Cannabis DependencePhase 1GUANNCT01467999
Open-Label Pilot Study of Guanfacine-Extended Release for the Treatment of Cannabis Dependence
A Phase 1 study testing Guanfacine in people with Cannabis Dependence, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to determine whether guanfacine represents a tolerable, potentially effective pharmacotherapy option for cannabis dependence. Interested in seeing whether guanfacine treatment reduces marijuana consumption, withdrawal symptoms, and craving as compared to baseline. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Cannabis Dependence
- What is being tested?
- Guanfacine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 22 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Feb 2012to Oct 2016
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 60 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Men and women between the ages of 18-60 who meet DSM-IV criteria for current marijuana dependence
- Individuals must report using marijuana at least 20 days in the past 30 days and have a positive urine test for THC on the day of study entry.
- Individual must describe marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.
- Individuals must be capable of giving informed consent and capable of complying with study procedures.
Who cannot join
- Meets DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective illness, psychotic disorder other than transient psychosis due to drug abuse, major depression, bipolar illness or psychiatric disorders (other than substance abuse) which require psychiatric intervention.
- Unstable medication conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes or hypertension (>140/90 mmHg), which might make participation hazardous.
- Individuals with liver enzyme function tests greater than three times normal, or acute hepatitis
- Individuals with a history of a seizure disorder
- Individuals with current suicidal risk.
- Individuals who are cognitively impaired
Show all 14Show fewer
- Bradycardia (< 50 beats/minute), hypotension (sitting or standing BP < 90/50), or symptoms attributable to low BP (i.e. lightheadedness or dizziness on standing).
- Nursing mothers and pregnant women. Women of child bearing age will be included in the study provided that they are not pregnant, based on the results of a blood pregnancy test drawn at the time of screening. They must also agree to use a method of contraception with proven efficacy and agree not to become pregnant during the study. To confirm this, urine pregnancy tests will be repeated monthly. Women will be provided a full explanation of the potential dangers of pregnancy while on the study medication. If a woman becomes pregnant, the study medication will be discontinued.
- Individuals who are physiologically dependent on any other drugs (excluding nicotine) that would require a medical intervention
- Individuals with known sensitivity to alpha-2 Agonists
- Individuals with coronary vascular disease as indicated by history or suspected by abnormal ECG or history of cardiac symptoms
- Individuals currently being treated with antihypertensive medication, including alpha-2 agonists
- Individuals currently taking medications that may interact adversely with guanfacine.
- Individuals who are court-mandated to treatment.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The purpose of this study is to determine whether guanfacine represents a tolerable, potentially effective pharmacotherapy option for cannabis dependence. Interested in seeing whether guanfacine treatment reduces marijuana consumption, withdrawal symptoms, and craving as compared to baseline.
Read the detailed description
Cannabis use disorders remain the most common illicit drug use disorder and options for treatment remain limited. Compared to other abusable substances, there has been little investigation of pharmacotherapies for cannabis dependence and no effective pharmacotherapy for cannabis dependence has been developed yet. As such, the development of effective cannabis dependence pharmacotherapy is an important unmet public health need. Lofexidine, an alpha-2 agonist, is effective in treating opioid withdrawal and shows promise as cannabis use disorder pharmacotherapy, though its use may be limited by a cumbersome (thrice daily) dosing regimen. An alpha-2-agonist with a longer half-life, such as guanfacine, may have some of the same benefits as lofexidine at comparable doses, but its easier (once daily) dosing regimen may promote compliance and treatment retention. The purpose of this study is therefore to determine whether guanfacine represents a tolerable, potentially effective pharmacotherapy option for cannabis dependence. This pilot study can also provide the basis for subsequently conducting a larger study aimed at determining efficacy with the appropriate randomized, placebo-controlled design.
- Conditions
- Cannabis Dependence
- Being tested
- Guanfacine
- Keywords
- cannabis dependence, marijuana dependence, guanfacine
- Medical subject headings
- Marijuana Abuse
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
GuanfacineDrug
Also called Intuniv
Guanfacine, 4mg given once daily
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Guanfacine | Experimental | Guanfacine, 4mg given once daily Receives: Drug: Guanfacine |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Reduction in Mean Number of Days of Cannabis Use Per Week
The reduction in cannabis consumption quantified by the number of days of cannabis use per week was assessed, as measured by the Time Line followback, reported week 1 compared to week 8.
