Depressive Disorder, MajorPhase 3CANDLENCT07747389
A Study of Lumateperone Versus Placebo in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder
A Phase 3 study testing Lumateperone in people with Depressive Disorder, Major, run by Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc..
Trial summary
The purpose of the study is to assess how well each dose of lumateperone (Dose 1 and 2) works when given alone as compared to placebo in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD; a medical condition characterized by a persistent feeling of deep sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities for a… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 74 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Depressive Disorder, Major
- What is being tested?
- Lumateperone
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 585 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 11 Nov 2026to 23 Oct 2029
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 74 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Medically stable based on physical examination, medical history, vital signs, and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at screening and where applicable at DB period baseline
- Medically stable based on clinical laboratory tests performed at screening and where applicable at DB period baseline
- Meets the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for recurrent or single episode MDD, without psychotic features, based upon clinical assessment and confirmed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis I Disorders - Clinical Trials Version (SCID-CT)
- Has moderate-to-severe depression as measured by a rater-administered MADRS total greater than or equal to (>=) 26 score and corresponding to a CGI-S score of >=4 at screening and DB baseline
- Has a Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report-16 item (QIDS-SR-16) score of >=15 at screening and DB baseline
Who cannot join
- The participant experiences a >=25 percent (%) decrease in the MADRS total score between screening and DB baseline
- The participant experiences a >=25% decrease in the QIDS-SR-16 total score between screening and DB baseline
- Has homicidal ideation/intent, per the investigator's clinical judgment, or has suicidal ideation with some intent to act within 3 months prior to the start of the screening period, per the investigator's clinical judgment or based on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), corresponding to a response of "Yes" on Item 4 (active suicidal ideation with some intent to act, without specific plan) or Item 5 (active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent) for suicidal ideation on the C-SSRS, or a history of suicidal behavior within the past 6 months prior to the start of the screening period
- Has a history of moderate-to-severe substance use disorder including alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria within 6 months before screening
- Has a history or evidence of clinically meaningful noncompliance with antidepressant therapy (ADT)s
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Fixed Doses of Lumateperone Administered as Monotherapy in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder and an Open-label Long-term Extension Treatment With Lumateperone
The purpose of the study is to assess how well each dose of lumateperone (Dose 1 and 2) works when given alone as compared to placebo in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD; a medical condition characterized by a persistent feeling of deep sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities for a prolonged period of time and interfere with ability to function).
- Conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Major
- Being tested
- Lumateperone, Placebo
- 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.
LumateperoneDrug
Also called Caplyta
Participants will receive lumateperone orally.
PlaceboDrug
Participants will receive placebo orally.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Lumateperone: Dose 1 | Experimental | Eligible participants will receive dose 1 of lumateperone once daily starting on Day 1 of Double-blind (DB) treatment period for up to 6 weeks. At Visit Week 6, participants who completed DB Treatment Period, may have the option to roll over into an open-label (OL) treatment period to receive dose 1 or dose 2 of lumateperone for up to 24 weeks. Receives: Drug: Lumateperone |
| Lumateperone: Dose 2 | Experimental | Eligible participants will receive dose 2 of lumateperone once daily starting on Day 1 of DB treatment period for up to 6 weeks. At Visit Week 6, participants who completed DB Treatment Period, may have the option to roll over into an OL treatment period to receive dose 1 or dose 2 of lumateperone for up to 24 weeks. Receives: Drug: Lumateperone |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Eligible participants will receive placebo once daily starting on Day 1 of DB treatment period for up to 6 weeks. At Visit Week 6, participants who complete the DB treatment period, may have the option to participate in OL treatment period to receive dose 1 or dose 2 of lumateperone for up to 24 weeks. Receives: Drug: Lumateperone; Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from DB Baseline in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score to End of Week 6
The MADRS is a 10-item clinician-rated scale designed to measure the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS total score ranges from 0 to 60 where higher score indicates more severity in symptoms.
Measured: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 6
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change from DB Baseline in Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) Score to Week 6
The CGI-S evaluates the severity of participant's depressive symptoms on a scale of 0 to 7. Considering total clinical experience, a participant is assessed on severity of mental illness at the time of rating according to: 0=not assessed; 1=normal (not at all ill); 2=borderline mentally ill; 3=mildly ill; 4=moderately ill; 5=markedly ill; 6=severely ill; 7=among the most extremely ill participants.
Measured: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 6
Change from DB Baseline in MADRS Total Score to Week 2
The MADRS is a 10-item clinician-rated scale designed to measure the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS total score ranges from 0 to 60 where higher score indicates more severity in symptoms.
Measured: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 2
Change from DB Baseline in MADRS Total Score to Week 1
The MADRS is a 10-item clinician-rated scale designed to measure the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS total score ranges from 0 to 60 where higher score indicates more severity in symptoms.
