Major Depressive DisorderNCT04344678
The Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor Sildenafil as an Adjunct to Antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder Patients
A study testing Sildenafil Citrate in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Sadat City University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
Antidepressant-like effects of sildenafil to its ability to modulate transduction pathways responsible for neuroplasticity. Treatment with sildenafil was shown to be PKG-dependent and lead to increased expression of cGMP, pCREB, BDNF and VGF in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), brain areas relevant to mood… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Major Depressive Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Sildenafil Citrate
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2020to 31 Dec 2024
- 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
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Eighty adult outpatients with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) diagnosis of MDD based on a MINI Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) (American Psychiatric Association., 2000; Sheehan et al., 1998), without psychotic features and a total 17 item HAM-D score of at least 18 with item 1 (depressed mood) scored 2 or greater were eligible (Hamilton, 1960).
- Patients were requested to be free of all the psychotropic and anti-inflammatory medications for at least 4 weeks before participating in the study.
Who cannot join
- Patients with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder
- Patients with personality disorders
- Patients with eating disorders
- Patients with substance dependence or abuse
- Patients with concurrent active medical condition
- Patients with history of seizures
Show all 13Show fewer
- Patients with history of receiving Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- Patients with inflammatory disorders
- Patients with allergy or contraindications to the used medications
- Patients with finally pregnant or lactating females
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Severe renal impairment: creatinine clearance of ≤ 25 ml/min
- Moderate or severe hepatic impairment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor Sildenafil as an Adjunct to Antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder Patients: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Antidepressant-like effects of sildenafil to its ability to modulate transduction pathways responsible for neuroplasticity. Treatment with sildenafil was shown to be PKG-dependent and lead to increased expression of cGMP, pCREB, BDNF and VGF in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), brain areas relevant to mood disorders pathophysiology. Sildenafil produces antidepressant-like effects by inhibiting oxidative stress in the hippocampus and by decreasing the levels of IL-1β in the hippocampus and striatum.
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Being tested
- Sildenafil Citrate, Placebo oral tablet
- Medical subject headings
- Depressive Disorder, Major
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Sildenafil CitrateDrug
Esitalopram 20 mg tablet plus Sildenafil Citrate 50 mg tablet once daily
Placebo oral tabletDrug
Esitalopram 20 mg tablet plus placebo tablet once daily
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control group | Placebo comparator | Escitalopram 20 mg tablet plus one placebo tablet Receives: Drug: Placebo oral tablet |
| Sildenafil group | Experimental | Escitalopram 20 mg tablet plus one Sildenafil 50 mg tablet Receives: Drug: Sildenafil Citrate |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Effect on Hamilton Depression rating scale score (HAM-D score)
The principal measure of the outcome was the 17-items HAM-D. Scoring is based on the 17-item scale and scores of 0-7 are considered as being normal, 8-13 suggest mild depression, 14-17 moderate depression and scores over 17 are indicative of severe depression. Remission is defined as HAM-D total score ≤ 7 (primary outcome). Treatment response is defined as ≥ 50% drop in the HAM-D total score.
Measured: 12 week
Secondary outcomes (1)
Effect on biological markers
Serum level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured at the baseline and after the treatment to evaluate the biological effects of the used medications.
Measured: 12 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Apr 2020
- Study start1 Jan 2020
- Primary completion31 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2024 (estimated)
Why it stopped: Institutional and funding constrains
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Major Depressive DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sadat City University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mahmoud Samy Abdallah, Sadat City University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04344678
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 0044/2020
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 9 Apr 2020
- Last updated
- 14 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitor Sildenafil as an Adjunct to Antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder Patients: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04344678
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 0044/2020
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: Institutional and funding constrains
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Sadat City UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Apr 2020 (actual)
- 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.
Antidepressant-like effects of sildenafil to its ability to modulate transduction pathways responsible for neuroplasticity. Treatment with sildenafil was shown to be PKG-dependent and lead to increased expression of cGMP, pCREB, BDNF and VGF in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), brain areas relevant to mood disorders pathophysiology. Sildenafil produces antidepressant-like effects by inhibiting oxidative stress in the hippocampus and by decreasing the levels of IL-1β in the hippocampus and striatum.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control group | Placebo comparator | Drug: Placebo oral tabletEscitalopram 20 mg tablet plus one placebo tablet |
| Sildenafil group | Experimental | Drug: Sildenafil CitrateEscitalopram 20 mg tablet plus one Sildenafil 50 mg tablet |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Eighty adult outpatients with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) diagnosis of MDD based on a MINI Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) (American Psychiatric Association., 2000; Sheehan et al., 1998), without psychotic features and a total 17 item HAM-D score of at least 18 with item 1 (depressed mood) scored 2 or greater were eligible (Hamilton, 1960).
- Patients were requested to be free of all the psychotropic and anti-inflammatory medications for at least 4 weeks before participating in the study.
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Patients with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder
- Patients with personality disorders
- Patients with eating disorders
- Patients with substance dependence or abuse
- Patients with concurrent active medical condition
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sildenafil CitrateEsitalopram 20 mg tablet plus Sildenafil Citrate 50 mg tablet once daily | Drug | Sildenafil group |
| Placebo oral tabletEsitalopram 20 mg tablet plus placebo tablet once daily | Drug | Control group |
Primary outcome
Effect on Hamilton Depression rating scale score (HAM-D score)
Time frame: 12 week
The principal measure of the outcome was the 17-items HAM-D. Scoring is based on the 17-item scale and scores of 0-7 are considered as being normal, 8-13 suggest mild depression, 14-17 moderate depression and scores over 17 are indicative of severe depression. Remission is defined as HAM-D total score ≤ 7 (primary outcome). Treatment response is defined as ≥ 50% drop in the HAM-D total score.
1 secondary outcome
Effect on biological markers
Time frame: 12 week
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jul 2025.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Sildenafil Citrate in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Sadat City University at 1 site in Egypt.
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: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jul 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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 was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
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?
Effect on Hamilton Depression rating scale score (HAM-D score) (time frame: 12 week). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 14 Jul 2025.