At a glance
- What the study gets you
- Access to the study treatment being tested
- Type of study
- Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
- Time in hospital
- In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
- Drug or intervention
- Botulinum toxin type A (drug), placebo (drug)
- How long the study runs
- Study runs about 70 months (dates as stated)
- About the drug or intervention
- Botulinum toxin type A — drug: Botulinum toxin 25 Allergan units in 0.5 ml Sodium Chloride (NaCl) 0.9 % Braun. · placebo — drug: 0.5 ml Sodium Chloride (NaCl) 0.9% Braun.
- Patient visit burden
- Not specified by the sponsor
In plain English
This study is looking at whether botulinum toxin type A, injected near a nerve cluster called the sphenopalatine ganglion, can help people with chronic cluster headache that has not responded to standard medicines. Cluster headache causes severe headaches on one side of the head. The study is funded by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Who can take part
- Adults aged 18 to 85 who give written consent.
- Diagnosed with chronic cluster headache, with at least 4 attacks per week over the past 3 months.
- At least 80% of attacks happen on one side of the head.
- Standard treatments (verapamil, lithium, or steroid injections at the back of the head) have not worked well, caused bad side effects, or are not suitable.
- Willing to keep current headache medicines unchanged for the whole study.
- Able to tell cluster headaches apart from other headaches and to follow the study steps.
- Women who could become pregnant must use highly effective contraception for 4 weeks after the injection.
Who may not be able to
- Changes to preventive headache medicines shortly before the study.
- Certain implanted nerve stimulator devices, or ones with settings changed in the last month.
- Previous surgery or devices targeting the sphenopalatine ganglion.
- No response to both oxygen and triptan medicines for attacks.
- Taking part in another recent clinical study.
- Allergy to botulinum toxin or local anaesthetics (such as lidocaine or marcaine).
- Drug or alcohol misuse, or regular opioid use (10 or more days a month).
- Taking certain medicines that may interact with botulinum toxin (such as some antibiotics and muscle-relaxing drugs).
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Facial surgery, injury, or unusual facial structure that could make the injection difficult.
- Active infection in the mouth, face, or elsewhere, or certain infections needing special controls (such as HIV, tuberculosis, or hepatitis B or C).
- Serious other illness or frailty that makes taking part unsafe or difficult.
- Serious mental health problems that would make following the study difficult.
- Muscle or nerve conditions, such as myasthenia, where botulinum toxin is not suitable.
- Previous nerve-damaging treatments (such as radiofrequency ablation, balloon compression, gamma knife, or glycerol) on the trigeminal nerve or sphenopalatine ganglion on the same side.
- Recent anaesthetic blocks of the sphenopalatine ganglion or botulinum toxin injections to the head or neck in the last 3 months.
- Bleeding disorders, blood clotting problems, or being unable to pause blood-thinning medicines before the procedure.
- Another similar headache condition, such as trigeminal neuralgia.
- Being unable to give consent, or being in the care of the courts or a care institution.
- Being study centre staff involved in the study, or a relative of such staff.
What taking part involves
- • An injection of botulinum toxin type A near the sphenopalatine ganglion, a nerve cluster linked to cluster headache.
- • Keeping your current headache medicines unchanged throughout the study.
- • Recording details of your headaches during a baseline period before treatment and across the study.
Time commitment: Not stated — ask the trial team (details of visit numbers and study length are not given; it involves an injection, a baseline period, and keeping headache medicines stable throughout).
Plain-English summary (AI-generated) from registry data. Not eligibility advice — only the trial team can confirm whether you can take part. Use the eligibility checker to see how your health profile matches this trial.
- Type of study
- Testing a treatment
- Ages
- 18 Years to 85 Years
- Who
- All
- Number of participants
- 112
- Started
- 2019-11-01
- Last checked
- 2024-11
Plain English Summary
What is this study?
- • Testing a new treatment for cluster headache
- • Phase3 - 112 participants
- • Cluster headache is a primary headache condition characterized by clusters of one-sided, high-intensity pain attacks
Who can take part?
- • Ages 18 Years to 85 Years
- • Diagnosed with cluster headache
Where?
- • London - National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College of London
This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.
About This Trial
Cluster headache is a primary headache condition characterized by clusters of one-sided, high-intensity pain attacks. The headache may be episodic or chronic. Treatment options are limited and their effects unsatisfactory. An important nerve pathway involved in the pain attacks has a switching station at the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) located in the depth of the facial bones. SPG is a known therapy target for cluster headache. The area can be identified on CT images, but is difficult to access due to its location. Thus, the Multiguide navigation system has been developed to enable precise delivery of the drugs that target SPG activity. In Trondheim, two phase 1 / Phase 2 study have been carried out using botulinum toxin A (Botox®) against SPG in patient with chronic cluster headache and chronic migraine. The results indicate that such a treatment strategy is safe and beneficial. The current study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded study to investigate whether precise single-injection of botulinum toxin A reduces the frequency of attacks in chronic cluster headache .
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
Still need:
- • Tell us your age for better matching
- • Tell us your sex for better matching
Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key info
- Age: 18 Years - 85 Years
- Who can join: All genders
What the study is looking for
- ✓Informed and written consent.
- ✓Male or female, 18-85 years of age
- ✓Headache attacks fulfilling the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) III criteria for chronic...
- ✓Dominant headache laterality with ≥ 80% of cluster headache attacks on one side.
- ✓Subject reports an average of ≥ 4 cluster attacks/week on the side of their dominant headache laterality in the 3...
Who cannot take part
- ✗Subject has had a change in type, dosage or dose frequency of preventive headache medications ≥ two weeks prior to...
- ✗Current or previous treatment with implanted medical devices targeting the SPG
- ✗Non-responder to both oxygen and triptan.
- ✗Participation in a clinical study of a new chemical entity or a prescription medicine within 2 months before study...
- ✗Allergy or hypersensitivity reactions to marcaine, lidocaine, xylocaine, adrenaline, any botulinum toxin or similar...
See the full criteria
Where Is This Study? (1 UK site)
National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College of London
London, United Kingdom
How to Get in Touch
Tore Wergeland Meisingset, md phd
Sponsor contactCONTACT
Erling Tronvik, md phd
Sponsor contactCONTACT
