SchizophreniaPhase 1NCT02874573
Tocilizumab in Schizophrenia
A Phase 1 study testing Tocilizumab and Normal saline in people with Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders, run by Brian Miller at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study is a Phase 1 clinical trial to determine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Tocilizumab (Actemra) as an adjunct to antipsychotic medications in stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 55 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Tocilizumab and Normal saline
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Sep 2016to 31 Dec 2023
- Phase
- Phase 1
- 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 55 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- male and female
- age 18-55
- capable of giving informed consent
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-V diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
- stable based on clinical judgment, no psychiatric hospitalizations in past 3 months, and on the same psychotropic medications for >4 weeks
- taking a non-clozapine antipsychotic
- hsCRP >0.3 mg/dL at the screening visit
Who cannot join
- imminent danger to self/others
- antibiotic use in the past 2 weeks
- current scheduled use of immunomodulatory agents
- history of an immune disorder
- illicit drug use in the past 30 days
- any unstable or untreated medical condition
Show all 14Show fewer
- history of gastrointestinal ulcers, diverticulitis, malignancy, CNS demyelinating disorder, seizure disorder, or tuberculosis
- low absolute neutrophil (<2000) or platelet (<100,000) count
- abnormal hepatic (AST or ALT >1.5 times the upper limit of normal) or renal (BUN or creatinine>1.5 times the upper limit of normal) function
- any abnormal lab test result judged to be clinically significant
- active, chronic or recurrent infections
- pregnancy
- breast feeding
- female and of child-bearing potential who is not using any contraception
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia, 30912
Brian J Miller, MD, 706-721-4445, brmiller@augusta.edu
Rebecca Nichols, MBA, 7067214605, rnichols@augusta.edu
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adjunctive Tocilizumab in Schizophrenia
This study is a Phase 1 clinical trial to determine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Tocilizumab (Actemra) as an adjunct to antipsychotic medications in stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Tocilizumab (structural formula C6428H9976N1720O2018S42) is a recombinant humanized anti-human interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor monoclonal antibody of the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) subclass. Tocilizumab is formulated as a concentrate for solution for infusion, and will be administered by intravenous infusion.
The investigators propose a 12-week randomized controlled trial of tocilizumab, given in adjunct to antipsychotics, in N=20 stable outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and evidence of increased inflammation in the peripheral blood (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP]>0.5 mg/dL). The investigators hypothesize that adjunctive treatment with tocilizumab will be associated with significant improvement in cognition compared to placebo in patients with schizophrenia, and baseline IL-6 levels are higher in tocilizumab-treated responders versus non-responders, and there will be greater decreases in hsCRP from baseline to week 12 in tocilizumab-versus placebo-treated responders, with response defined as ≥0.5 standard deviation (SD) improvement in cognition. Tocilizumab is administered as an intravenous infusion every 4 weeks. Following a screening evaluation, participants will receive three infusions of siltuximab, one at baseline, another at week 4 of the study, and another at week 8. The investigators will measure changes in cognitive function and symptoms over a 12-week period. Complementing previous positive clinical trials of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, this would be a "proof-of-concept" study that targeting specific cytokines is a viable treatment for schizophrenia.
Read more
Interleukin 6 and its receptor were discovered and cloned at Osaka University, Japan, by Tadamitsu Kishimoto in the 1980s. In 1997, Chugai Pharmaceuticals began the clinical development of tocilizumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical studies for Castleman's disease and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis started in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Hoffmann-La Roche co-developed the drug due to a license agreement in 2003.
On 11 January 2010, Tocilizumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) as Actemra for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The FDA approved tocilizumab for the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis for children from two years of age in April 2011.
Read the detailed description
A pathophysiological role for inflammation in schizophrenia has been one of the more enduring findings in the field. Recently, increased understanding of complex interactions between inflammation and the brain in other chronic diseases has better informed this relationship in schizophrenia. Several trials have found that treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), in adjunct to antipsychotics, was associated with significant improvement in psychopathology in schizophrenia. Cytokines are key regulators of inflammation that exert effects in the periphery and the brain. Serum cytokine levels predicted response in two studies, and another study found a trend for improved cognition with adjunctive NSAID treatment.1 These findings provide important empirical support for a pathophysiological role for inflammation in some patients with schizophrenia. Two important limitations of these trials are that: a) the agents investigated have relevant off-target (i.e., non-immune) effects, and b) evidence of inflammation in the peripheral blood was not an inclusion criterion, which may have decreased the signal-to-noise ratio.
