A Phase 2 interventional study of Vorinostat in Cushing's Disease, sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Withdrawn at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-04-15.
Sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
Background:
Cushing s disease is caused by excess ACTH hormone release by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. It can lead to decreased quality of life and early death. The current best treatment for Cushing s disease is surgery. If surgery does not work or if the tumor returns, there are no more good treatment options. Vorinostat, which is approved to treat a type of lymphoma, might be a treatment option.
Objective:
To test vorinostat to see if it can kill tumor cells and change the number of hormones released in people with Cushing s disease.
Eligibility:
People ages 18 and older who have Cushing s disease and are scheduled for surgery under protocol 03-N-0164 to remove a tumor in their pituitary gland
Design:
Participants will be screened under protocol 03-N-0164.
Participants will stay in the hospital for 8 days before their surgery.
On the first day, participants will have a physical exam and blood tests. They will have their urine collected for testing all day. They will have an ECG: For this, small metal disks or sticky electrode pads will be placed on their chest to record heart activity.
For the next 7 days, participants will have blood tests and all-day urine collection. They will drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day. They will take the study drug by mouth each morning.
On the eighth day, participants will have their surgery. Leftover tissue will be collected for research.
On the day they are discharged from the hospital, participants will have a physical exam and blood tests.
Study Description
This is a single center, prospective pilot study of effectiveness of vorinostat to reduce midnight ACTH levels in patients with Cushing s Disease. Surgery for resection of ACTH producing pituitary adenoma will be offered at the NIH under another protocol (03-N-0164) as part of standard clinical care. Eligible subjects will be admitted to the Clinical Center for one week prior to surgery, during which time oral vorinostat will be administered daily.
Objectives
Cushing s disease is caused by excess ACTH hormone release by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. The resulting increase in cortisol levels caused by increased ACTH causes a severe condition that leads to decreased quality of life and early death. The current best first treatment for Cushing s disease is surgery. However, if surgery is unsuccessful or if the tumor returns, there are no good treatment options for patients. In laboratory studies, we discovered that a previously FDA approved oral medication Vorinostat was able to kill tumors cells and reduce ACTH secretion. We want to test whether this drug can be used in patients with Cushing s disease to reduce ACTH levels.
Primary Objective: to determine whether vorinostat reduces midnight plasma ACTH level
Secondary Objectives: to evaluate the effect of vorinostat on urine cortisol levels
Endpoints
Primary Endpoint: midnight plasma ACTH level on the last day of drug administration. Secondary Endpoints: serum cortisol change during drug administration.
64 studies on the registry are indexed under Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion; 16 are open to participants now.
Browse Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion studies →National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is the lead sponsor of 601 studies on the registry; 56 are open to participants now.
Of its 18 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 8 (44%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Presence of abnormal hematological and biochemical parameters, (such as anemia or thrombocytopenia) as defined as:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.
It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.
Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)
The number of neutrophils, white blood cells that help fight infection, in a given amount of blood. Too few raises the risk of infection.
It is a count, not a percentage of the white cells. Limits are written in units that mean the same: ≥ 1.5 × 10⁹/L is ≥ 1,500 per mm³ (µL). Each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hemoglobin (Hb)
The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Platelets
Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
INR, PT and aPTT (clotting tests)
Blood tests of how long blood takes to clot. The INR is the prothrombin time (PT) put on a common scale; about 1 is usual for someone not taking a blood thinner.
Criteria often make an exception for people on a blood thinner such as warfarin, whose INR is raised on purpose.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ULN (upper limit of normal)
The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.
“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Bilirubin
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
effectiveness of vorinostat to reduce midnight ACTH levels in patients with Cushing s Disease
Drug: Vorinostat
Administration of Vorinostat
Midnight Plasma ACTH
Relative change in midnight plasma ACTH. Dichotomized relative change using 20% as a cutoff (which is considered as clinical important): relative change \>20% for reduction and relative change \<=20% for no change).
Time frame: Day -1, Day 0-1, Day 2, Day 4-6, Discharge
Urinary Free Cortisol
Relative change in 24-hour urinary free cortisol during 7 day administration of Vorinostat
Time frame: Day -1, Day 0-1, Day 2, Day 4-6, Discharge
Plan to share: Undecided — We do plan to share IPD. we will share all IPD that results in a publication on a public repository, as required by most journals. the data will be de-identified and anonymized.
Ran from Apr 2025 to primary completion in Apr 2025, 0 months.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is withdrawn, as verified in Apr 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Vorinostat
Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion →
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) →