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Cocaine Use DisorderPhase 2NCT02798627

Trial Of NS2359 For The Treatment of Cocaine Dependence

A Phase 2 study testing NS2359 in people with Cocaine Use Disorder, run by University of Pennsylvania 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

NS2359 attenuates the euphoria associated with cocaine use. In a manner parallel to cocaine, NS2359 blocks the reuptake of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5HT) with nanomolar affinities at the 3 transporters. In primates NS2359 significantly attenuated cocaine self-administration. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Cocaine Use Disorder
What is being tested?
NS2359
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
55 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
May 2016to Oct 2020
Phase
Phase 2
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 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Male and females, 18-65 years old.
  • Meets diagnostic criteria (DSM-V) for current diagnosis of cocaine use disorder, moderate to severe, by semi-structured interview.
  • In the past 30 days, used no less than $100-worth of cocaine
  • Speaks, understands, and prints in English.

Who cannot join

  • Meets DSM-V criteria for substance use disorder, moderate to severe, for a substance other than cocaine, alcohol or nicotine. Subjects with comorbid alcohol use disorder will be accepted if their alcohol use disorder is not severe enough to require a medical alcohol detoxification.
  • Needs treatment with any psychoactive medications (with the exception of diphenhydramine or melatonin, if necessary, for sleep).
  • Meets current or lifetime DSM-V criteria for schizophrenia or any psychotic disorder, or organic mental disorder.
  • Has another Axis I psychiatric disorder that in the opinion of the physician will interfere with completion of the study or place the patient at heightened risk through participation in the trial.
  • Has evidence of a history of significant hematological, pulmonary, endocrine, cardiovascular, renal or gastrointestinal disease.
  • Use of an investigational medication in the 30 days prior to randomization.
  • Is female and has a positive pregnancy test, is contemplating pregnancy in the next 6 months, is nursing, or is not using effective contraception (if relevant).
  • -

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Phase II, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Trial Of NS2359 For The Treatment of Cocaine Dependence

NS2359 attenuates the euphoria associated with cocaine use. In a manner parallel to cocaine, NS2359 blocks the reuptake of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5HT) with nanomolar affinities at the 3 transporters. In primates NS2359 significantly attenuated cocaine self-administration. In several phase II clinical trials for major depressive disorder and adult attention deficit disorder, NS2359 did not cause euphoria. NS2359 exhibited no abuse potential in a human laboratory study comparing NS2359 with amphetamine. In a phase I human laboratory interaction study, NS2359 showed no toxicity after 20 or 40 mg of cocaine, but it attenuated the both the rewarding and cardiovascular effects of intravenous cocaine. On the basis of these promising studies, investigators propose a Phase II double-blind clinical trial of NS2359 in cocaine addiction (CA). The proposed trial will involve 100 CA subjects participating in an eight week trial, including a 1-week baseline and 8 weeks of NS2359 or placebo treatment. Four weeks after completing the medication phase, there will be one follow-up visit. Subjects will be randomly assigned to treatment with placebo or 2 mg NS2359 daily, with a possible decrease to 1 mg daily for adverse events. This dose range is selected on the basis of phase I and II evidence of tolerability and NS2359 plasma levels which were associated with blockade of cocaine reward. This project has the potential to identify the first effective pharmacotherapy for CA.

Read the detailed description

In this phase II randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 40 persons will be randomized to NS2359 and 40 to placebo. The primary hypothesis is: more NS2359-treated subjects (compared to placebo-treated subjects) will achieve 3 consecutive weeks of cocaine abstinence, as measured by urine benzoylecgonine (BE) assay, during the last three weeks of the trial. The study is 9 weeks: one week of screening, followed by an 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. All subjects will receive weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to encourage abstinence during their 3 times weekly clinic visits. Investigators expect ~ 20% dropout rate, based on our recent CA clinical trials (eg, Kampman et al, 2015 and 2013), so 80 randomized patients will yield ~ 64 study completers. There will be a 1 month start-up period, followed by 20 months of recruitment for the study. The 1 month start-up period will allow for training of staff, preparation of study capsules, placement of study advertisements, etc. Penn IRB approval has been obtained. There will be a 2-month termination period to allow the final patients to complete the study. Data cleaning, statistical analyses and preparation of reports will be done in the final two months. Based on recent cocaine pharmacotherapy trials conducted by our team, monthly enrollment of ~4 CA participants (respondents to flyers and advertisements) is feasible.

Recruitment will occur at the University of Pennsylvania's Treatment Research Center (TRC), led by Kyle Kampman, MD, and Wade Berrettini, MD, PhD, Professors of Psychiatry at Penn. At the TRC, CA patients are respondents to advertisements for free treatment of CA. The ethnicity is 90% African-American, 9 % European-American, 70% male, mean age 47 (+/- 12).

Being tested
NS2359, placebo

What participants receive

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

  • NS2359Drug

    NS2359 is a small molecule which inhibits the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin with equal affinity.

  • placeboDrug

    Placebo pills identical in appearance to the NS2359 will be provided

Study groups in NCT02798627
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
NS2359ExperimentalThe initial dose of the NS2359 will be two mg once daily. Patients with difficult adverse events at the 2 mg dose will be allowed to reduce to 1 mg once daily. Subjects will participate in weekly cognitive behavioral relapse prevention psychotherapy from week 2 through week 9.
Receives: Drug: NS2359
placeboPlacebo comparatorPlacebo pills matched to NS2359 pills will be given once daily. Patients with difficult adverse events at the 2 mg placebo will be allowed to reduce to 1 mg placebo once daily. Subjects will participate in weekly cognitive behavioral relapse prevention psychotherapy from week 2 through week 9.
Receives: Drug: placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. The Number of Participants Who Achieved Abstinence From Cocaine During the Last Three Weeks of the Trial

    Number of Participants Who Report no Cocaine Use and Have no Cocaine Positive Urine Drug Screens in the NS2359 Group Versus the Placebo Group Comparator During the Last Three Weeks of the Trial [ Time Frame: weeks 6,7.8 of the trial ] Number of subjects with cocaine abstinence as measured through three-times-weekly urine benzoylecgonine (BE) levels in urine drug screen (UDS) and self-reports of use from the Time Line Follow Back. UDS results and TLFB reports combined to yield weekly use/no-use indicators for each week of treatment.

    Measured: 8 weeks

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Average Weekly Cocaine Craving Scores NS2359 Group Versus the Placebo Group Comparator [ Time Frame: Once Per Week in Weeks 2 Through 8 ]

    As measured by average weekly scores for cocaine craving on the brief substance craving scale combining cocaine craving frequency, intensity and duration. Minimum value 0 maximum value 12 higher scores indicate worse craving.

    Measured: 8 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted14 Jun 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startMay 2016
  3. Primary completionMar 2020
  4. Study completionOct 2020

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
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
55 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02798627
Sponsor's protocol ID
824109
Status last verified
May 2021
First submitted
17 May 2016
Last updated
24 May 2021
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing NS2359 in people with Cocaine Use Disorder, run by University of Pennsylvania 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 8 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 24 May 2021. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 24 May 2021). 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?

The Number of Participants Who Achieved Abstinence From Cocaine During the Last Three Weeks of the Trial (time frame: 8 weeks). 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 24 May 2021.

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