Schizophrenia is associated with impaired cognition, which persists despite current treatments, and is an important determinant of quality of life and overall function. Converging lines of evidence suggest that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a promising therapeutic target for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. IL-6 is a cytokine produced by peripheral blood leukocytes, and central nervous system (CNS) microglia and astrocytes. The IL-6 gene is a risk factor for schizophrenia and may impact on serum IL-6 levels. Blood and (cerebrospinal fluid) CSF IL-6 levels are altered in schizophrenia. IL-6 levels are associated with psychopathology3 and cognition in schizophrenia. In populations outside of schizophrenia, higher serum IL-6 levels are associated with poorer cognition. In first-episode and chronic schizophrenia, IL-6 levels are a significant predictor of smaller left hippocampal volume.
Along with our other previous work, our preliminary studies provide strong evidence that IL-6 is a novel therapeutic target for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed trial. Briefly, in 64 patients with schizophrenia, we found higher blood IL-6 levels were a significant predictor of greater impairment on the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) after controlling for multiple potential confounding factors.5 In an 8-week open-label trial in 6 subjects, tocilizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody against the IL-6 receptor, approved by the US FDA in 2010 for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist therapies, administered as an intravenous infusion every 4 weeks), given in adjunct to antipsychotics, was well tolerated and associated with significant improvement in BACS verbal fluency at 4 weeks, BACS digit symbol coding at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, and BACS composite score at 4 and 8 weeks.10
In the first year following the submission, one clinical trial is planned. The investigators will conduct a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of tocilizumab as an adjunct to antipsychotic medications in 20 stable outpatients with schizophrenia.
In our previous trial of Tocilizumab, no clinically significant adverse drug reactions occurred. The risks that have been found in people with rheumatoid arthritis are known, but there may be unknown risks when used in schizophrenia. Clinically significant adverse drug reactions include anaphylaxis (0.4%), infections (0.1-7.8%), intestinal perforation, neutropenia (7.0%), and cardiac failure. Known side effects of tocilizumab that are common include: increase in hepatic enzymes (AST, ALT), hypertension, headache, neutropenia, infusion-related reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, and nasopharyngitis.
Subjects with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder will be accessed from outpatient psychiatry clinic at Augusta University or other satellite collaborative sites. The study has 6 visits: screening, baseline, and weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. Subjects will be randomized equally to either tocilizumab (n=10) or placebo (n=10), in adjunct to their current antipsychotic and other psychotropic medications. Tocilizumab will be obtained from the manufacturer, Genentech, through our hospital pharmacy as per our previous trial. Subjects in the tocilizumab group will receive a 4 mg/kg infusion at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8, as per the recommended starting dosing for rheumatoid arthritis. Subjects in the placebo group will receive an infusion of normal saline (with the same packaging and volume as the tocilizumab group) at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. We will contact the subjects by phone on days 1 and 7 after each infusion to assess for any infusion-related events. We will assess cognition and psychopathology at baseline, and at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. We will also measure a multiplex panel of blood cytokines (including IL-6) at baseline, and at weeks 2m 4, 8, and 12. Patients will be withdrawn if they meet any exclusion criterion at any time point.
