Topical Imipramine + Amitriptyline for Rosacea

Overseen By Manager Clinical Research Operations

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 2

Sponsor: Wright State University

Must not be taking: Tricyclic antidepressants, Anti-inflammatories

Disqualifiers: Large tattoos, Tanning bed use, Photodynamic therapy, Pregnant or nursing, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Prior Safety Data This treatment has passed at least one previous human trial

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: 1 day

48 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests two topical medications, imipramine and amitriptyline, to determine if they can reduce redness and irritation in people with rosacea, particularly when exposed to sunlight. Participants will apply one of these treatments to one cheek and a placebo (inactive cream) to the other for comparison. The trial seeks individuals with rosacea who frequently experience facial redness, especially from sunlight, and who haven't recently used certain medications. As a Phase 2 trial, this research focuses on measuring the treatment's effectiveness in an initial, smaller group of people.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires you to stop using imipramine, amitriptyline, or any other tricyclic antidepressants, as well as topical anti-inflammatory medications within 1 week before starting. If you are a control subject, you cannot take medications that make you more sensitive to sunlight.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research has shown that a 4% topical cream with amitriptyline can significantly reduce redness caused by UVB light in people with rosacea, suggesting its potential effectiveness and safety for managing rosacea-related redness.

Less information exists about imipramine's use as a cream, as it is typically taken as a pill for depression and anxiety. Both amitriptyline and imipramine are being tested as creams applied to a small area of the cheek.

Since this trial is in an early stage, researchers are still testing these treatments for safety and effectiveness. Serious side effects are usually rare at this point, but monitoring for any unexpected reactions remains important. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?

Researchers are excited about using topical imipramine and amitriptyline for rosacea because they bring a fresh approach compared to traditional treatments. Unlike standard therapies like oral antibiotics or topical metronidazole, these treatments use antidepressants in a topical form, which is a novel method for targeting rosacea. Imipramine and amitriptyline work on nerve pathways and inflammation, potentially addressing the condition at a different level. This new delivery method, applied directly to the skin, could reduce systemic side effects and offer a more localized treatment, which is a promising advantage over current options.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for rosacea?

This trial will compare the effects of topical imipramine and amitriptyline on rosacea. Research has shown that creams with imipramine may reduce redness caused by sunlight in people with rosacea. Similarly, studies have found a noticeable decrease in redness with 4% topical versions of amitriptyline. This suggests they might help manage redness and irritation from sun exposure. While these results are promising, further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness specifically for rosacea. ^{3 5 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with rosacea, a skin condition that causes blushing and redness. Participants should react to sunlight with increased redness. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria are not provided, but typically these would detail the age range, health status, and any other conditions or medications that might affect participation.

Inclusion Criteria

Fitzpatrick Skin Type I - IIII

I identify myself as having rosacea or I have never experienced flushing or blushing.

I can share my medical history and current medications, and I'm not on any photosensitizing drugs.

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently taking a tricyclic antidepressant.

I have used anti-inflammatory skin creams or medications like prednisone recently.

I haven't had photodynamic or UCB treatments in the last 3 months.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive topical application of 4% imipramine or 4% amitriptyline on the cheek to assess reduction in UVB-induced redness

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in erythema and tolerability of the treatment

24 hours post-treatment

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Amitriptyline
• Imipramine

Trial Overview The study is testing whether applying Imipramine or Amitriptyline creams can reduce sun-induced redness in rosacea patients compared to a control cream (Vehicle). It's likely participants will be randomly assigned to one of the treatments.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Imipramine and Vehicle Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

4% imipramine and vehicle are applied on a 2x2cm2 area of the subject's cheek. The imipramine is applied on one side of the subject's face (cheek) and vehicle is applied on the other side.

Group II: Amitriptyline and Vehicle Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

4% amitriptyline and vehicle are applied on a 2x2cm2 area of the subject's cheek. The amitriptyline is applied on side of the subject's face (cheek) and vehicle is applied on the other side.