Measured: Daily cannabis use reported during the 8 week trial or the length of the patient's participation
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Nov 2011 (estimated)
- Study startFeb 2012
- Primary completionApr 2016
- Study completionOct 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Cannabis DependenceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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 1
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Frances R Levin, New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Investigators
- Frances Levin, M.D., Principal investigator, Columbia UniversityElias Dakwar, M.D., Principal investigator, Columbia University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01467999
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- #6393
- Other IDs
- 6393
- Acronym
- GUAN
- Status last verified
- Jan 2019
- First submitted
- 7 Nov 2011
- Last updated
- 5 Feb 2019
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Feb 2019. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Open-Label Pilot Study of Guanfacine-Extended Release for the Treatment of Cannabis Dependence
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01467999
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GUAN / #6393
- Conditions
- Cannabis Dependence
- Keywords
- cannabis dependence, marijuana dependence, guanfacine
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 22 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- New York State Psychiatric InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Feb 2012
- Primary completion
- Apr 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- Oct 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Nov 2011 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 12 Dec 2018
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether guanfacine represents a tolerable, potentially effective pharmacotherapy option for cannabis dependence. Interested in seeing whether guanfacine treatment reduces marijuana consumption, withdrawal symptoms, and craving as compared to baseline.
Detailed description
Cannabis use disorders remain the most common illicit drug use disorder and options for treatment remain limited. Compared to other abusable substances, there has been little investigation of pharmacotherapies for cannabis dependence and no effective pharmacotherapy for cannabis dependence has been developed yet. As such, the development of effective cannabis dependence pharmacotherapy is an important unmet public health need. Lofexidine, an alpha-2 agonist, is effective in treating opioid withdrawal and shows promise as cannabis use disorder pharmacotherapy, though its use may be limited by a cumbersome (thrice daily) dosing regimen. An alpha-2-agonist with a longer half-life, such as guanfacine, may have some of the same benefits as lofexidine at comparable doses, but its easier (once daily) dosing regimen may promote compliance and treatment retention. The purpose of this study is therefore to determine whether guanfacine represents a tolerable, potentially effective pharmacotherapy option for cannabis dependence. This pilot study can also provide the basis for subsequently conducting a larger study aimed at determining efficacy with the appropriate randomized, placebo-controlled design.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Guanfacine | Experimental | Drug: GuanfacineGuanfacine, 4mg given once daily |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Men and women between the ages of 18-60 who meet DSM-IV criteria for current marijuana dependence
- Individuals must report using marijuana at least 20 days in the past 30 days and have a positive urine test for THC on the day of study entry.
- Individual must describe marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.
- Individuals must be capable of giving informed consent and capable of complying with study procedures.
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- Meets DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective illness, psychotic disorder other than transient psychosis due to drug abuse, major depression, bipolar illness or psychiatric disorders (other than substance abuse) which require psychiatric intervention.
- Unstable medication conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes or hypertension (>140/90 mmHg), which might make participation hazardous.
- Individuals with liver enzyme function tests greater than three times normal, or acute hepatitis
- Individuals with a history of a seizure disorder
- Individuals with current suicidal risk.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| GuanfacineAlso: IntunivGuanfacine, 4mg given once daily | Drug | Guanfacine |
Primary outcome
Reduction in Mean Number of Days of Cannabis Use Per Week
Time frame: Daily cannabis use reported during the 8 week trial or the length of the patient's participation
The reduction in cannabis consumption quantified by the number of days of cannabis use per week was assessed, as measured by the Time Line followback, reported week 1 compared to week 8.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Feb 2019.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Cannabis Dependence
Active, not recruitingPhase 1
Psilocybin-assisted Treatment for Cannabis Use Disorder
Cannabis Use Disorder
Recruiting
Young Adult Tobacco/Nicotine and Cannabis Co-use
Tobacco Use Disorder, Nicotine Dependence
RecruitingObservational study
Cannabis Abstinence and Neurocognitive Assessment in Adolescence
Cannabis Dependence, Harmful Use
Not yet recruiting
QAIAx - SGI/SI Smart Health Cities: Microcity Enclave Program (Quantum SI/AGI Agency a/k/a AI City Hall Project - UPSTO App Nos. 64/074,526, 64/063,557, 64/105,164, 63/903,181, 63/729,428, 64/125,360; USPTO EO 9424 Assignment ID: 2101042 / ARN: REEL/FRAME: 76481/0026 - OUSD-R&E, Department of War)
Asperger's Disorder, Asperger Disorder
Not yet recruitingEarly Phase 1
Evaluating the Delivery and Effects of THC Vaping Liquids in the Bloodstream
Cannabis Dependence
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Frances Levin, M.D. principal investigator
Columbia University
Elias Dakwar, M.D. principal investigator
Columbia University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 1 study testing Guanfacine in people with Cannabis Dependence, run by New York State Psychiatric Institute 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 14 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 5 Feb 2019. 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 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 12 Dec 2018). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Reduction in Mean Number of Days of Cannabis Use Per Week (time frame: Daily cannabis use reported during the 8 week trial or the length of the patient's participation). 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 5 Feb 2019.