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TerminatedNCT01205516Updated Jan 28, 2021

Methadone in Neuropathic Pain

A Phase 4 interventional study of Methadone and Controlled Release Morphine in Chronic Neuropathic Pain, sponsored by Nova Scotia Health Authority. Terminated at 3 sites in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-01-28.

Sponsored by Nova Scotia Health Authority · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Funding agency withdrew funding due to slow recruitment
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
14
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

INTRODUCTION: There is an important need for inexpensive drugs that treat neuropathic pain. Early research suggests that methadone may be a good, inexpensive drug to treat neuropathic pain. Methadone is available in a low cost powder that is easily prepared for different routes of administration. This study will look at the effect and safety of methadone compared to the regular treatment of morphine for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.

OBJECTIVES: First the investigators want to determine if methadone is effective and safe for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Since a placebo control group would be unethical, the proposed comparator will consist of the "gold standard" conventional treatment, controlled release morphine. The investigators will compare methadone to controlled-release morphine with regard to how it affects the level of pain and extent of side effects. Next the investigators want to examine safety as well as to determine whether methadone leads to improvements in physical and emotional functioning, and participants' satisfaction with the treatment.

METHODS: A double blind, randomized trial comparing methadone and controlled release morphine is proposed. After 1-week, participants will be randomly assigned to either methadone or controlled release morphine and will gradually build to a dose at which they receive adequate pain relief without unacceptable levels of side effects. This 5-week phase will be followed by a 6-week dose phase and then a 4-week tapering off phase.

Study drug: The study drug is methadone supplied in 2.5 mg tablets. The comparator will consist of controlled release morphine in 10 mg tablets. The dose of each will range from 1-12 tablets taken every 12 hours (dose ranges methadone 5-60 mg/day, controlled release morphine 20-240 mg/day).

Setting: This is a 3-site study involving pain clinics in Halifax, Nova Scotia; London, Ontario; and Calgary, Alberta.

02

Conditions studied

  • Chronic Neuropathic Pain

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03

In context

Neuralgia

1,287 studies on the registry are indexed under Neuralgia; 256 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 14 is below the median of 52 across 973 interventional studies indexed under Neuralgia.

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Lead sponsor

Nova Scotia Health Authority is the lead sponsor of 255 studies on the registry; 76 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age greater than18 years
  • Chronic neuropathic pain of central or peripheral origin for 3 months or longer as determined by the study physician and a score of 4/10 or greater on the DN4
  • Moderate to severe pain as defined by average 7-day pain score of greater than 4 on an 11-point numerical rating scale for pain intensity (NRS-PI).
  • Physician has identified that an opioid is a valid adjunctive treatment for the chronic neuropathic pain.
  • Concomitant non-opioid analgesic medications must have been stable for 14 days.
  • Co-interventions such as TENS, acupuncture and massage must have been stable for 14 days prior to the trial
  • If taking an opioid, maximum dose of opioid in oral morphine equivalents (OME) is 90 mg/24 hours.
  • Ability to follow the protocol with reference to cognitive and situational conditions; e.g., stable housing, able to attend follow-up visits.
  • Willing and able to give written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients on a dose of opioid that exceeds 90 mg/24 hours in OME
  • Pregnant or lactating women (women of childbearing potential must have negative pregnancy test)
  • History of psychosis
  • History of (within the past 2 years) , or current, substance dependency disorder
  • Excluded medications are listed in Appendix 1.
  • Presence of clinically significant cardiac or pulmonary disorder on physical exam that would compromise participants' safety in the trial as judged by the study physician.
  • Presence of significant conduction delay, ischemia or arrhythmia on screening ECG
  • Presence of severe pain disorder other than the chronic neuropathic pain under study that would interfere with patient's ability to determine effect of study treatment on the chronic neuropathic pain
  • Abnormalities above 1.5 times upper range of normal on screening CBC, blood chemistry including BUN, Cr, LDH, AST, ALT
  • Patients with a history of allergy to any opioid.
  • Participation in another clinical trial in the 30 days prior to enrolment.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
14 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Methadone

    Drug: Methadone

  • Active comparator
    Controlled Release Morphine

    Controlled release morphine supplied in 10 mg tablets, 1-12 tablets taken twice daily, every 12 hours (range 20-240 mg per 24 hours).

    Drug: Controlled Release Morphine

Interventions

  • DrugMethadone

    Patients in the methadone arm will be supplied with 2.5 mg tablets. The dose will consist of 1-12 tablets taken twice daily, every 12 hours (range 5-60 mg per 24 hours).

  • DrugControlled Release Morphine

    controlled release morphine supplied in 10 mg tablets, 1-12 tablets taken twice daily, every 12 hours (range 20-240 mg per 24 hours).

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. to determine if methadone is an effective opioid for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain

    Time frame: 16 weeks

07

Study locations

3 sites
  • QEII Health Science Centre Pain Management Unit
    Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada
  • St. Joseph's Health Care Centre, Neuropathic Pain Clinic
    London, Ontario N6A4L6, Canada
  • Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Centre
    Montreal, Quebec H3G1A4, Canada
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Lynch M, Moulin D, Perez J. Methadone vs. morphine SR for treatment of neuropathic pain: A randomized controlled trial and the challenges in recruitment. Can J Pain. 2019 Oct 22;3(1):180-189. doi: 10.1080/24740527.2019.1660575. eCollection 2019. PubMed 35005408 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 28, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01205516
Lead sponsor
Nova Scotia Health Authority
Collaborators
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, Dalhousie University
Responsible party
Mary Lynch (MD FRCPC, Nova Scotia Health Authority) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 20, 2010
Start date
Jan 2013
Primary completion
Dec 2017
Completion
Dec 2017
Last update
Jan 28, 2021

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Jul 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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