Amitriptyline is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Elavil for:

• Depression
• Anxiety and Stress
• Chronic Pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache
• Migraine Prevention
• Neuropathic Pain

Approved in European Union as Amitriptyline for:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Chronic pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache
• Migraine prevention
• Neuropathic pain

Approved in Canada as Elavil for:

• Depression
• Anxiety and stress
• Chronic pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache
• Migraine prevention
• Neuropathic pain

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Wright State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

47

Recruited

55,300+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A young woman developed a pityriasis rosea-like skin rash after being treated with oral nortriptyline for vulvodynia, indicating a possible drug-induced reaction.

The rash completely resolved after discontinuing nortriptyline, suggesting that while tricyclic antidepressants like nortriptyline are commonly used, they can cause unexpected skin reactions in some patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pityriasis rosea-like drug eruption due to nortriptyline in a patient with vulvodynia. Bangash, HK., Finch, T., Petronic-Rosic, V., et al.[2021]

Topical application of amitriptyline at concentrations of 50 mmol/L and 100 mmol/L significantly provided analgesia compared to placebo, indicating its effectiveness in reducing pain when applied to the skin.

The study involved 14 healthy volunteers and found that while higher concentrations of amitriptyline were effective, the only side effect noted was skin redness, suggesting a good safety profile for its topical use.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Topical amitriptyline in healthy volunteers. Gerner, P., Kao, G., Srinivasa, V., et al.[2019]

Transdermal application of amitriptyline was found to be more effective than lidocaine in providing cutaneous analgesia in rats, indicating its potential as a topical pain relief option.

Amitriptyline not only produced a stronger analgesic effect but also resulted in a longer-lasting pain relief compared to lidocaine, suggesting it could be beneficial for treating chronic pain conditions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cutaneous analgesia after transdermal application of amitriptyline versus lidocaine in rats. Haderer, A., Gerner, P., Kao, G., et al.[2021]

In a study of 60 patients with major depressive disorders, both Moclobemide and Amitriptyline showed similar efficacy in improving depression symptoms, with 94% of patients in both groups rated as 'very good to good' by the end of the treatment.

Moclobemide demonstrated a better safety profile, with only 9% of patients experiencing adverse events compared to 19% for Amitriptyline, suggesting it may be a safer alternative for outpatient management of depression.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Open comparative randomised study of moclobemide versus amitriptyline in major depressive illness (DSM IIIR) in Nigeria. Ononye, F., Sijuola, OA., Chukwuani, CM., et al.[2022]

In a 6-week double-blind crossover trial with 20 patients, desipramine provided statistically significant pain relief for those suffering from painful diabetic neuropathy, especially in weeks 5 and 6.

Desipramine was effective in relieving pain for many patients, including those who did not experience antidepressant effects, making it a suitable alternative for patients who cannot tolerate amitriptyline due to its side effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of desipramine in painful diabetic neuropathy: a placebo-controlled trial. Max, MB., Kishore-Kumar, R., Schafer, SC., et al.[2022]

Amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, can cause various skin reactions, including rashes and hypersensitivity reactions, which are among the most common side effects of psychotropic drugs.

The case of a 24-year-old woman illustrates that hypersensitivity syndrome can occur three weeks after starting amitriptyline, leading to serious skin and systemic symptoms, but these typically resolve after stopping the medication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hypersensitivity syndrome caused by amitriptyline administration. Milionis, HJ., Skopelitou, A., Elisaf, MS.[2019]

In a study involving 405 severely depressed patients, both mirtazapine and amitriptyline showed significant reductions in depression scores, indicating their effectiveness in treating severe depression.

There were no significant differences in efficacy between mirtazapine and amitriptyline, suggesting that both medications are equally effective in improving symptoms of depression, including mood, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pharmacological treatment of severely depressed patients: a meta-analysis comparing efficacy of mirtazapine and amitriptyline. Kasper, S., Zivkov, M., Roes, KC., et al.[2019]

In a clinical trial with 40 patients, maprotiline showed a significantly faster improvement in depression symptoms compared to amitriptyline by day 7, although both medications were effective by day 21.

