GABA: Gabapentin for Pain Control After Osmotic Dilator Insertion and Prior to D&E Procedure: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Sponsor: University of California, Davis (Other)
• Overall Status: Completed
• CT.gov ID: NCT03080493
• Collaborator: Society of Family Planning (Other)
• Enrollment: 121
• Location: 1
• Arms: 2
• Actual Duration (Months): 19.5
• Patients Per Site Per Month: 6.2

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Women having abortion procedures between 15 weeks 0 days and 23 weeks 6 days gestational age on the day of their procedure commonly have dilators placed in their cervix overnight before the abortion procedure. The dilators are put in during a pelvic exam in the clinic and after women go home they expand slowly overnight to open the cervix before the abortion procedure the next day. This can be a painful experience and health care providers often give women different kinds of pain medicine to help them.

The investigators are interested in whether a medicine called gabapentin, which is a non-narcotic medicine, could help. Gabapentin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prevention of seizures and for treating nerve pain and doctors are also using it to decrease pain for people having surgical procedures.

The main goals of our study are to learn about:

1. Women's pain experience with dilators in their cervix overnight before the abortion procedure

2. How well gabapentin works to decrease women's pain while they have the dilators in their cervix

Women who enroll in the study will get a dose of either gabapentin or placebo (a pill with no medicine in it) before their dilators are placed in the clinic. The medication they get (gabapentin or placebo) will be chosen by chance, like flipping a coin. Neither the women in the study nor the doctors giving them the medication will know which medication they receive so the investigators can learn about their pain without being influenced by knowing which medication they take. Doctors will be able to find out which medication women got if there is an emergency or if it changes their medical care.

The investigators will communicate with women in real time overnight by text messaging to see how much pain they are having in the moment and how much pain medicine they are taking.

The investigators hypothesize that women who receive gabapentin will have a smaller increase in their pain with the dilators than women who receive placebo (a pill with no medicine in it).

The investigators' findings will help doctors understand women's pain experience with dilators better and possibly provide a new way of treating pain with gabapentin.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Abortion, Induced; Cervical Preparation; Pain	Drug: Gabapentin 600mg; Drug: Placebo oral capsule; Drug: acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen	Phase 4

Detailed Description

The investigators have planned a double-blind randomized controlled trial of repeated doses of gabapentin compared to placebo for pain management during the time after dilator insertion and prior to D&E the subsequent day.

• Participants will receive gabapentin 600 mg or placebo prior to dilator insertion

• Pain scores will be measured via numeric rating scale (NRS) at baseline and 5 minutes after last dilator insertion while the participant is in clinic

• Additional pain scores, side effects (specifically dizziness and sedation), and additional analgesic use will be obtained by text message while the patient is home at 2 hours, 4 hours, and 8 hours after time of dilator insertion

• Subjects will take a second dose of study drug (either gabapentin 600 mg or placebo, concordant with their initial medication) at 8 hours after their first dose

• Final pain score, side effect, and analgesic use assessment will occur upon presentation to the pre-operative are for D&E the subsequent day

There will be no change in standard insertion of osmotic dilators (hygroscopic dilators only with Lidocaine 20mL cervical anesthesia), or provision of home analgesic medications (ibuprofen and acetaminophen with codeine in our practice).

The investigators hypothesize that women who receive gabapentin will report a smaller increase in pain from baseline at 8 hours after dilator placement compared to women receiving placebo.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Actual Enrollment: 121 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Intervention Model Description: Randomized placebo controlled trial, stratified block randomization based on prior vaginal parity (vaginal parity - yes or no). Goal of even distribution of prior vaginal parity between gabapentin and placebo groups as may impact osmotic dilator pain experienceRandomized placebo controlled trial, stratified block randomization based on prior vaginal parity (vaginal parity - yes or no). Goal of even distribution of prior vaginal parity between gabapentin and placebo groups as may impact osmotic dilator pain experience
• Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Official Title: Gabapentin for Pain Control After Osmotic Dilator Insertion and Prior to D&E Procedure: a Randomized Controlled Trial
• Actual Study Start Date: Mar 20, 2017
• Actual Primary Completion Date: Nov 5, 2018
• Actual Study Completion Date: Nov 5, 2018

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Active Comparator: Gabapentin Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight	Drug: Gabapentin 600mg; Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place); Other Names: Neurontin ; Drug: acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen; Over the counter analgesic medications; Other Names: Tylenol-Codeine No. 3 Advil
Placebo Comparator: Placebo oral capsule Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight	Drug: Placebo oral capsule; Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing; Other Names: Carboxymethyl cellulose ; Drug: acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen; Over the counter analgesic medications; Other Names: Tylenol-Codeine No. 3 Advil

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

1. Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 8 Hours After Dilator Insertion [8 hours after insertion of last osmotic dilator]

   Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained via text message.

Secondary Outcome Measures

1. Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 5 Minutes After Last Dilator Insertion [5 minutes after insertion of last osmotic dilator]

   Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained in person before subject leaves clinic appointment.

2. Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 2 Hours After Dilator Insertion [2 hours after insertion of last osmotic dilator]

   Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained via text message.

3. Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 4 Hours After Dilator Insertion [4 hours after insertion of last osmotic dilator]

   Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained via text message.

4. Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at Time of Presentation for D&E Procedure (Day Following Dilator Insertion) [Time of presentation for D&E (day after dilator insertion)]

   Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained in person upon presentation for D&E procedure.

5. Number of Participants Using Narcotic Pain Medication (Acetaminophen/Codeine) [Collected between each subject contact (2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours after dilator insertion and at time of presentation for D&E procedure)]

   Subject account of how many used acetaminophen/codeine (standard medications given for supplement NSAID as needed after dilator insertion)

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and Older
• Sexes Eligible for Study: Female
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Inclusion Criteria:

• 15 weeks 0 days gestational age - 23 weeks 5 days gestational age at time of dilator insertion

• Able to read and write in English

• Active cell phone with text messaging capability

• Ride home from dilator insertion clinic appointment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current use of gabapentin or pregabalin

• Allergy to gabapentin, acetaminophen, codeine, or ibuprofen

• Self reported renal disease (severe impaired renal function)

• Self reported current or chronic narcotic use (typical daily use)

• Women with any issue that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with study participation or generating accurate study data

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	University of California Davis Health System	Sacramento	California	United States	95817

Sponsors and Collaborators

• University of California, Davis
• Society of Family Planning

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Natasha Schimmoeller, MD, MPH, MA, University of California, Davis
• Study Director: Mitchell Creinin, MD, University of California, Davis

Study Documents (Full-Text)

• Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan - Jan 11, 2018

More Information

Publications

• Mercier RJ, Liberty A. Intrauterine lidocaine for pain control during laminaria insertion: a randomized controlled trial. Contraception. 2014 Dec;90(6):594-600. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2014.07.008. Epub 2014 Jul 23.
• Rose MA, Kam PC. Gabapentin: pharmacology and its use in pain management. Anaesthesia. 2002 May;57(5):451-62. Review.
• Yan PZ, Butler PM, Kurowski D, Perloff MD. Beyond neuropathic pain: gabapentin use in cancer pain and perioperative pain. Clin J Pain. 2014 Jul;30(7):613-29. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000014. Review.

• Responsible Party: University of California, Davis
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03080493
• Other Study ID Numbers: 987072
• First Posted: Mar 15, 2017
• Last Update Posted: Apr 14, 2020
• Last Verified: Apr 1, 2020

• Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: No
• Plan to Share IPD: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No
• Keywords provided by University of California, Davis: Abortion; Osmotic dilators; Gabapentin; Text message
• Additional relevant MeSH terms: Acetaminophen; Ibuprofen; Gabapentin; Codeine; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium

Study Results

Participant Flow

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Period Title: Overall Study
STARTED	61	60
COMPLETED	60	58
NOT COMPLETED	1	2

Baseline Characteristics

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule	Total
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Total of all reporting groups
Overall Participants	60	58	118
Age (years) [Mean (Standard Deviation) ]
Mean (Standard Deviation) [years]	25.4 (5.6)	27.2 (6.1)	26.2 (5.9)
Sex: Female, Male (Count of Participants)
Female	60 100%	58 100%	118 100%
Male	0 0%	0 0%	0 0%
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) (Count of Participants)
Hispanic or Latino	43 71.7%	42 72.4%	85 72%
Not Hispanic or Latino	17 28.3%	14 24.1%	31 26.3%
Unknown or Not Reported	0 0%	2 3.4%	2 1.7%
Race/Ethnicity, Customized (Count of Participants)
White	23 38.3%	34 58.6%	57 48.3%
Black	11 18.3%	11 19%	22 18.6%
Asian	7 11.7%	3 5.2%	10 8.5%
Mixed	14 23.3%	5 8.6%	19 16.1%
Other	4 6.7%	2 3.4%	6 5.1%
Declined	1 1.7%	3 5.2%	4 3.4%
Region of Enrollment (participants) [Number]
United States	60 100%	58 100%	118 100%
Reasons for abortion (Count of Participants)
Unwanted pregnancy	53 88.3%	51 87.9%	104 88.1%
Fetal anomalies	7 11.7%	7 12.1%	14 11.9%
Education (Count of Participants)
Not completed high school	6 10%	4 6.9%	10 8.5%
High school or equivalent	30 50%	15 25.9%	45 38.1%
Some college	16 26.7%	32 55.2%	48 40.7%
College or higher	8 13.3%	6 10.3%	14 11.9%
Declined	0 0%	1 1.7%	1 0.8%

Outcome Measures

1. Primary Outcome

Title	Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 8 Hours After Dilator Insertion
Description	Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained via text message.
Time Frame	8 hours after insertion of last osmotic dilator

Outcome Measure Data

Analysis Population Description

Women who responded with pain scores by text using Numeric Rating Scale

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Measure Participants	58	52
Median (Full Range) [Numeric rating scale pain score change]	2	2.5

2. Secondary Outcome

Title	Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 5 Minutes After Last Dilator Insertion
Description	Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained in person before subject leaves clinic appointment.
Time Frame	5 minutes after insertion of last osmotic dilator