Measured: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 1
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Aug 2026
- Study start11 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion20 Sep 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion23 Oct 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Depressive Disorder, MajorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.The 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 3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 585 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. Clinical Trial, Study director, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07747389
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 86952580MDD3001
- Other IDs
- 2026-525307-27-00
- Acronym
- CANDLE
- Status last verified
- Nov 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The data sharing policy of Johnson \& Johnson Innovative Medicine is available at innovativemedicine.jnj.com/our-innovation/clinical-trials/transparency. As noted on this site, requests for access to the study data can be submitted through Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project site at yoda.yale.edu
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Fixed Doses of Lumateperone Administered as Monotherapy in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder and an Open-label Long-term Extension Treatment With Lumateperone
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07747389
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CANDLE / 86952580MDD3001
- Conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Major
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 585 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Study start
- 11 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 20 Sep 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 23 Oct 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Aug 2026 (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.
The purpose of the study is to assess how well each dose of lumateperone (Dose 1 and 2) works when given alone as compared to placebo in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD; a medical condition characterized by a persistent feeling of deep sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities for a prolonged period of time and interfere with ability to function).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Lumateperone: Dose 1 | Experimental | Drug: LumateperoneEligible participants will receive dose 1 of lumateperone once daily starting on Day 1 of Double-blind (DB) treatment period for up to 6 weeks. At Visit Week 6, participants who completed DB Treatment Period, may have the option to roll over into an open-label (OL) treatment period to receive dose 1 or dose 2 of lumateperone for up to 24 weeks. |
| Lumateperone: Dose 2 | Experimental | Drug: LumateperoneEligible participants will receive dose 2 of lumateperone once daily starting on Day 1 of DB treatment period for up to 6 weeks. At Visit Week 6, participants who completed DB Treatment Period, may have the option to roll over into an OL treatment period to receive dose 1 or dose 2 of lumateperone for up to 24 weeks. |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: Lumateperone, Drug: PlaceboEligible participants will receive placebo once daily starting on Day 1 of DB treatment period for up to 6 weeks. At Visit Week 6, participants who complete the DB treatment period, may have the option to participate in OL treatment period to receive dose 1 or dose 2 of lumateperone for up to 24 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 74 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Medically stable based on physical examination, medical history, vital signs, and 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed at screening and where applicable at DB period baseline
- Medically stable based on clinical laboratory tests performed at screening and where applicable at DB period baseline
- Meets the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for recurrent or single episode MDD, without psychotic features, based upon clinical assessment and confirmed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis I Disorders - Clinical Trials Version (SCID-CT)
- Has moderate-to-severe depression as measured by a rater-administered MADRS total greater than or equal to (>=) 26 score and corresponding to a CGI-S score of >=4 at screening and DB baseline
- Has a Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report-16 item (QIDS-SR-16) score of >=15 at screening and DB baseline
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- The participant experiences a >=25 percent (%) decrease in the MADRS total score between screening and DB baseline
- The participant experiences a >=25% decrease in the QIDS-SR-16 total score between screening and DB baseline
- Has homicidal ideation/intent, per the investigator's clinical judgment, or has suicidal ideation with some intent to act within 3 months prior to the start of the screening period, per the investigator's clinical judgment or based on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), corresponding to a response of "Yes" on Item 4 (active suicidal ideation with some intent to act, without specific plan) or Item 5 (active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent) for suicidal ideation on the C-SSRS, or a history of suicidal behavior within the past 6 months prior to the start of the screening period
- Has a history of moderate-to-severe substance use disorder including alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria within 6 months before screening
- Has a history or evidence of clinically meaningful noncompliance with antidepressant therapy (ADT)s
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 |
|---|---|---|
| LumateperoneAlso: CaplytaParticipants will receive lumateperone orally. | Drug | Lumateperone: Dose 1, Lumateperone: Dose 2, Placebo |
| PlaceboParticipants will receive placebo orally. | Drug | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Change from DB Baseline in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score to End of Week 6
Time frame: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 6
The MADRS is a 10-item clinician-rated scale designed to measure the overall severity of depressive symptoms. The MADRS total score ranges from 0 to 60 where higher score indicates more severity in symptoms.
3 secondary outcomes
Change from DB Baseline in Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) Score to Week 6
Time frame: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 6
Change from DB Baseline in MADRS Total Score to Week 2
Time frame: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 2
Change from DB Baseline in MADRS Total Score to Week 1
Time frame: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 1
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The data sharing policy of Johnson \& Johnson Innovative Medicine is available at innovativemedicine.jnj.com/our-innovation/clinical-trials/transparency. As noted on this site, requests for access to the study data can be submitted through Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project site at yoda.yale.edu
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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.
Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. Clinical Trial study director
Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Lumateperone in people with Depressive Disorder, Major, run by Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc..
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 5 inclusion and 5 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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 phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Study Contact (844-434-4210, Participate-In-This-Study1@its.jnj.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from DB Baseline in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score to End of Week 6 (time frame: DB Baseline (Day 1) up to Week 6). 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 3 Nov 2026.