ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05164367Updated Dec 18, 2024

Pharmacokinetics of Atropine Oral Gel

An Early Phase 1 interventional study of Atropine sulfate gel (0.01%) in Cerebral Palsy and Sialorrhea, sponsored by University of Utah. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-12-18.

Sponsored by University of Utah · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Jun 2023, 3 years 4 months ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.
Phase
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 50 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To evaluate the single-dose pharmacokinetics of atropine gel formulation after topical administration in the oral cavity of healthy adults.

Read the detailed description

This study is a single-dose, single-center, open-label study of the pharmacokinetics of atropine gel (0.01% w/w) after topical oral administration in healthy adults. Study participants will be recruited by Drs. Murphy, Darro, and Yellepeddi at the Center for Clinical and Translation Science (CCTS), University of Utah. Participants who meet eligibility criteria will be recruited in the study after signing informed consent. Each of the 10 participants will receive 1 gram of atropine gel (0.01% w/w) containing 0.1 mg atropine via self-administration of gel into the oral cavity. Dr. Yellepeddi is a licensed pharmacist in the State of Utah and will train subjects in the administration of atropine gel in the oral cavity. A series of timed blood samples (0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours, 7 mL each time point) will be collected in commercial tubes, and plasma will be separated by centrifugation. The plasma samples will be stored frozen until further analysis by the Center for Human Toxicology (CHT), University of Utah.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Sialorrhea

Keywords

  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Sialorrhea
  • Atropine sulfate gel
03

In context

Cerebral Palsy

1,936 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 458 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 34 across 1,431 interventional studies indexed under Cerebral Palsy.

Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Utah is the lead sponsor of 994 studies on the registry; 175 are open to participants now.

Of its 114 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 69 (61%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

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.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Provide written and authorization.
  2. Study participants must be able to complete consent, and all study evaluations written in the English language.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Female subjects who are pregnant or nursing at the time of screening
  2. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment within the last three months
  3. Severe renal impairment defined as estimated (eGFR) \< 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 calculated using the CKD-EPI creatinine equation:

    eGFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) = 141 x min(Scr/k, 1)α x max(Scr/k,1)-1.209 x 0.993Age x 1.018 [if female] x 1.159 [if black]

    Where,

    1. k=0.7 if female
    2. k=0.9 if male
    3. α=-0.329 if female
    4. α=-0.411 if male
    5. min=The minimum of Scr/k or 1
    6. max=The maximum of Scr/k or 1
    7. Scr = serum creatinine (mg/dL)
  4. Acute hepatitis in the prior 6 months, a prior history of cirrhosis, acute hepatic failure, or acute decompensation of chronic hepatic failure; and/or any of the following blood test results, for any individual, when assessed for eligibility:

    1. > 3 x (ULN). [ULN for bilirubin = 1.4 mg/dL]
    2. (ALT) or Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 3 x ULN values used by the laboratory performing the test. [ULN for AST = 40 U/L, ULN for ALT = 60 U/L]
    3. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) > 3 x ULN [ULN for ALP = 126 U/L)
  5. Deforming lesions of the oral cavity
  6. Previous head and/or neck radiotherapy
  7. Patients with a history of reaction towards atropine and/or Carbopol 980 NF or any carbomers
  8. Patients with heart conditions such as congenital heart disease, heart failure, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmia
  9. Patients with acute glaucoma that may be exacerbated with atropine administration.
  10. Patients with partial pyloric stenosis or other diseases related to gastrointestinal obstruction.
  11. Patients diagnosed with urinary retention
  12. Treatment with any other drug during the 30 days prior to enrollment into the study
  13. Patients receiving anticholinergic medications at baseline.
  14. Patients who are receiving
  15. Patients who are actively being treated for an infection
  16. Patients with a history of salivary gland obstruction or stones
  17. Patients with a history of chronic lung disease or (COPD)
  18. Patients with an artificial airway (tracheostomy)
  19. Patient taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(9)

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.

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.

GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)

GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².

Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.

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.

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.

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.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

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.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

05

Study design

Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    0.1 mg of atropine

    1 gram of gel by topical application in the oral cavity once.

    Drug: Atropine sulfate gel (0.01%)

Interventions

  • A research nurse will measure 1 gram of gel using a calibrated measuring spoon and will provide it to the participant for self-administration.

    Also known as: Atropine gel, mucoadhesive atropine gel

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Evaluate pharmacokinetic parameter time to reach maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) in healthy adults to see if atropine will reach detectable concentrations in plasma following topical oral administration in gel formulation.

    Calculate the pharmacokinetic parameter Tmax after topical oral administration of 0.01% atropine gel.

