Conditions: Pain Cancer
Keywords: Breakthrough Pain in Patients with Cancer
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 152
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of BEMA Fentanyl (Onsolis) at any dose in the management of breakthrough pain in cancer subjects on background opioid therapy. The standard of care for these breakthrough pain episodes is a rapid onset, short acting analgesic with minimal associated sleepiness. Oral morphine, oxycodone and hydromorphone are routinely used, but because of slow and variable oral absorption, the pain control is not the best with these products. Oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) has been used successfully in treating breakthrough pain episodes associated with cancer. OTFC is a lozenge of fentanyl on a stick and is administered by continuously swabbing the interior of the subject's mouth until the product is dissolved (approximately 15 to 30 minutes). The buccal route of administration avoids the delay and variability associated with oral absorption.

Detailed description:
This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, multiple cross-over study. Eligible subjects will be treated with open label BEMA fentanyl over a period of up to two weeks. Doses will be titrated upward, starting at 200 μg, until a dose is identified that produces satisfactory pain relief for at least 2 episodes. Those subjects who identify a dose of BEMA fentanyl that produces satisfactory relief of breakthrough pain episodes will enter the double-blind, placebo controlled period of the trial. They will receive 3 placebo doses and 6 BEMA fentanyl doses in a random sequence per randomization schedule.

Arms:
arm 1: Placebo arm 2: BioErodible MucoAdhesive (BEMA) Fentanyl

Interventions: intervention 1: BEMA™ intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (BDSI) has developed BioErodible MucoAdhesive (BEMA) Fentanyl, an alternative product to OTFC that does not require the subject to continuously paint the inside of the mouth with the dosage form. The BDSI product is a small soluble film that is placed against the mucosal membrane inside the mouth. The mucoadhesive polymers in the film readily adhere to the mucosal membrane (within 5 seconds) when moistened. The components of the film are water soluble, so the entire dosage form dissolves within 30 minutes of application. intervention 2: None

Protocol document: