment for prematurity in twin pregnancies[2], the 2009 guidelines of the College of Obstetricians leave the teams with the option of carrying out systematic cervical ultrasound or not during follow-up investigations.[3] Recently in a randomized trial in a population of short-cervix singleton pregnancies, the premature delivery rate decreased by 40% in the pessary group compared with the usual management group.[4] In a recent multicenter trial (ProTWIN), while therapeutic efficacy of the pessary (versus usual management) was not demonstrated in the overall group of twin pregnancies, in the short-cervix subgroup (< 25th percentile of the population) the < 32 wks delivery rate decreased from 29% to 14% (OR= 0.49 (0.24-0.97) and neonatal morbidity also decreased.[5] No other trial of pessary use in short-cervix twin pregnancies was published today. Recently, in a historical comparison of twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with laser, Carreras et al. have showed a decreased rate of preterm delivery with the use of pessary in case of short cervix.[6] The investigators wish to set up a randomized multicenter study in France in the population of short-cervix twin pregnancies to show a potential benefit of the pessary compared with simple surveillance.
- Conditions
- Pregnancy
- Being tested
- Pessary
- Keywords
- prematurity, short cervix, twin pregnancy, pessary
- Medical subject headings
- Premature Birth
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
PessaryDevice
The device will be placed in the vagina during the consultation. It is rinsed in sterile water for lubrification and left in place until delivery or remove at 36 weeks in case of no delivery before. There is no need to use any analgesia. The good position of the pessary is checking in the same time than the placement with digital examination.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Pessary | Experimental | The device will be placed in the vagina during the consultation. It is rinsed in sterile water for lubrification and left in place until delivery or remove at 36 weeks in case of no delivery before. There is no need to use any analgesia. The good position of the pessary is checking in the same time than the placement with digital examination. Receives: Device: Pessary |
| No pessary | No intervention | No pessary will be placed in the vagina. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
perinatal death or significant neonatal morbidity until discharge from the hospital
it's a composite outcome : perinatal death (i.e medical interruption of pregnancy, intrauterine fetal death, or death occurring during the first four weeks after birth, before day 29), or significant neonatal morbidity until discharge from the hospital, defined as one or more of the following complications: bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) grade III or IV, periventricular leucomalacia (PVL), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) grade II or higher, culture proven sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment.
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (4)
Preterm delivery
Measured: 6 months
To evaluate the prolongation of pregnancy in days
Measured: 6 months
The differential cost-efficacy ratio of the two strategies
Measured: 6 months
Tolerance of the pessary
Measured: 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 Dec 2014 (estimated)
- Study startNov 2014
- Primary completionOct 2018
- Study completionOct 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for PregnancyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, ToulouseThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 324 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Toulouse
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Christophe Vayssière, PhD, Study director, University Hospital, Toulouse
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02328989
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 13 7048 01
- Acronym
- PESSAR'ONE
- Status last verified
- Jul 2020
- First submitted
- 1 Oct 2014
- Last updated
- 5 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Groussolles M, Winer N, Sentilhes L, Biquart F, Massoud M, Vivanti AJ, Bouchghoul H, Rozenberg P, Olivier P, Desbriere R, Chauleur C, Perrotin F, Coatleven F, Fuchs F, Bretelle F, Tsatsaris V, Salomon LJ, Sananes N, Kayem G, Houflin-Debarge V, Schmitz T, Benoist G, Arnaud C, Ehlinger V, Vayssiere C; Groupe de Recherche en Gynecologie Obstetrique. Arabin pessary to prevent adverse perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies with a short cervix: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (PESSARONE). Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Aug;227(2):271.e1-271.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.01.038. Epub 2022 Feb 3.
PubMed 35123930
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Pessary to Prevent Prematurity in Twins in Case of Short Cervix
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02328989
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PESSAR'ONE / 13 7048 01
- Conditions
- Pregnancy
- Keywords
- prematurity, short cervix, twin pregnancy, pessary
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 324 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, ToulouseUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Nov 2014
- Primary completion
- Oct 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- Oct 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 31 Dec 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
For 25 years, the twin pregnancy rate has regularly increased in the majority of European countries and in the United States, by 35% between 1981 and 2006. Increased use of medically assisted procreation and older maternal age are the two main causes. At the present time twin pregnancies represent nearly 20% of premature deliveries. The rate of very premature births (< 32-34 weeks) is 7 times higher in twin pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies. As prematurity accounts for 75% of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and extreme prematurity is the principal cause of neonatal mortality and of brain sequelae in twins, the search for a preventive treatment appears as a priority in perinatal medicine. The investigators recently showed in a prospective multicenter study that cervical ultrasound at 22 and 27 wks was a better predictive investigation of premature delivery < 34 wks than digital examination. Recently in a randomized trial in a population of short-cervix singleton pregnancies, the premature delivery rate decreased by 40% in the pessary group compared with the usual management group. No other trial of pessary use in short-cervix twin pregnancies was published today. Recently, in a historical comparison of twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with laser, Carreras et al. have showed a decreased rate of preterm delivery with the use of pessary in case of short cervix. The investigators wish to set up a randomized multicenter study in France in the population of short-cervix twin pregnancies to show a potential benefit of the pessary compared with simple surveillance.