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorders
- Being tested
- Tocilizumab, Normal saline
- Keywords
- Inflammation, Schizophrenia
- Medical subject headings
- Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorders, Inflammation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
TocilizumabDrug
Also called Actemra
Investigational agent
Normal salineDrug
Also called 0.9% NS
Placebo
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment Group | Active comparator | Subjects in the tocilizumab group will receive a 4 mg/kg infusion at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8, as per the recommended starting dosing for rheumatoid arthritis Receives: Drug: Tocilizumab |
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | Subjects in the placebo group will receive an infusion of normal saline (with the same packaging and volume as the tocilizumab group) at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. Receives: Drug: Normal saline |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Cognition
The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) is the metric used to characterize cognition in this study. The BACS consists of 6 subscales: Verbal Memory (range 0-75), Working Memory (range 0-28), Motor Speed (range 0-100), Verbal Fluency (measure is total number of words generated in two 60 second trials), Attention and Processing speed (range 0-110), and Executive Function (range 0-22). For each subscale, higher scores reflect better cognition. For each subscale, a Standard Deviation Score was calculated based on normative data (Keefe et al. Norms and standardization of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Schizophrenia Research 102 (2008) 108-115). The BACS composite score is calculated as the average Standard Deviation Score of the 6 subscale scores. The change in BACS composite score will be calculated as the BACS composite score at 9 weeks minus the BACS composite score at baseline.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in Total Psychotic Symptoms
The Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) is the metric used to characterize psychotic symptoms in this study. The PANSS consists of 30 items, each scored 1-7. The range for the PANSS total score is 30-210. There are 3 subscales - PANSS positive score (range 7-49), PANSS negative score (range 7-49), and PANSS general score (range 16-112). PANSS total score is the summation of these 3 subscales. Higher values for the total and subscale scores reflect more severe psychopathology. A positive change in PANSS total score reflects an increase in psychopathology. A negative change in PANSS total score reflects a decrease in psychopathology.
Measured: Baseline and 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Aug 2016 (estimated)
- Study startSep 2016
- Primary completion31 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2023 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (10)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for SchizophreniaStudies 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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Brian Miller
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Brian Miller, Augusta University
- Investigators
- Brian J Miller, MD, Principal investigator, Augusta University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02874573
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 944642
- Status last verified
- Jul 2023
- First submitted
- 17 Aug 2016
- Last updated
- 21 Jul 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Publications
Nitta M, Kishimoto T, Muller N, Weiser M, Davidson M, Kane JM, Correll CU. Adjunctive use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for schizophrenia: a meta-analytic investigation of randomized controlled trials. Schizophr Bull. 2013 Nov;39(6):1230-41. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbt070. Epub 2013 May 29.
PubMed 23720576Sasayama D, Wakabayashi C, Hori H, Teraishi T, Hattori K, Ota M, Ishikawa M, Arima K, Higuchi T, Amano N, Kunugi H. Association of plasma IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor levels with the Asp358Ala polymorphism of the IL-6 receptor gene in schizophrenic patients. J Psychiatr Res. 2011 Nov;45(11):1439-44. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.06.003. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
PubMed 21700295Miller BJ, Buckley P, Seabolt W, Mellor A, Kirkpatrick B. Meta-analysis of cytokine alterations in schizophrenia: clinical status and antipsychotic effects. Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Oct 1;70(7):663-71. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.04.013. Epub 2011 Jun 8.
PubMed 21641581Sasayama D, Hattori K, Wakabayashi C, Teraishi T, Hori H, Ota M, Yoshida S, Arima K, Higuchi T, Amano N, Kunugi H. Increased cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels in patients with schizophrenia and those with major depressive disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Mar;47(3):401-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.12.001. Epub 2013 Jan 3.
PubMed 23290488Frydecka D, Misiak B, Pawlak-Adamska E, Karabon L, Tomkiewicz A, Sedlaczek P, Kiejna A, Beszlej JA. Interleukin-6: the missing element of the neurocognitive deterioration in schizophrenia? The focus on genetic underpinnings, cognitive impairment and clinical manifestation. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2015 Sep;265(6):449-59. doi: 10.1007/s00406-014-0533-5. Epub 2014 Sep 12.
PubMed 25214388Miller B, Mellor A, Buckley PF. Interleukin-6 and Cognition in Non-Affective Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2013; 39: S242-S243.
Marsland AL, Petersen KL, Sathanoori R, Muldoon MF, Neumann SA, Ryan C, Flory JD, Manuck SB. Interleukin-6 covaries inversely with cognitive performance among middle-aged community volunteers. Psychosom Med. 2006 Nov-Dec;68(6):895-903. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000238451.22174.92.
