Efficacy of Gabapentin for Post-Covid-19 Olfactory Dysfunction

Summary

This study will investigate the efficacy of oral gabapentin in olfactory improvement following Covid-19- associated olfactory dysfunction. This is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Timeline

Start

2022-01-10

Primary completion

2023-08-29

Completion

2023-08-29

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper percent difference, 1.7%; 95% CI, -31.6% to 28.2% PMID 37733356 ↗

paper gabapentin was not associated with statistically significant or clinically meaningful benefit over placebo and likely is not an efficacious therapy for COVID-19-induced OD. PMID 37733356 ↗

Publications

• Background Lechien JR, Chiesa-Estomba CM, De Siati DR, Horoi M, Le Bon SD, Rodriguez A, Dequanter D, Blecic S, El Afia F, Distinguin L, Chekkoury-Idrissi Y, Hans S, Delgado IL, Calvo-Henriquez C, Lavigne P, Falanga C, Barillari MR, Cammaroto G, Khalife M, Leich P, Souchay C, Rossi C, Journe F, Hsieh J, Edjlali M, Carlier R, Ris L, Lovato A, De Filippis C, Coppee F, Fakhry N, Ayad T, Saussez S. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a multicenter European study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Aug;277(8):2251-2261. doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05965-1. Epub 2020 Apr 6.
• Background Boscolo-Rizzo P, Borsetto D, Fabbris C, Spinato G, Frezza D, Menegaldo A, Mularoni F, Gaudioso P, Cazzador D, Marciani S, Frasconi S, Ferraro M, Berro C, Varago C, Nicolai P, Tirelli G, Da Mosto MC, Obholzer R, Rigoli R, Polesel J, Hopkins C. Evolution of Altered Sense of Smell or Taste in Patients With Mildly Symptomatic COVID-19. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020 Aug 1;146(8):729-732. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1379.
• Background Hummel T, Rissom K, Reden J, Hahner A, Weidenbecher M, Huttenbrink KB. Effects of olfactory training in patients with olfactory loss. Laryngoscope. 2009 Mar;119(3):496-9. doi: 10.1002/lary.20101.
• Background Turner JH. Olfactory training: what is the evidence? Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020 Nov;10(11):1199-1200. doi: 10.1002/alr.22681. Epub 2020 Sep 3. No abstract available.
• Background Biole C, Bianco M, Nunez-Gil IJ, Cerrato E, Spirito A, Roubin SR, Viana-Llamas MC, Gonzalez A, Castro-Mejia AF, Eid CM, Fernandez-Perez C, Uribarri A, Alfonso-Rodriguez E, Ugo F, Guerra F, Feltes G, Akin I, Fernandez-Rozas I, Blasco-Angulo N, Huang J, Aguado MG, Pepe M, Romero R, Becerra-Munoz VM, Estrada V, Macaya C. Gender Differences in the Presentation and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19. J Hosp Med. 2021 Jun;16(6):349-352. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3594.
• Background Butowt R, von Bartheld CS. Anosmia in COVID-19: Underlying Mechanisms and Assessment of an Olfactory Route to Brain Infection. Neuroscientist. 2021 Dec;27(6):582-603. doi: 10.1177/1073858420956905. Epub 2020 Sep 11.
• Background Bilinska K, Butowt R. Anosmia in COVID-19: A Bumpy Road to Establishing a Cellular Mechanism. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2020 Aug 5;11(15):2152-2155. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00406. Epub 2020 Jul 16.
• Background Kuba K, Imai Y, Penninger JM. Multiple functions of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and its relevance in cardiovascular diseases. Circ J. 2013;77(2):301-8. doi: 10.1253/circj.cj-12-1544. Epub 2013 Jan 18.
• Background Mollica V, Rizzo A, Massari F. The pivotal role of TMPRSS2 in coronavirus disease 2019 and prostate cancer. Future Oncol. 2020 Sep;16(27):2029-2033. doi: 10.2217/fon-2020-0571. Epub 2020 Jul 13. No abstract available.
• Background Damm M, Pikart LK, Reimann H, Burkert S, Goktas O, Haxel B, Frey S, Charalampakis I, Beule A, Renner B, Hummel T, Huttenbrink KB. Olfactory training is helpful in postinfectious olfactory loss: a randomized, controlled, multicenter study. Laryngoscope. 2014 Apr;124(4):826-31. doi: 10.1002/lary.24340. Epub 2013 Sep 19.
• Background Schopf CL, Ablinger C, Geisler SM, Stanika RI, Campiglio M, Kaufmann WA, Nimmervoll B, Schlick B, Brockhaus J, Missler M, Shigemoto R, Obermair GJ. Presynaptic alpha2delta subunits are key organizers of glutamatergic synapses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Apr 6;118(14):e1920827118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1920827118.
• Background Lopez-D'alessandro E, Escovich L. Combination of alpha lipoic acid and gabapentin, its efficacy in the treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2011 Aug 1;16(5):e635-40. doi: 10.4317/medoral.16942.
• Background Doty RL, Shaman P, Kimmelman CP, Dann MS. University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test: a rapid quantitative olfactory function test for the clinic. Laryngoscope. 1984 Feb;94(2 Pt 1):176-8. doi: 10.1288/00005537-198402000-00004.
• Background Doty RL. Olfactory dysfunction and its measurement in the clinic. World J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Oct 26;1(1):28-33. doi: 10.1016/j.wjorl.2015.09.007. eCollection 2015 Sep.
• Background Mersfelder TL, Nichols WH. Gabapentin: Abuse, Dependence, and Withdrawal. Ann Pharmacother. 2016 Mar;50(3):229-33. doi: 10.1177/1060028015620800. Epub 2015 Dec 31.
• Mahadev A, Hentati F, Miller B, Bao J, Perrin A, Kallogjeri D, Piccirillo JF. Efficacy of Gabapentin For Post-COVID-19 Olfactory Dysfunction: The GRACE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 Dec 1;149(12):1111-1119. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2023.2958.

Drugs

Evaluation	Drug	Modality	Dose	Route
Subject	Gabapentin	Unknown	—	Oral

Indications