Buspirone for early satiety and symptoms of gastroparesis: A multi‐centre, randomised, placebo‐controlled, double‐masked trial (BESST)

Abstract

SummaryBackgroundPatients with gastroparesis and related disorders have symptoms including early satiety, postprandial fullness and bloating. Buspirone, a 5‐HT1 receptor agonist, may improve fundic accommodation.AimTo determine if buspirone treatment improves early satiety and postprandial fullness in patients with symptoms of gastroparesis.MethodsThis 4‐week multi‐centre clinical trial randomised patients with symptoms of gastroparesis and moderate‐to‐severe symptoms of fullness (Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index [GCSI] early satiety/postprandial fullness subscore [ES/PPF]) to buspirone (10 mg orally) or placebo three times per day. The primary outcome was a change in the ES/PPF from baseline to 4 weeks. The primary analysis was per protocol intention‐to‐treat ANCOVA of between‐group baseline vs. 4‐week differences (DoD) in ES/PPF adjusted for baseline ES/PPF. Results are reported using both nominal and Bonferroni (BF) p values.Results and conclusionsNinety‐six patients (47 buspirone, 49 placeboes; 92% female, 50% delayed gastric emptying, 39% diabetic) were enrolled. There was no between‐groups difference in the 4‐week ES/PPF primary outcome: −1.16 ± 1.25 (SD) on buspirone vs −1.03 ± 1.29 (SD) on placebo (mean DoD: −0.11 [95% CI: −0.68, 0.45]; p = 0.69). Buspirone performed better than placebo in patients with severe‐to‐very severe bloating at baseline compared to patients with none to moderate: (ES/PPF DoD = −0.65 vs. 1.58, pTX*GROUP = 0.003; pBF = 0.07). Among individual GCSI symptoms, only bloating appeared to improve with buspirone vs. placebo.ConclusionsPatients with moderate‐to‐severe early satiety/postprandial fullness and other symptoms of gastroparesis did not benefit from buspirone treatment to improve the ES/PPF primary outcome compared with placebo. There was a suggestion of the benefit of buspirone in patients with more severe bloating.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0358714285.