Major Depressive DisorderPhase 1/2NCT04410341
The DPP-4 Inhibitor Vildagliptin as Adjunct in Major Depressive Disorder Patients
A Phase 1/2 study testing Vildagliptin 50 MG and Escitalopram 20 mg in people with Major Depressive Disorder, run by Sadat City University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
Vildagliptin, an antidiabetic drug that inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase- 4 (DPP-4), increases glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and regulates blood glucose levels, favoring weight loss and lowering cardiovascular risk. A retrospective longitudinal study by Rizzo et al. 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?
- Vildagliptin 50 MG and Escitalopram 20 mg
- 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 May 2020to 1 Dec 2024
- Phase
- Phase 1/2
- 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 DPP-4 Inhibitor Vildagliptin as Adjunct in Major Depressive Disorder Patients: A Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Vildagliptin, an antidiabetic drug that inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase- 4 (DPP-4), increases glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and regulates blood glucose levels, favoring weight loss and lowering cardiovascular risk. A retrospective longitudinal study by Rizzo et al. showed that DPP-4 inhibitors administration could have protective effects against cognitive decline in diabetic elderly. Is has been observed that GLP-1 affects brain metabolism, increases neuritic growth, and protects neuronal cells from oxidative stress and death.
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Being tested
- Vildagliptin 50 MG, Escitalopram 20 mg
- 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.
Vildagliptin 50 MGDrug
Vildagliptin, an antidiabetic drug that inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase- 4 (DPP-4), increases glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and regulates blood glucose levels, favoring weight loss and lowering cardiovascular risk.
Escitalopram 20 mgDrug
Escitalopram,Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor- Cilostazol, a selective phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibitor, acts as an antiplatelet agent and has been widely approved for treatment of intermittent claudication with peripheral arterial disease and for secondary prevention of ischemic stroke.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo group | Placebo comparator | Escitalopram 20 mg tablet once daily for 12 week plus placebo tablet once daily for 12 weeks Receives: Drug: Escitalopram 20 mg |
| Vildagliptin group | Experimental | Escitalopram 20 mg tablet once daily for 12 week plus Vildagliptin 50mg tablet once daily for 12 weeks Receives: Drug: Vildagliptin 50 MG; Drug: Escitalopram 20 mg |
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 (3)
Effect on biological markers
Serum level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)
Measured: Baseline and 12 week
Interleukin-6
Serum level of Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
Measured: Baseline and 12 week
BDNF
Serum level of Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
Measured: Baseline and 12 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Jun 2020
- Study start1 May 2020
- Primary completion1 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion1 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 1/2
- 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
- NCT04410341
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 0055/2020
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 27 May 2020
- Last updated
- 14 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
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 DPP-4 Inhibitor Vildagliptin as Adjunct in Major Depressive Disorder Patients: A Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04410341
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 0055/2020
- Conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Phase
- Phase 1/2
- 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 May 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Jun 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.
Vildagliptin, an antidiabetic drug that inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase- 4 (DPP-4), increases glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and regulates blood glucose levels, favoring weight loss and lowering cardiovascular risk. A retrospective longitudinal study by Rizzo et al. showed that DPP-4 inhibitors administration could have protective effects against cognitive decline in diabetic elderly. Is has been observed that GLP-1 affects brain metabolism, increases neuritic growth, and protects neuronal cells from oxidative stress and death.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo group | Placebo comparator | Drug: Escitalopram 20 mgEscitalopram 20 mg tablet once daily for 12 week plus placebo tablet once daily for 12 weeks |
| Vildagliptin group | Experimental | Drug: Vildagliptin 50 MG, Drug: Escitalopram 20 mgEscitalopram 20 mg tablet once daily for 12 week plus Vildagliptin 50mg tablet once daily for 12 weeks |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vildagliptin 50 MGVildagliptin, an antidiabetic drug that inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase- 4 (DPP-4), increases glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and regulates blood glucose levels, favoring weight loss and lowering cardiovascular risk. | Drug | Vildagliptin group |
| Escitalopram 20 mgEscitalopram,Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor- Cilostazol, a selective phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) inhibitor, acts as an antiplatelet agent and has been widely approved for treatment of intermittent claudication with peripheral arterial disease and for secondary prevention of ischemic stroke. | Drug | Placebo group, Vildagliptin 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.
3 secondary outcomes
Effect on biological markers
Time frame: Baseline and 12 week
Interleukin-6
Time frame: Baseline and 12 week
BDNF
Time frame: Baseline and 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.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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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 Phase 1/2 study testing Vildagliptin 50 MG and Escitalopram 20 mg 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.
What does this combined phase mean?
Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
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.