A Phase 2 interventional study of Elagolix and Ortho Cyclen in Endometriosis and Unexplained Infertility, sponsored by Wake Forest University Health Sciences. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 42 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-07-26.
Sponsored by Wake Forest University Health Sciences · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
Studies suggest that undiagnosed endometriosis results in poor reproductive outcomes in the setting of In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET). Biomarkers that predict endometriosis including B-cell lymphoma (BCL6) and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) are associated with reduced pregnancy rates following IVF-ET. Treatment with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRHr) receptor agonists (leuprolide acetate depot) has been shown to improve pregnancy rates following embryo transfer (ET). In this randomized controlled trial, a new generation GnRHr antagonist, elagolix, will be compared to oral contraceptives (OCPs) for suppression of suspected endometriosis prior to ET. Both groups will receive two months of treatment prior to frozen embryo transfer of a single euploid embryo. Outcomes will include pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and ongoing and live birth rate following treatment. Patients experiencing unanticipated problems or who experience adverse events such that they do not tolerate the treatment they are assigned, will be allowed to discontinue treatment and be provided the opportunity to use the other treatment if they so choose. The outcomes of such cycles would be collected separately and included as observational data only and not included in the randomized data analysis. Alternatively, they can simply drop out of the study and resume medical therapy as appropriate or pursue frozen embryo transfer as previously planned.
Although meta-analyses have not demonstrated an effect of endometriosis on IVF outcomes, most women with endometriosis undergoing IVF have not been diagnosed or treated for their disease. Recent evidence suggests that biomarkers for endometriosis predict IVF failure and miscarriage. Further suppression of endometriosis prior to IVF has been shown to dramatically improve pregnancy rates in unexplained infertility with suspected endometriosis. Elagolix (Orilissa) is a new generation FDA approved orally active GnRHr antagonist that is rapidly reversible, for the treatment of endometriosis and pelvic pain. There have been no studies on the efficacy of elagolix for the treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility. Given the recent study in Fertility and Sterility demonstrating IVF outcome prediction using BCL6 as a biomarker for the presence of endometriosis and subsequent preliminary data showing benefit using surgery and GnRH agonist therapy, there is adequate rationale to examine the use of the orally active, non-peptide compound (elagolix) for estrogen suppression prior to frozen embryo transfer in women who test positive for BCL6 and an associated protein, SIRT1. In this multi-central randomized controlled trial (RCT), the EFFECT Trial, the investigators plan to recruit 100 subjects with prior unexplained IVF failure with positive endometrial BCL6/SIRT1 expression. To qualify all subjects will need to have a preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A) tested euploid embryo and intentions to undergo frozen embryo transfer. Subjects will be randomized to receive elagolix (200 mg BID) or OCPs for 2 months prior to standardized FET. Primary study outcomes will be pregnancy outcome.
2,506 studies on the registry are indexed under Infertility; 407 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 120 across 1,698 interventional studies indexed under Infertility.
Browse Infertility studies →Wake Forest University Health Sciences is the lead sponsor of 1,320 studies on the registry; 199 are open to participants now.
Of its 323 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 243 (75%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Elagolix will be dosed at the higher dose used in pelvic pain trials, 200 mg twice a day for 2 months.
Drug: Elagolix
Elagolix will be compared to a less potent standard commonly used prior to IVF or embryo transfer, namely estrogen containing birth control pills.
Drug: Ortho Cyclen
This orally active, reversible GnRH antagonist will be used to suppress endometriosis by lowering estrogen levels for 2 months prior to FET
Also known as: Orilissa
Oral contraceptive prescribed by physician.
Number of Live Births
Time frame: Month 9
Number of Miscarriages
The number of subjects with a first trimester pregnancy loss
Time frame: week 15
Number of Viable Pregnancies
Time frame: 12 to 15 weeks
Inflammation Measurements
nanostring arrays for both miRNAs and inflammation biomarkers
Time frame: week 15
| Milestone | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) |
|---|---|---|
| Started | 5 | 5 |
| Completed | 5 | 3 |
| Not completed | 0 | 2 |
| Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject | 0 | 2 |
| live births | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Live Births | 3 | 1 |
The number of subjects with a first trimester pregnancy loss
| miscarriages | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Miscarriages | 2 | 1 |
| Participants | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Viable Pregnancies | 5 | 2 |
nanostring arrays for both miRNAs and inflammation biomarkers
Results for this outcome have not been posted.
Collected over baseline through month 9. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elagolix | 0/5 (0%) | 0/5 (0%) | 0/5 (0%) |
| Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) | 0/5 (0%) | 0/5 (0%) | 2/5 (40%) |
| Event | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) |
|---|---|---|
| Abnormal uterine bleedingReproductive system and breast disorders | 0/5 | 2/5 |
| Age, Continuous(years) | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | 36.9699175 ± 3.894399758 | 32.417758 ± 3.606106781 | 34.44094 ± 4.236217486 |
| Sex: Female, Male(Participants) | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Male | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| White | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| More than one race | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Region of Enrollment(participants) | Elagolix | Oral Contraceptives (Ortho Cyclen) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | 5 | 10 |
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Wake Forest University Health Sciences