Both maprotiline and amitriptyline led to significant reductions in depression scores, but there was no significant difference in overall effectiveness by the end of the trial, suggesting maprotiline may be a quicker-acting alternative to standard tricyclic antidepressants.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Relative speed of onset of the antidepressant effect of maprotiline. Silverstone, T.[2013]

Topical applications of doxepin and amitriptyline significantly increased the histamine itch threshold (HIT) in 40 subjects, indicating their effectiveness as antipruritic agents compared to a vehicle control.

Doxepin was particularly effective, with 68% of subjects showing a higher HIT, suggesting that tricyclic antidepressants can be beneficial for treating itching, potentially due to their antihistaminic properties.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Inhibition of histamine-induced pruritus by topical tricyclic antidepressants. Bernstein, JE., Whitney, DH., Soltani, K.[2019]

In a study of 80 patients with painful diabetic neuropathy, 60% found relief with imipramine alone, and nearly all patients improved with a stepwise treatment approach, indicating the efficacy of imipramine as a first-line treatment.

The most significant pain relief was observed in patients experiencing the most severe pain, suggesting that imipramine may have a rapid onset of action and a peripheral mechanism, rather than a central one.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pain relief in diabetic neuropathy: the effectiveness of imipramine and related drugs. Young, RJ., Clarke, BF.[2019]

In a study involving 100 hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder, milnacipran and imipramine showed similar effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms over 6 weeks.

Milnacipran had a better safety profile than imipramine, with fewer adverse events, particularly those related to anticholinergic effects, although it did have higher rates of dysuria and shivering.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A comparative study of milnacipran and imipramine in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Lopez-Ibor, JJ., Conesa, A.[2018]

Citations

1. jidonline.org jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(25)02070-6/pdf

LB1214 Topical imipramine and amitriptyline UVB-induced erythema in patients with rosacea had a statistically sig- nificant reduction from baseline in 4% topical amitriptyline and 4% imipramine compared ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10410666/

Rosacea Topical Treatment and Care - PubMed Central - NIH Although there are no published data on the efficacy of this drug in the treatment of rosacea, the application of topical cromolyn sodium 4% cream reduces ...

3. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/evaluating-use-of-topical-imipramine-and-amitriptyline-in-reducing-ultraviolet-b-light-induced-redne

Evaluating Use of Topical Imipramine and Amitriptyline in ... The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of a topical medication will help reduce sunlight induced redness and irritation in ...

4. centerwatch.com centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/listings/NCT06312813/evaluating-use-of-topical-imipramine-and-amitriptyline-in-reducing-ultraviolet-b-light-induced-redness-in-patients-with-rosacea

Evaluating Use of Topical Imipramine and Amitriptyline in ... The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of a topical medication will help reduce sunlight induced redness and irritation in patients with rosacea.

5. connect.careboxhealth.com connect.careboxhealth.com/en-US/trial/listing/490736

Evaluating Use of Topical Imipramine and Amitriptyline in ... Pilot Studies Evaluating Use of Topical Imipramine and Amitriptyline in Reducing Ultraviolet B Light-Induced Redness in Patients With Rosacea. Estimated ...

6. jidonline.org jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(25)02070-6/fulltext

Potential treatments for UVB-triggered redness in rosacea UVB-induced erythema in patients with rosacea had a statistically significant reduction from baseline in 4% topical amitriptyline and 4% imipramine compared to ...

7. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560338/

Adverse Events Table - Compounded Topical Pain Creams This dataset describes one or more adverse event experiences resulting from the use of a topical compounded pain creams.

8. go.drugbank.com go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00321

Amitriptyline: Uses, Interactions, Mechanism of Action Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant and an analgesic. It has anticholinergic and sedative properties.