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WithdrawnNCT00120640Updated Sep 19, 2012

Treatment of Preterm Labor With 17 Alpha-hydroxyprogesterone Caproate

An interventional study of 17 hydroxyprogesterone caproate intramuscular injections in Premature Birth and Premature Labor, sponsored by Yale University. Withdrawn. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2012-09-19.

Sponsored by Yale University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was withdrawn
funding
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
0
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The goal of our research will be to determine the effectiveness of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P) in the treatment of preterm delivery. Treatment with progesterone is emerging as the standard of care for prevention of preterm delivery in asymptomatic patients at high risk for preterm birth due to a prior preterm delivery. Our goal is to evaluate whether or not progesterone is also effective in reducing preterm birth in symptomatic patients.

Read the detailed description

Preterm delivery remains one of the most important issues facing perinatal medicine today. In 1999, prematurity/low birthweight accounted for 4,304 neonatal deaths, reflecting a rate of neonatal mortality due to prematurity of 23.0 per 100,000 live births. Despite the extent of the problem, the exact etiology of preterm delivery is not completely understood. It is clear that many pathways are involved in preterm delivery, and that ultimately these must converge upon one final endpoint, which is likely related to progesterone. In the animal model progesterone withdrawal is clearly directly (rodent, rabbit) or indirectly (sheep) involved in the initiation of parturition, however the exact way in which progesterone works in humans is unclear. There has been a resurgence of interest in the association between progesterone and preterm delivery. Two recent trials have looked at the utility of progesterone in the prevention of preterm delivery in high-risk patients. In a multicenter trial reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003, Meis et al, recruited 463 patients with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery and randomized them in a 2:1 ratio to intramuscular 17-hydroxyprogesterone vs. placebo from 16-20 weeks until 36 weeks. Treatment with 17P significantly reduced the risk of delivery at \<37 weeks, \<35 weeks, and \<32 weeks.

The Yale Progesterone Study is a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the use of 17 hydroxyprogesterone for the treatment of preterm labor. The design is similar to the Meis NEJM trial, except that the patients will be symptomatic with preterm labor, rather than asymptomatic with a history of preterm delivery. In addition to the therapeutic intervention planned, the researchers intend to collect specimens to assess for markers of PTD, both before and after treatment. In this way, the researchers can analyze which pathway of PTD is involved, and finally, the effect of progesterone on these markers can be assessed.

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Conditions studied

  • Premature Birth
  • Premature Labor

Keywords

  • Premature birth
  • Premature labor
  • Progesterone
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In context

Premature Birth

2,554 studies on the registry are indexed under Premature Birth; 498 are open to participants now.

Browse Premature Birth studies →

Lead sponsor

Yale University is the lead sponsor of 1,724 studies on the registry; 298 are open to participants now.

Of its 210 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 126 (60%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients in preterm labor as described above.
  • Patients with an accurately dated singleton gestation. Accurate dating is defined as estimated date of delivery (EDD) based on last menstrual period (LMP) dating (280 days after the first day of the LMP) confirmed by an ultrasound done before 20 weeks, which yields an EDD within 10 days of LMP dating. If the LMP is not available, the EDD must be based on 2 ultrasounds performed at least 2 weeks apart, which are concordant within 5 days of the same EDD.
  • Patients with their first presentation of preterm labor will be invited to participate.
  • Patients whose plan of management includes admission to the hospital and administration of antenatal steroids for fetal well being.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Rupture of membranes
  • Major known fetal anomalies
  • Cervical dilation > 4 centimeters
  • Uterine anomalies
  • Cervical cerclage
  • Treatment during this pregnancy with progesterone after 14 weeks' gestation (use up to 14 weeks' gestation is permitted)
  • Previous admission for preterm labor
  • Contraindications to tocolysis, including fetal distress, chorioamnionitis, preeclampsia, hemodynamic instability
  • Coexisting maternal disease including hypertension requiring medical therapy, cancer, seizure disorder, thromboembolic disorders, liver disease. Patients treated with oral beta adrenergics for asthma are also excluded.
  • Age \< 18 years
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double
Enrollment
0 participants (actual)

Interventions

  • Drug17 hydroxyprogesterone caproate intramuscular injections
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Delivery <37 weeks' gestation

  2. Delivery <34 weeks' gestation

  3. Delivery <32 weeks' gestation

Secondary outcomes

  1. Neonatal outcomes

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Publications

  • Meis PJ, Klebanoff M, Thom E, Dombrowski MP, Sibai B, Moawad AH, Spong CY, Hauth JC, Miodovnik M, Varner MW, Leveno KJ, Caritis SN, Iams JD, Wapner RJ, Conway D, O'Sullivan MJ, Carpenter M, Mercer B, Ramin SM, Thorp JM, Peaceman AM, Gabbe S; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. Prevention of recurrent preterm delivery by 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate. N Engl J Med. 2003 Jun 12;348(24):2379-85. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa035140. Erratum In: N Engl J Med. 2003 Sep 25;349(13):1299. N Engl J Med. 2024 Jul 11;391(2):192. doi: 10.1056/NEJMx240004. PubMed 12802023 ↗
  • da Fonseca EB, Bittar RE, Carvalho MH, Zugaib M. Prophylactic administration of progesterone by vaginal suppository to reduce the incidence of spontaneous preterm birth in women at increased risk: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Feb;188(2):419-24. doi: 10.1067/mob.2003.41. PubMed 12592250 ↗
  • McLean M, Bisits A, Davies J, Woods R, Lowry P, Smith R. A placental clock controlling the length of human pregnancy. Nat Med. 1995 May;1(5):460-3. doi: 10.1038/nm0595-460. PubMed 7585095 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 19, 2012, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00120640
Lead sponsor
Yale University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jul 18, 2005
Start date
Jul 2005
Last update
Sep 19, 2012

Study contacts

Anna K Sfakianaki, MD
principal investigator · Yale University
Edmund F Funai, MD
principal investigator · Yale University
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is withdrawn, as verified in Sep 2012. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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