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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Feb 15:281:767-775.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.066. Epub 2020 Nov 14.

Meaningful Change in Depression Symptoms Assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Among Patients with Treatment Resistant Depression in Two, Randomized, Double-blind, Active-controlled Trials of Esketamine Nasal Spray Combined With a New Oral Antidepressant

Stacie Hudgens  1 , Lysbeth Floden  2 , Michael Blackowicz  2 , Carol Jamieson  3 , Vanina Popova  4 , Maggie Fedgchin  5 , Wayne C Drevets  6 , Kimberly Cooper  7 , Rosanne Lane  5 , Jaskaran Singh  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Meaningful Change in Depression Symptoms Assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Among Patients with Treatment Resistant Depression in Two, Randomized, Double-blind, Active-controlled Trials of Esketamine Nasal Spray Combined With a New Oral Antidepressant

Stacie Hudgens et al. J Affect Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Patients with major depressive disorder who do not respond to ≥2 different pharmacological treatments within the current depressive episode are considered to have treatment resistant depression (TRD). This analysis determined meaningful change thresholds (MCT) of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) using anchor-based methods and compared proportions of meaningful changes in patients with TRD across treatment groups from two Phase 3 trials for esketamine nasal spray (SPRAVATOTM).

Methods: Data from two Phase 3 trials in patients with TRD, TRANSFORM-1 and -2, were used in this analysis. The MCTs for the PHQ-9 and MADRS were derived using a clinician global impression of severity anchor. Blinded probability density functions displayed score distributions between anchor categories. Proportions of meaningful response were compared between treatment groups using chi-square tests supported by unblinded cumulative distribution functions of change scores.

Results: Baseline scores were similar for the PHQ-9 and MADRS between the esketamine/antidepressant (AD) and AD/placebo groups. The most appropriate MCT on the PHQ-9 was -6 points. By Day 28, 86.5% of patients reached or exceeded the PHQ-9 MCT in the esketamine/AD group compared to 70% in the placebo/AD group. The most appropriate MCT for the MADRS was -10 points. By Day 28, 78.2% of patients reached or exceeded the MADRS MCT in the esketamine/AD group compared to 65.0% in the placebo/AD group.

Conclusions: Individual-level meaningful change for the PHQ-9 and MADRS was effectively quantified using a clinical anchor to interpret efficacy from patients with TRD and their treating clinicians.

Keywords: MADRS; Meaningful change threshold; PHQ-9; Quality of life; esketamine; treatment resistant depression.

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