Detailed description
For 25 years, the twin pregnancy rate has regularly increased in the majority of European countries and in the United States, by 35% between 1981 and 2006. Increased use of medically assisted procreation and older maternal age are the two main causes. At the present time twin pregnancies represent nearly 20% of premature deliveries. The rate of very premature births (< 32-34 weeks) is 7 times higher in twin pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies. As prematurity accounts for 75% of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and extreme prematurity is the principal cause of neonatal mortality and of brain sequelae in twins, the search for a preventive treatment appears as a priority in perinatal medicine. The investigators recently showed in a prospective multicenter study that cervical ultrasound at 22 and 27 wks was a better predictive investigation of premature delivery < 34 wks than digital examination.[1] As there is currently no recommended preventive treatment for prematurity in twin pregnancies[2], the 2009 guidelines of the College of Obstetricians leave the teams with the option of carrying out systematic cervical ultrasound or not during follow-up investigations.[3] Recently in a randomized trial in a population of short-cervix singleton pregnancies, the premature delivery rate decreased by 40% in the pessary group compared with the usual management group.[4] In a recent multicenter trial (ProTWIN), while therapeutic efficacy of the pessary (versus usual management) was not demonstrated in the overall group of twin pregnancies, in the short-cervix subgroup (< 25th percentile of the population) the < 32 wks delivery rate decreased from 29% to 14% (OR= 0.49 (0.24-0.97) and neonatal morbidity also decreased.[5] No other trial of pessary use in short-cervix twin pregnancies was published today. Recently, in a historical comparison of twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with laser, Carreras et al. have showed a decreased rate of preterm delivery with the use of pessary in case of short cervix.[6] The investigators wish to set up a randomized multicenter study in France in the population of short-cervix twin pregnancies to show a potential benefit of the pessary compared with simple surveillance.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Pessary | Experimental | Device: PessaryThe device will be placed in the vagina during the consultation. It is rinsed in sterile water for lubrification and left in place until delivery or remove at 36 weeks in case of no delivery before. There is no need to use any analgesia. The good position of the pessary is checking in the same time than the placement with digital examination. |
| No pessary | No intervention | –No pessary will be placed in the vagina. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Asymptomatic twin pregnancies between 16 and 24+0 weeks CL < 25th percentile for GA
- < 35mm between 16 and 24+0d weeks Vaginal swabs for bacteriological analysis < 72 hours Patient age > 18 years Written informed consent obtained French first language (speak, read, understand) French social security cover
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Painful regular contractions
- Major fetal abnormalities
- Fetal malformation
- Active vaginal bleeding, placenta praevia
- Discordance fetal weight more than 40%
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| PessaryThe device will be placed in the vagina during the consultation. It is rinsed in sterile water for lubrification and left in place until delivery or remove at 36 weeks in case of no delivery before. There is no need to use any analgesia. The good position of the pessary is checking in the same time than the placement with digital examination. | Device | Pessary |
Primary outcome
perinatal death or significant neonatal morbidity until discharge from the hospital
Time frame: 6 months
it's a composite outcome : perinatal death (i.e medical interruption of pregnancy, intrauterine fetal death, or death occurring during the first four weeks after birth, before day 29), or significant neonatal morbidity until discharge from the hospital, defined as one or more of the following complications: bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) grade III or IV, periventricular leucomalacia (PVL), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) grade II or higher, culture proven sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment.
4 secondary outcomes
Preterm delivery
Time frame: 6 months
To evaluate the prolongation of pregnancy in days
Time frame: 6 months
The differential cost-efficacy ratio of the two strategies
Time frame: 6 months
Tolerance of the pessary
Time frame: 6 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Dec 2025.
- Results publication: PubMed 35123930Groussolles M, Winer N, Sentilhes L, Biquart F, Massoud M, Vivanti AJ, Bouchghoul H, Rozenberg P, Olivier P, Desbriere R, Chauleur C, Perrotin F, Coatleven F, Fuchs F, Bretelle F, Tsatsaris V, Salomon LJ, Sananes N, Kayem G, Houflin-Debarge V, Schmitz T, Benoist G, Arnaud C, Ehlinger V, Vayssiere C; Groupe de Recherche en Gynecologie Obstetrique. Arabin pessary to prevent adverse perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies with a short cervix: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (PESSARONE). Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Aug;227(2):271.e1-271.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.01.038. Epub 2022 Feb 3.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Christophe Vayssière, PhD study director
University Hospital, Toulouse
18 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Pessary in people with Pregnancy, run by University Hospital, Toulouse at 18 sites in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 18 sites in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
perinatal death or significant neonatal morbidity until discharge from the hospital (time frame: 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02328989, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Dec 2025.