Outcome Measure Data

Analysis Population Description

Women who provided Numeric rating scale pain score

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Measure Participants	60	58
Median (Full Range) [Numeric rating scale pain score change]	1	2

3. Secondary Outcome

Title	Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 2 Hours After Dilator Insertion
Description	Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained via text message.
Time Frame	2 hours after insertion of last osmotic dilator

Outcome Measure Data

Analysis Population Description

Women who responded by text with numeric pain scale score

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Measure Participants	54	54
Median (Full Range) [Numeric rating scale pain score change]	3.5	4

4. Secondary Outcome

Title	Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at 4 Hours After Dilator Insertion
Description	Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained via text message.
Time Frame	4 hours after insertion of last osmotic dilator

Outcome Measure Data

Analysis Population Description

Women who responded by text with numeric pain scale score

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Measure Participants	56	50
Mean (Full Range) [Numeric rating scale pain score change]	3	3.5

5. Secondary Outcome

Title	Mean Change From Baseline in NRS Pain Score at Time of Presentation for D&E Procedure (Day Following Dilator Insertion)
Description	Pain score based on numeric rating scale (NRS [0 lowest value to 10 highest value, in which 0 is the lowest amount of pain and 10 is the highest amount of pain]); Baseline obtained prior to study drug ingestion/dilator insertion. NRS pain score obtained in person upon presentation for D&E procedure.
Time Frame	Time of presentation for D&E (day after dilator insertion)

Outcome Measure Data

Analysis Population Description

Women who provided numeric pain scale scores

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Measure Participants	60	58
Median (Full Range) [Numeric rating scale pain score change]	0.5	1

6. Secondary Outcome

Title	Number of Participants Using Narcotic Pain Medication (Acetaminophen/Codeine)
Description	Subject account of how many used acetaminophen/codeine (standard medications given for supplement NSAID as needed after dilator insertion)
Time Frame	Collected between each subject contact (2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours after dilator insertion and at time of presentation for D&E procedure)

Outcome Measure Data

Analysis Population Description

Any use of narcotics

Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin	Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications	Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
Measure Participants	60	58
Count of Participants [Participants]	35 58.3%	40 69%

Adverse Events

Time Frame	One day (from treatment initiation until procedure the following day
Adverse Event Reporting Description	Only adverse events collected were specific to the intervention: dizziness and tiredness
Arm/Group Title	Gabapentin		Placebo Oral Capsule
Arm/Group Description	Gabapentin 600 mg PO - first dose in clinic prior to osmotic dilator placement, second dose 8 hours later (at home) Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Gabapentin 600mg: Gabapentin 600 mg PO (two total doses, thereby lasting duration while osmotic dilators are in place) acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications		Matched placebo Will receive standard regimen of acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen to take as needed for pain overnight Placebo oral capsule: Packaged identical to gabapentin dosing acetaminophen/codeine and ibuprofen: Over the counter analgesic medications
All Cause Mortality
	Gabapentin		Placebo Oral Capsule
	Affected / at Risk (%)	# Events	Affected / at Risk (%)	# Events
Total	0/60 (0%)		0/58 (0%)
Serious Adverse Events
	Gabapentin		Placebo Oral Capsule
	Affected / at Risk (%)	# Events	Affected / at Risk (%)	# Events
Total	0/60 (0%)		0/58 (0%)
Other (Not Including Serious) Adverse Events
	Gabapentin		Placebo Oral Capsule
	Affected / at Risk (%)	# Events	Affected / at Risk (%)	# Events
Total	57/60 (95%)		51/58 (87.9%)
General disorders
Tiredness at baseline	7/60 (11.7%)	7	4/58 (6.9%)	4
Tiredness at 5 minutes after dilator placement	7/60 (11.7%)	7	12/58 (20.7%)	12
Tiredness at 2 hours after dilator placement	34/54 (63%)	34	17/54 (31.5%)	17
Tiredness at 4 hours after dilator placement	37/54 (68.5%)	37	18/51 (35.3%)	18
Tiredness at 8 hours after dilator placement	22/57 (38.6%)	22	17/51 (33.3%)	17
Tiredness at 18-24 hours after dilator placment	18/60 (30%)	18	22/58 (37.9%)	22
Nervous system disorders
Dizziness at baseline	1/60 (1.7%)	1	0/58 (0%)	0
Dizziness at 5 minutes after dilator placement	21/60 (35%)	21	15/58 (25.9%)	15
Dizzines at 2 hours after dilator placement	29/53 (54.7%)	29	11/53 (20.8%)	11
Dizziness at 4 hours after dilator placement	22/55 (40%)	22	5/50 (10%)	5
Dizziness at 8 hours after dilator placement	15/57 (26.3%)	15	3/52 (5.8%)	3
Dizziness at 18-24 hours after dilator placement	3/60 (5%)	3	4/58 (6.9%)	4

Limitations/Caveats

[Not Specified]

More Information

Certain Agreements

Principal Investigators are NOT employed by the organization sponsoring the study.

There is NOT an agreement between Principal Investigators and the Sponsor (or its agents) that restricts the PI's rights to discuss or publish trial results after the trial is completed.