A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Aromatase Inhibitors and Bupropion in Early-stage Breast Cancer, Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Carcinoma, sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-24.
Sponsored by University of Illinois at Chicago · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment
This study is open to women who have early-stage breast cancer and are on aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy, and who have hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). HSDD is a persistent lack of physical desire for sex and a lack of sexual activity, or even sexual thoughts or fantasies, that causes you distress. The researchers want to determine if sexual functioning, as measured by responses on a sexual functioning questionnaire, is improved by adding Bupropion Extended Release (XL) to the AI treatment regimen. Bupropion XL is an FDA-approved medication for the treatment of major depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and nicotine dependence. It has been studied in HSDD in pre- and post-menopausal healthy women, and has been demonstrated to be effective, but it has not been thoroughly studied in women with early-stage breast cancer on AI therapy.
Patients diagnosed with HSDD (defined as Female Sexual Function Index, or FSFI, score ≤ 26) will discontinue their current AI therapy and will be randomized to treatment with a different AI (non-steroidal AI to steroidal AI, or vice versa) plus bupropion 150 mg orally twice a day versus single-agent AI. All patients diagnosed with HSDD will be referred to counseling services and pelvic floor therapy. In addition, patients will be offered access to the Rosy App. FSFI will be administered at months 1, 3, 6, and during the year 3 visit.
12,544 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 2,892 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 100 is above the median of 72 across 9,303 interventional studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.
Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →University of Illinois at Chicago is the lead sponsor of 515 studies on the registry; 133 are open to participants now.
Of its 31 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 18 (58%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Completion of the following planned cancer treatments prior to registration:
Exclusion Criteria:
Those with a hypersensitivity to bupropion, anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane, goserelin, or leuprolide. Currently receiving any of the following cancer-directed therapies:
Participants will receive aromatase inhibitor as part of standard of care for early stage breast cancer. The duration of AI therapy will be at the discretion of the investigator. Patients who are diagnosed with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder at baseline will discontinue their current aromatase inhibitor treatment and switch to a different aromatase inhibitor treatment (i.e., non-steroidal AI to steroidal AI, or vice versa). Those who are pre-menopausal will also be treated with ovarian suppression therapy (in the form of a GnRH agonist) per standard of care. They will be treated by subcutaneous injection every 28 days and the type, duration, and dose of drug will be per the treating physician's discretion. Those who have ongoing Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder symptoms have the option to crossover to the bupropion arm.
Drug: Aromatase Inhibitors · Drug: GnRH agonist
Participants will receive aromatase inhibitor as part of standard of care for early stage breast cancer. The duration of AI therapy will be at the discretion of the investigator. Patients who are diagnosed with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder at baseline will discontinue their current aromatase inhibitor treatment and switch to a different aromatase inhibitor treatment (i.e., non-steroidal AI to steroidal AI, or vice versa). Those who have ongoing Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder symptoms have the option to crossover to the bupropion arm.
Drug: Aromatase Inhibitors
Participants will receive aromatase inhibitor as part of standard of care for early stage breast cancer plus bupropion 150 mg orally twice daily. The duration of AI therapy will be at the discretion of the investigator. Patients who are diagnosed with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder at baseline will discontinue their current aromatase inhibitor treatment and switch to a different aromatase inhibitor treatment (i.e., non-steroidal AI to steroidal AI, or vice versa). Patients with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder will also have the option to change their dose to 300 mg orally once a day. Those who are pre-menopausal will also be treated with ovarian suppression therapy (in the form of a GnRH agonist) per standard of care. They will be treated by subcutaneous injection every 28 days and the type, duration, and dose of drug will be per the treating physician's discretion.
Drug: Aromatase Inhibitors · Drug: Bupropion · Drug: GnRH agonist
Participants will receive aromatase inhibitor as part of standard of care for early stage breast cancer plus bupropion 150 mg orally twice daily. The duration of AI therapy will be at the discretion of the investigator. Patients who are diagnosed with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder at baseline will discontinue their current aromatase inhibitor treatment and switch to a different aromatase inhibitor treatment (i.e., non-steroidal AI to steroidal AI, or vice versa). Patients with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder will also have the option to change their dose to 300 mg orally once a day.
Drug: Aromatase Inhibitors · Drug: Bupropion
An aromatase inhibitor will be given at a duration, frequency, and dose per standard of care.
Also known as: Letrozole, Anastrozole, Exemestane
Bupropion will be taken twice a day by mouth at 150 mg with the option to change to 300 mg daily for those with ongoing HSDD symptoms
Also known as: Wellbutrin, Zyban
A GnRH agonist will be administered for a duration and dose per standard of care as part of ovarian suppression therapy for those who are pre-menopausal. These will be administered subcutaneously every 28 days.
Also known as: Leuprolide, Goserelin
Tolerance of study drugs in patients with early stage breast cancer and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
To compare the tolerance of aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) in comparison to aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) plus bupropion. This is assessed by the proportion of patients no longer meeting HSDD criteria as reflected by FSFI \> 26 at three months post-randomization.
Time frame: Until 3 months post-study enrollment
Disease free-survival in patients with early stage breast cancer and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
To compare the disease free survival rate of patients taking aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) to those taking aromatase inhibitor therapy (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) plus bupropion. This is assessed by the time since treatment end to the date of disease progression, death, or least contact, whichever comes first
Time frame: Until 3 years post-study enrollment
Overall survival in patients with early stage breast cancer and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
To compare the overall survival rate of patients taking aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) to those taking aromatase inhibitor therapy (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) plus bupropion. This is defined as the time of treatment randomization to death or last contact in study participants.
Time frame: Until 3 years post-study enrollment
Safety and tolerability of study drugs in patients with early stage breast cancer and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
To determine the safety and tolerability of aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) versus aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) and bupropion as defined by the number of adverse events using NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.
Time frame: Until 6 months post-study enrollment
Medication adherence of study drugs in patients with early stage breast cancer and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
To determine the rate of medication adherence for patients taking aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) versus aromatase inhibitor (+/- ovarian suppression therapy) and bupropion. This is defined as the number of medication diary entries and physician queries to treatment.
Time frame: Until 3 years post-treatment start
Prevalence and response to treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in patients with early stage breast cancer across different racial groups
Prevalence of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder among different racial groups will be assessed by the number of of early breast cancer patients with HSDD who are African-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic while the response to treatment across racial groups will be calculated by the overall decrease in FSFI score for the groups.
Time frame: Until 3 years post-treatment start
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Illinois at Chicago