High-dose cabergoline for microprolactinoma remission
Safety and Potency of a High Cabergoline Dosage in Microprolactinomas
This study will try whether a short course of higher-dose cabergoline leads to more remissions than the standard low-dose approach in treatment-naïve premenopausal women with microprolactinomas.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 3 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 70 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | University of Sao Paulo General Hospital Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | lapatinib, chemotherapy |
| Locations | 16 sites (Belo Horizonte and 15 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07463235 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label Phase 3 trial comparing a short (~6 month) high-dose cabergoline regimen to the standard approach of using the lowest dose needed to normalize prolactin for two years. Eligible participants are treatment-naïve premenopausal women with MRI-confirmed microprolactinomas and prolactin at least twice the local upper limit of normal. Participants will be randomized to one of two unblinded groups and followed for remission as the primary outcome, with similar final cumulative cabergoline exposure across groups. The multicenter design includes sites in Brazil and aims to provide data that could inform future dosing strategies for microprolactinoma management.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are treatment-naïve adults over 18 who are premenopausal women with symptoms of prolactinoma, prolactin ≥2× local normal, an MRI-visible pituitary lesion <1 cm, and who agree to required contraception.
Not a fit: Patients with prior prolactinoma treatment, macroprolactinomas (>1 cm), men, postmenopausal women, or those unable to take cabergoline or comply with visits are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the high-dose short-course approach could increase remission rates and potentially shorten the duration of therapy for some patients.
How similar studies have performed: Cabergoline is an established effective therapy for prolactinomas, but using a short, high-dose induction to increase long-term remission is a novel strategy with limited direct prior evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 1\. Willing and able to provide written informed consent prior to any study-related procedures * 2\. Adults \>18 years old * 3\. Pre-menopausal women * 4\. Presence of signs and symptoms matching prolactinoma * 5\. Hyperprolactinemia, defined as a prolactin (PRL) level ≥2 times the local laboratory maximum level of normality, present at the time of enrolment * 6\. Presence of an identifiable pituitary mass on MRI with a maximum diameter of less than 1cm, independently of Knosp/invasiveness of the cavernous sinus * 7\. Treatment naïve * 8\. Females who engage in heterosexual intercourse must agree to use either a highly effective or a clinically acceptable method of contraception from the beginning of screening to the last study visit, which will include: * Hysterectomy or bilateral salpingectomy * Bilateral tubal occlusion or ligation * Vasectomized partner * Intrauterine device (copper or hormonal) * Progestogen-only contraception (oral, injectable or implantable) * Male or female condom with or without spermicide * Sexual abstinence (only when it is the usual and preferred lifestyle of the subject) Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. History of primary hyperparathyroidism * 2\. Use of combined hormonal contraceptive within the past 4 weeks * 3\. Pregnancy or current pregnancy desire * 4\. Prolactinoma associated with a known genetic syndrome * 5\. Familial history of pituitary adenoma * 6\. Renal failure (estimated glomerular filtration rate \<30 mL/min /1.73m2) * 7\. IGF-1 level above the age-adjusted normal range of the local laboratory (IGF 1 \>1x ULNR) * 8\. Idiopathic hyperprolactinemia (normal MRI) or presence of macroprolactinemia * 9\. Concomitant mental condition rendering her unable to understand the nature, scope, and possible consequences of the study, and/or decompensated psychiatric disease (i.e. gambling or severe obsessive-compulsive disorder), as judged by the Investigator * 10\. Chronic use of drugs related to hyperprolactinemia (such as metoclopramide, methyldopa, ranitidine, and opioid-related analgesics) * 11\. Resistant prolactinoma, defined as non-normalization of PRL levels with 2mg/w of CAB * 12\. Patients in the high dosage group who did not use 3.5mg/w of CAB for an entire 6 months (due to intolerance or non-compliance) or failed to achieve the target dose for any other reason * 13\. Active malignant disease within the last 5 years, except basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin with complete local excision * 14\. Any decompensated chronic condition (i.e. heart failure NYHA 3-4, diabetes with HbA1c \>8.5%, hypothyroidism with TSH \>10 mIU/L) that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would impede compliance, hinder completion of the study, compromise the well-being of the patient, or interfere with the study outcomes * 15\. Male sex * 16\. Cushing stigmas (moon face, muscle weakness, red striation) or suspicious * 17\. Prior radiotherapy of the pituitary gland area for any reason * 18\. Additional pituitary tumor-directed therapy, including temozolomide, everolimus, lapatinib, or cytotoxic chemotherapy * 19\. Hepatopathy with AST/TGO or ALT/TGP \>3x the upper limit of normality
Where this trial is running
Belo Horizonte and 15 other locations
- Ufmg — Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Unesp — Botucatu, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Unb — Brasília, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Unicamp — Campinas, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Ufpr — Curitiba, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Ufg — Goiânia, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Cpc — Ponta Grossa, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Hcpa — Porto Alegre, Brazil (Completed)
- Hospital Moinhos de Vento — Porto Alegre, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Sta Casa-RS — Porto Alegre, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Ufpe — Recife, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Usp-Rp — Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Ufrj — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Hcfmusp — São Paulo, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Sta Casa-SP — São Paulo, Brazil (Recruiting)
- Unifesp — São Paulo, Brazil (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Andrea Glezer, MD, PhD
- Email: andrea.glezer@hc.fm.usp.br
- Phone: 55 11 995791108
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.