    Time frame: The Tmax will be evaluated at timepoints 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after administration of gel to the oral cavity.

  2. Evaluate pharmacokinetic parameter time to reach maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) in healthy adults to see if atropine will reach detectable concentrations in plasma following topical oral administration in gel formulation.

    Calculate the pharmacokinetic parameter Cmax after topical oral administration of atropine gel

    Time frame: The Cmax will be evaluated at timepoints 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after administration of gel to the oral cavity.

  3. Evaluate pharmacokinetic parameter area under the curve (AUC) in healthy adults to see if atropine will reach detectable concentrations in plasma following topical oral administration in gel formulation.

    Calculate the pharmacokinetic parameter AUC after topical oral administration of atropine gel

    Time frame: The AUC will be evaluated at timepoints 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after administration of gel to the oral cavity.

  4. Evaluate pharmacokinetic parameter volume of distribution (Vd) in healthy adults to see if atropine will reach detectable concentrations in plasma following topical oral administration in gel formulation.

    Calculate the pharmacokinetic parameter Vd after topical oral administration of atropine gel

    Time frame: The Vd will be evaluated at timepoints 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after administration of gel to the oral cavity.

  5. Evaluate pharmacokinetic parameter clearance (CL) in healthy adults to see if atropine will reach detectable concentrations in plasma following topical oral administration in gel formulation.

    Calculate the pharmacokinetic parameter CL after topical oral administration of atropine gel

    Time frame: The CL will be evaluated at timepoints 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours after administration of gel to the oral cavity.

