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Marijuana AbusePhase 2NCT00249509

Effectiveness of Nefazodone and Bupropion in Treating Marijuana Dependent Individuals

A Phase 2 study testing Nefazodone and Bupropion in people with Marijuana Abuse, run by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Recent research has identified the following withdrawal symptoms to be associated with abruptly stopping marijuana use: anxiety, irritability, bodily aches and pains, and difficulty sleeping. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Marijuana Abuse
What is being tested?
Nefazodone and Bupropion
How many people
132 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Sep 2000to Sep 2004
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Meets DSM-IV criteria for current marijuana dependence
  • Uses at least 5 marijuana joints per week
  • Currently seeking treatment for marijuana dependence
  • Used marijuana in a maladaptive pattern in the 6 months prior to study entry

Who cannot join

  • History of seizures or unexplained loss of consciousness
  • Significant and unstable psychiatric condition (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
  • Chronic organic mental disorder
  • Dependent on any substances of abuse other than marijuana
  • Currently at significant suicidal risk
  • Unstable physical disorder that may represent a severe untreated condition, such as hypertension (blood pressure greater than 150/90), elevated transaminase levels, or unstable diabetes
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Current or suspected coronary vascular disease
  • Has taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor in the 2 weeks prior to study entry
  • Currently taking terfenedine, cisapride, astemizole, or pimozide
  • History of an allergic reaction to bupropion or nefazodone
  • If female, pregnant, breastfeeding, or unwilling to use an adequate method of contraception for the duration of the study

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute

    New York, New York, 10032

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Marijuana Pharmacotherapies: Controlled Clinical Trials With Nefazodone and Bupropion

Recent research has identified the following withdrawal symptoms to be associated with abruptly stopping marijuana use: anxiety, irritability, bodily aches and pains, and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms resemble those of both depression and nicotine withdrawal, suggesting that a similar treatment drug may be useful. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of two antidepressant drugs, bupropion and nefazodone, in reducing withdrawal symptoms in marijuana dependent individuals.

Read the detailed description

There have been few controlled studies that focus on treatments for marijuana dependence. The symptoms associated with marijuana withdrawal, including anxiety, irritability, bodily aches and pains, and difficulty sleeping, resemble those caused by depression and nicotine withdrawal. Therefore, antidepressant or nicotine withdrawal medications may be effective in treating marijuana dependence. Nefazodone and bupropion are two medications currently used to treat depression. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of nefazodone and bupropion in alleviating marijuana withdrawal symptoms. In addition, this study will evaluate whether these medications successfully treat marijuana dependent individuals in terms of treatment adherence and drug abstinence.

Participants in this double-blind trial will be randomly assigned to receive nefazodone, bupropion, or placebo. Daily doses of medication will be provided to participants in dated pill boxes; pill boxes will then be returned to the study nurse at each study visit. Medication will be taken in three daily doses; one of the doses will be a nonmedicated pill. Nefazodone will initially be given at a dose of 150 mg per day, which participants will take at bedtime. Every 5 days, the daily dose will increase by 150 mg, to a maximal dose of 600 mg of nefazodone per day. Bupropion will be given at an initial dose of 150 mg, which participants will take in the morning. After 3 days, the daily dose will increase to a total dose of 300 mg of bupropion per day.

Study visits will occur daily, at which time participants will complete drug use and withdrawal symptom reports. In addition, participants will partake in weekly therapy visits, which will consist of four sessions of motivational enhancement therapy followed by sessions of relapse prevention therapy. Bi-weekly psychiatry visits will include evaluations on substance use behavior and overall clinical symptoms, and will last 15-30 minutes.

Conditions
Marijuana Abuse
Being tested
Nefazodone, Bupropion
Keywords
marijuana dependence
Medical subject headings
Marijuana Abuse

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • NefazodoneDrug

  • BupropionDrug

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Marijuana use

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Marijuana withdrawal

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted7 Nov 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2000
  3. Primary completionSep 2004
  4. Study completionSep 2004

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Enrolment
132 participants
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00249509
Sponsor's protocol ID
NIDA-13191-1
Other IDs
R01-DA013191-1, DPMC, R01DA013191
Status last verified
Mar 2011
First submitted
3 Nov 2005
Last updated
16 Jan 2017
Results posted
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Nefazodone and Bupropion in people with Marijuana Abuse, run by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jan 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Marijuana use. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jan 2017.

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