PubMed 17132839Kalmady SV, Venkatasubramanian G, Shivakumar V, Gautham S, Subramaniam A, Jose DA, Maitra A, Ravi V, Gangadhar BN. Relationship between Interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and hippocampal volume in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia: evidence for differential susceptibility? PLoS One. 2014 May 2;9(5):e96021. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096021. eCollection 2014.
PubMed 24787542Miller BJ, Timonen M, Isohanni M. Cytokine abnormalities, inflammation and psychosis in the northern finland 1966 birth cohort. European Psychiatry 2014; 29: S519.
Miller BJ, Dias JK, Lemos HP, Buckley PF. An open-label, pilot trial of adjunctive tocilizumab in schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016 Feb;77(2):275-6. doi: 10.4088/JCP.15l09920. No abstract available.
PubMed 26930525
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Jul 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adjunctive Tocilizumab in Schizophrenia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02874573
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 944642
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorders
- Keywords
- Inflammation, Schizophrenia
- Phase
- Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Brian MillerUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
- Study start
- Sep 2016
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Aug 2016 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study is a Phase 1 clinical trial to determine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Tocilizumab (Actemra) as an adjunct to antipsychotic medications in stable outpatients with schizophrenia. Tocilizumab (structural formula C6428H9976N1720O2018S42) is a recombinant humanized anti-human interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor monoclonal antibody of the immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) subclass. Tocilizumab is formulated as a concentrate for solution for infusion, and will be administered by intravenous infusion.
The investigators propose a 12-week randomized controlled trial of tocilizumab, given in adjunct to antipsychotics, in N=20 stable outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and evidence of increased inflammation in the peripheral blood (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP]>0.5 mg/dL). The investigators hypothesize that adjunctive treatment with tocilizumab will be associated with significant improvement in cognition compared to placebo in patients with schizophrenia, and baseline IL-6 levels are higher in tocilizumab-treated responders versus non-responders, and there will be greater decreases in hsCRP from baseline to week 12 in tocilizumab-versus placebo-treated responders, with response defined as ≥0.5 standard deviation (SD) improvement in cognition. Tocilizumab is administered as an intravenous infusion every 4 weeks. Following a screening evaluation, participants will receive three infusions of siltuximab, one at baseline, another at week 4 of the study, and another at week 8. The investigators will measure changes in cognitive function and symptoms over a 12-week period. Complementing previous positive clinical trials of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, this would be a "proof-of-concept" study that targeting specific cytokines is a viable treatment for schizophrenia.
Interleukin 6 and its receptor were discovered and cloned at Osaka University, Japan, by Tadamitsu Kishimoto in the 1980s. In 1997, Chugai Pharmaceuticals began the clinical development of tocilizumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical studies for Castleman's disease and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis started in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Hoffmann-La Roche co-developed the drug due to a license agreement in 2003.
On 11 January 2010, Tocilizumab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) as Actemra for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The FDA approved tocilizumab for the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis for children from two years of age in April 2011.
Detailed description
A pathophysiological role for inflammation in schizophrenia has been one of the more enduring findings in the field. Recently, increased understanding of complex interactions between inflammation and the brain in other chronic diseases has better informed this relationship in schizophrenia. Several trials have found that treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), in adjunct to antipsychotics, was associated with significant improvement in psychopathology in schizophrenia. Cytokines are key regulators of inflammation that exert effects in the periphery and the brain. Serum cytokine levels predicted response in two studies, and another study found a trend for improved cognition with adjunctive NSAID treatment.1 These findings provide important empirical support for a pathophysiological role for inflammation in some patients with schizophrenia. Two important limitations of these trials are that: a) the agents investigated have relevant off-target (i.e., non-immune) effects, and b) evidence of inflammation in the peripheral blood was not an inclusion criterion, which may have decreased the signal-to-noise ratio.
Schizophrenia is associated with impaired cognition, which persists despite current treatments, and is an important determinant of quality of life and overall function. Converging lines of evidence suggest that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a promising therapeutic target for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. IL-6 is a cytokine produced by peripheral blood leukocytes, and central nervous system (CNS) microglia and astrocytes. The IL-6 gene is a risk factor for schizophrenia and may impact on serum IL-6 levels. Blood and (cerebrospinal fluid) CSF IL-6 levels are altered in schizophrenia. IL-6 levels are associated with psychopathology3 and cognition in schizophrenia. In populations outside of schizophrenia, higher serum IL-6 levels are associated with poorer cognition. In first-episode and chronic schizophrenia, IL-6 levels are a significant predictor of smaller left hippocampal volume.
