Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder
Keywords: Major Depressive Disorder Major Depression Depression Geodon Ziprasidone SSRI Augmentation Treatment Resistant Depression
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 458
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to see if adding the study drug, ziprasidone, to an antidepressant medication helps improve symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We are studying the drug's effectiveness in treating depression, as well as its safety when it is added to another drug.

Hypothesis A: There will be a difference in the percentage of responders in the two treatment conditions during phase 2; response rates will be higher for the ziprasidone group.

Detailed description:
The proposed study involves three phases. The first phase is an 8-week, open-label trial of an SSRI for MDD. Patients who do not experience sufficient symptom improvement following this open-label trial will be enrolled in a 6-week, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of ziprasidone augmentation (second phase). Ziprasidone and placebo-remitters will then enter a 12-month, double-blind extension phase (third phase). We estimate that approximately 400 patients will enter phase 1 of the study so that a minimum of 180 subjects will enter double-blind treatment (phase 2) over 5 years. Each treatment arm during phase 2 will have 90 subjects.

Hypothesis B1: During phase 2, there will be a difference between the two groups in the percentage of responders (50% or greater reduction in symptom severity) with regards to anxious symptoms of MDD as measured by the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A); response rates will be higher for the ziprasidone group.

Hypothesis B2: During phase 2, there will be a difference between the two groups in the percentage of responders (50% or greater reduction in symptom severity) with regards to painful symptoms of MDD, as measured by the overall visual analogue pain (VAS-pain) scale scores; response rates will be higher for the ziprasidone group.

Hypothesis C: The time to relapse during phase 3 will be shorter among adjunctive placebo- than ziprasidone-remitters.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients in group 1 will receive Ziprasidone for the full 8 weeks of Phase 2. If they are in remission following phase two, and decide to enter phase three, they will continue on Ziprasidone for 12 months. arm 2: Patients in group 2 will receive Placebo for the full 8 weeks of Phase 2. If they are in remission following phase two, and decide to enter phase three, they will continue on Placebo for 12 months.

Interventions: intervention 1: Ziprasidone intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 20mg-80mg a day. Dose increases of 20mg per day may occur at three study visits as directed by clinician. Maximum; 80mg per day per patient. intervention 2: 0mg Placebo per day (1-4 tablets per day). "Dose increases" and "dose decreases" may occur, but patient will remain at 0mg placebo.

Protocol document: