Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Two Fixed Doses of OPC-34712 as Adjunctive Therapy in the Treatment of Adults With Major Depressive Disorder (the Polaris Trial)

Summary

To compare the effect of OPC-34712 (brexpiprazole) to the effect of placebo (an inactive substance) as add on treatment to an assigned FDA approved antidepressant treatment (ADT) in patients with Major Depressive Disorder who demonstrate an incomplete response to a prospective trial of the same assigned FDA approved ADT

Timeline

Start

2011-06

Primary completion

2013-08

Completion

2013-09

Publications

• Kapadia S, Zhang Z, Ardic F, Patel M, Thase ME, Papakostas GI. Adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder who show minimal or partial response to antidepressant treatment: post hoc analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2025 Oct 1;28(10):pyaf074. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaf074.
• Ardic F, Zhang Z, Hogan M. Effects of adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder and sleep disturbance: a post hoc analysis of three randomized trials. Front Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 7;16:1618176. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1618176. eCollection 2025.
• Kapadia S, Zhang Z, Csoboth C, Patel M, Thase ME, Papakostas GI. Adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with unresolved symptoms of depression on antidepressant treatment who are early in the disease course: post hoc analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2025 Aug 1;28(8):pyaf050. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaf050.
• McIntyre RS, Bubolic S, Zhang Z, MacKenzie EM, Therrien F, Miguelez M, Boucher M. Effects of Adjunctive Brexpiprazole on Individual Depressive Symptoms and Functioning in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Anxious Distress: Post Hoc Analysis of Three Placebo-Controlled Studies. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2024 Mar-Apr 01;44(2):133-140. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001825.
• Newcomer JW, Meehan SR, Chen D, Brubaker M, Weiss C. Changes in Metabolic Parameters and Body Weight in Patients With Prediabetes Treated With Adjunctive Brexpiprazole for Major Depressive Disorder: Pooled Analysis of Short- and Long-Term Clinical Studies. J Clin Psychiatry. 2023 Aug 28;84(5):23m14786. doi: 10.4088/JCP.23m14786.
• McIntyre RS, Therrien F, Ismail Z, Meehan SR, Miguelez M, Larsen KG, Chen D, MacKenzie EM, Thase ME. Effects of adjunctive brexpiprazole on patient life engagement in major depressive disorder: Post hoc analysis of Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report data. J Psychiatr Res. 2023 Jun;162:71-78. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.04.012. Epub 2023 Apr 12.
• Newcomer JW, Eriksson H, Zhang P, Meehan SR, Weiss C. Changes in Metabolic Parameters and Body Weight in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder Treated With Adjunctive Brexpiprazole: Pooled Analysis of Phase 3 Clinical Studies. J Clin Psychiatry. 2019 Oct 1;80(6):18m12680. doi: 10.4088/JCP.18m12680.
• Hobart M, Zhang P, Weiss C, Meehan SR, Eriksson H. Adjunctive Brexpiprazole and Functioning in Major Depressive Disorder: A Pooled Analysis of Six Randomized Studies Using the Sheehan Disability Scale. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019 Mar 1;22(3):173-179. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy095.
• McIntyre RS, Weiller E, Zhang P, Weiss C. Brexpiprazole as adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder with anxious distress: Results from a post-hoc analysis of two randomised controlled trials. J Affect Disord. 2016 Sep 1;201:116-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.05.013. Epub 2016 May 12.
• Thase ME, Youakim JM, Skuban A, Hobart M, Zhang P, McQuade RD, Nyilas M, Carson WH, Sanchez R, Eriksson H. Adjunctive brexpiprazole 1 and 3 mg for patients with major depressive disorder following inadequate response to antidepressants: a phase 3, randomized, double-blind study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2015 Sep;76(9):1232-40. doi: 10.4088/JCP.14m09689.

Drugs

Indications