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University of Utah
    Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Reid SM, Westbury C, Chong D, Johnstone BR, Guzys A, Reddihough DS. Long-term impact of saliva control surgery in children with disability. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2019 Jul;72(7):1193-1197. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2019.02.020. Epub 2019 Mar 2. PubMed 30885525 ↗
  • Speyer R, Cordier R, Kim JH, Cocks N, Michou E, Wilkes-Gillan S. Prevalence of drooling, swallowing, and feeding problems in cerebral palsy across the lifespan: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2019 Nov;61(11):1249-1258. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.14316. Epub 2019 Jul 22. PubMed 31328797 ↗
  • Parkes J, Hill N, Platt MJ, Donnelly C. Oromotor dysfunction and communication impairments in children with cerebral palsy: a register study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010 Dec;52(12):1113-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2010.03765.x. Epub 2010 Aug 31. PubMed 20813020 ↗
  • Reid SM, McCutcheon J, Reddihough DS, Johnson H. Prevalence and predictors of drooling in 7- to 14-year-old children with cerebral palsy: a population study. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2012 Nov;54(11):1032-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2012.04382.x. Epub 2012 Aug 9. PubMed 22881219 ↗
  • Reid SM, Westbury C, Guzys AT, Reddihough DS. Anticholinergic medications for reducing drooling in children with developmental disability. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2020 Mar;62(3):346-353. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.14350. Epub 2019 Sep 8. PubMed 31495925 ↗
  • Norderyd J, Graf J, Marcusson A, Nilsson K, Sjostrand E, Steinwall G, Arleskog E, Bagesund M. Sublingual administration of atropine eyedrops in children with excessive drooling - a pilot study. Int J Paediatr Dent. 2017 Jan;27(1):22-29. doi: 10.1111/ipd.12219. Epub 2015 Dec 27. PubMed 26708211 ↗
  • Protus BM, Grauer PA, Kimbrel JM. Evaluation of atropine 1% ophthalmic solution administered sublingually for the management of terminal respiratory secretions. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2013 Jun;30(4):388-92. doi: 10.1177/1049909112453641. Epub 2012 Jul 24. PubMed 22833553 ↗
  • De Simone GG, Eisenchlas JH, Junin M, Pereyra F, Brizuela R. Atropine drops for drooling: a randomized controlled trial. Palliat Med. 2006 Oct;20(7):665-71. doi: 10.1177/0269216306071702. PubMed 17060265 ↗
  • Lawrence R, Bateman N. Surgical Management of the Drooling Child. Curr Otorhinolaryngol Rep. 2018;6(1):99-106. doi: 10.1007/s40136-018-0188-2. Epub 2018 Mar 20. PubMed 29651363 ↗
  • Leung JG, Schak KM. Potential problems surrounding the use of sublingually administered ophthalmic atropine for sialorrhea. Schizophr Res. 2017 Jul;185:202-203. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.12.028. Epub 2016 Dec 30. No abstract available. PubMed 28043733 ↗
  • Singla AK, Chawla M, Singh A. Potential applications of carbomer in oral mucoadhesive controlled drug delivery system: a review. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 2000 Sep;26(9):913-24. doi: 10.1081/ddc-100101318. PubMed 10914315 ↗
  • Keegan G, Smart J, Ingram M, Barnes L, Rees G, Burnett G. An in vitro assessment of bioadhesive zinc/carbomer complexes for antimicrobial therapy within the oral cavity. Int J Pharm. 2007 Aug 1;340(1-2):92-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2007.03.023. Epub 2007 Mar 24. PubMed 17452085 ↗
  • Kelly HM, Deasy PB, Busquet M, Torrance AA. Bioadhesive, rheological, lubricant and other aspects of an oral gel formulation intended for the treatment of xerostomia. Int J Pharm. 2004 Jul 8;278(2):391-406. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2004.03.022. PubMed 15196643 ↗
  • Allison RR, Ambrad AA, Arshoun Y, Carmel RJ, Ciuba DF, Feldman E, Finkelstein SE, Gandhavadi R, Heron DE, Lane SC, Longo JM, Meakin C, Papadopoulos D, Pruitt DE, Steinbrenner LM, Taylor MA, Wisbeck WM, Yuh GE, Nowotnik DP, Sonis ST. Multi-institutional, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a mucoadhesive hydrogel (MuGard) in mitigating oral mucositis symptoms in patients being treated with chemoradiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck. Cancer. 2014 May 1;120(9):1433-40. doi: 10.1002/cncr.28553. PubMed 24877167 ↗
  • Alcon (2018). Viscotears® Liquid Gel [carbomer (polyacrylic acid)] - Patient Information Leaflet
  • Regulatory Information for Carbopol®* 971P NF Polymer & Carbopol® 71G NF Polymer. file:///C:/Users/u0840209/Downloads/TDS-328_Carbopol_971P_71G_Regulatory_PH_Version%20(1).pdf
  • Zeller RS, Lee HM, Cavanaugh PF, Davidson J. Randomized Phase III evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a novel glycopyrrolate oral solution for the management of chronic severe drooling in children with cerebral palsy or other neurologic conditions. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2012;8:15-23. doi: 10.2147/TCRM.S26893. Epub 2012 Jan 25. PubMed 22298950 ↗
  • Reid SM, Johnson HM, Reddihough DS. The Drooling Impact Scale: a measure of the impact of drooling in children with developmental disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010 Feb;52(2):e23-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03519.x. Epub 2009 Oct 15. PubMed 19843155 ↗
  • Jones JM, Watkins CA, Hand JS, Warren JJ, Cowen HJ. Comparison of three salivary flow rate assessment methods in an elderly population. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2000 Jun;28(3):177-84. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0528.2000.280303.x. PubMed 10830644 ↗
  • Navazesh M, Christensen CM. A comparison of whole mouth resting and stimulated salivary measurement procedures. J Dent Res. 1982 Oct;61(10):1158-62. doi: 10.1177/00220345820610100901. No abstract available. PubMed 6956596 ↗
  • Dias BLS, Fernandes AR, Maia HS Filho. Treatment of drooling with sublingual atropine sulfate in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2017 May;75(5):282-287. doi: 10.1590/0004-282X20170033. PubMed 28591387 ↗
  • Azapagasi E, Kendirli T, Perk O, Kutluk G, Oz Tuncer G, Teber S, Cobanoglu N. Sublingual Atropine Sulfate Use for Sialorrhea in Pediatric Patients. J Pediatr Intensive Care. 2020 Sep;9(3):196-200. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1708552. Epub 2020 Apr 7. PubMed 32685247 ↗
  • Rapoport A. Sublingual atropine drops for the treatment of pediatric sialorrhea. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Nov;40(5):783-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.02.007. Epub 2010 Jun 11. PubMed 20541902 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Oct 2022 to primary completion in Jun 2023, 8 months.

Of 22 phase 1 interventional studies under Cerebral Palsy, half reached primary completion within 30 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 45. This study's 8 months is below that.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 22, 2021
First posted
Dec 20, 2021
StartActual
Oct 1, 2022
Primary completionActual
Jun 30, 2023
CompletionActual
Dec 10, 2024
Last update
Dec 18, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 18, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05164367
Lead sponsor
University of Utah
Responsible party
Venkata Yellepeddi (Associate Professor, University of Utah) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 20, 2021
Start date
Oct 1, 2022
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2023
Completion
Dec 10, 2024
Last update
Dec 18, 2024

Study contacts

Venkata K. Yellepeddi, PhD
principal investigator · University of Utah

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Discussion

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Studies of the drug tested here: Atropine

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