Along with our other previous work, our preliminary studies provide strong evidence that IL-6 is a novel therapeutic target for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed trial. Briefly, in 64 patients with schizophrenia, we found higher blood IL-6 levels were a significant predictor of greater impairment on the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) after controlling for multiple potential confounding factors.5 In an 8-week open-label trial in 6 subjects, tocilizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody against the IL-6 receptor, approved by the US FDA in 2010 for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist therapies, administered as an intravenous infusion every 4 weeks), given in adjunct to antipsychotics, was well tolerated and associated with significant improvement in BACS verbal fluency at 4 weeks, BACS digit symbol coding at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, and BACS composite score at 4 and 8 weeks.10
In the first year following the submission, one clinical trial is planned. The investigators will conduct a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of tocilizumab as an adjunct to antipsychotic medications in 20 stable outpatients with schizophrenia.
In our previous trial of Tocilizumab, no clinically significant adverse drug reactions occurred. The risks that have been found in people with rheumatoid arthritis are known, but there may be unknown risks when used in schizophrenia. Clinically significant adverse drug reactions include anaphylaxis (0.4%), infections (0.1-7.8%), intestinal perforation, neutropenia (7.0%), and cardiac failure. Known side effects of tocilizumab that are common include: increase in hepatic enzymes (AST, ALT), hypertension, headache, neutropenia, infusion-related reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, and nasopharyngitis.
Subjects with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder will be accessed from outpatient psychiatry clinic at Augusta University or other satellite collaborative sites. The study has 6 visits: screening, baseline, and weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. Subjects will be randomized equally to either tocilizumab (n=10) or placebo (n=10), in adjunct to their current antipsychotic and other psychotropic medications. Tocilizumab will be obtained from the manufacturer, Genentech, through our hospital pharmacy as per our previous trial. Subjects in the tocilizumab group will receive a 4 mg/kg infusion at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8, as per the recommended starting dosing for rheumatoid arthritis. Subjects in the placebo group will receive an infusion of normal saline (with the same packaging and volume as the tocilizumab group) at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. We will contact the subjects by phone on days 1 and 7 after each infusion to assess for any infusion-related events. We will assess cognition and psychopathology at baseline, and at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. We will also measure a multiplex panel of blood cytokines (including IL-6) at baseline, and at weeks 2m 4, 8, and 12. Patients will be withdrawn if they meet any exclusion criterion at any time point.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment Group | Active comparator | Drug: TocilizumabSubjects in the tocilizumab group will receive a 4 mg/kg infusion at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8, as per the recommended starting dosing for rheumatoid arthritis |
| Control Group | Placebo comparator | Drug: Normal salineSubjects in the placebo group will receive an infusion of normal saline (with the same packaging and volume as the tocilizumab group) at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- male and female
- age 18-55
- capable of giving informed consent
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-V diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
- stable based on clinical judgment, no psychiatric hospitalizations in past 3 months, and on the same psychotropic medications for >4 weeks
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- imminent danger to self/others
- antibiotic use in the past 2 weeks
- current scheduled use of immunomodulatory agents
- history of an immune disorder
- illicit drug use in the past 30 days
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 |
|---|---|---|
| TocilizumabAlso: ActemraInvestigational agent | Drug | Treatment Group |
| Normal salineAlso: 0.9% NSPlacebo | Drug | Control Group |
Primary outcome
Change in Cognition
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) is the metric used to characterize cognition in this study. The BACS consists of 6 subscales: Verbal Memory (range 0-75), Working Memory (range 0-28), Motor Speed (range 0-100), Verbal Fluency (measure is total number of words generated in two 60 second trials), Attention and Processing speed (range 0-110), and Executive Function (range 0-22). For each subscale, higher scores reflect better cognition. For each subscale, a Standard Deviation Score was calculated based on normative data (Keefe et al. Norms and standardization of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Schizophrenia Research 102 (2008) 108-115). The BACS composite score is calculated as the average Standard Deviation Score of the 6 subscale scores. The change in BACS composite score will be calculated as the BACS composite score at 9 weeks minus the BACS composite score at baseline.
1 secondary outcome
Change in Total Psychotic Symptoms
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Jul 2023.
- Background: PubMed 23720576Nitta M, Kishimoto T, Muller N, Weiser M, Davidson M, Kane JM, Correll CU. Adjunctive use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for schizophrenia: a meta-analytic investigation of randomized controlled trials. Schizophr Bull. 2013 Nov;39(6):1230-41. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbt070. Epub 2013 May 29.
- Background: PubMed 21700295Sasayama D, Wakabayashi C, Hori H, Teraishi T, Hattori K, Ota M, Ishikawa M, Arima K, Higuchi T, Amano N, Kunugi H. Association of plasma IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor levels with the Asp358Ala polymorphism of the IL-6 receptor gene in schizophrenic patients. J Psychiatr Res. 2011 Nov;45(11):1439-44. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.06.003. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
- Background: PubMed 21641581Miller BJ, Buckley P, Seabolt W, Mellor A, Kirkpatrick B. Meta-analysis of cytokine alterations in schizophrenia: clinical status and antipsychotic effects. Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Oct 1;70(7):663-71. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.04.013. Epub 2011 Jun 8.
- Background: PubMed 23290488Sasayama D, Hattori K, Wakabayashi C, Teraishi T, Hori H, Ota M, Yoshida S, Arima K, Higuchi T, Amano N, Kunugi H. Increased cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels in patients with schizophrenia and those with major depressive disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Mar;47(3):401-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.12.001. Epub 2013 Jan 3.
- Background: PubMed 25214388Frydecka D, Misiak B, Pawlak-Adamska E, Karabon L, Tomkiewicz A, Sedlaczek P, Kiejna A, Beszlej JA. Interleukin-6: the missing element of the neurocognitive deterioration in schizophrenia? The focus on genetic underpinnings, cognitive impairment and clinical manifestation. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2015 Sep;265(6):449-59. doi: 10.1007/s00406-014-0533-5. Epub 2014 Sep 12.
- BackgroundMiller B, Mellor A, Buckley PF. Interleukin-6 and Cognition in Non-Affective Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2013; 39: S242-S243.
- Background: PubMed 17132839Marsland AL, Petersen KL, Sathanoori R, Muldoon MF, Neumann SA, Ryan C, Flory JD, Manuck SB. Interleukin-6 covaries inversely with cognitive performance among middle-aged community volunteers. Psychosom Med. 2006 Nov-Dec;68(6):895-903. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000238451.22174.92.
- Background: PubMed 24787542Kalmady SV, Venkatasubramanian G, Shivakumar V, Gautham S, Subramaniam A, Jose DA, Maitra A, Ravi V, Gangadhar BN. Relationship between Interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and hippocampal volume in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia: evidence for differential susceptibility? PLoS One. 2014 May 2;9(5):e96021. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096021. eCollection 2014.
- BackgroundMiller BJ, Timonen M, Isohanni M. Cytokine abnormalities, inflammation and psychosis in the northern finland 1966 birth cohort. European Psychiatry 2014; 29: S519.
- Background: PubMed 26930525Miller BJ, Dias JK, Lemos HP, Buckley PF. An open-label, pilot trial of adjunctive tocilizumab in schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016 Feb;77(2):275-6. doi: 10.4088/JCP.15l09920. No abstract available.
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Reducing Stigma - A Treatment for Early Psychosis to Prevent Suicide
Suicide, Mental Health Stigma
RecruitingPhase 3
A Study to Evaluate KarXT as a Treatment for Psychosis Associated With Alzheimer's Disease (ADEPT-4)
Alzheimer Disease
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.
Brian J Miller, MD principal investigator
Augusta 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 Tocilizumab and Normal saline in people with Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders, run by Brian Miller 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 7 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jul 2023. 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 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?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Brian J Miller, MD (706-721-4445, brmiller@augusta.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Cognition (time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02874573, which also lists 10 linked publications.
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 21 Jul 2023.