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Autism Spectrum DisorderPhase 2EnvisionNCT03664232

A Study to Investigate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of JNJ-42165279 in Adolescent and Adult Participants With Autism Spectrum Disorder

A Phase 2 study testing JNJ-42165279 in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Janssen Research & Development, LLC at 9 sites 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

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of JNJ-42165279 compared with placebo in the improvement of symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during 12 weeks of treatment using the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 13 to 35 years
Conditions the study is for
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is being tested?
JNJ-42165279
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
78 participants
Where
9 sitesUnited States
Study dates
7 Nov 2018to 28 Oct 2022
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 13 to 35 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria and made or confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2) (minimum score of 8 [autism spectrum])
  • Otherwise healthy for their age group or medically stable with or without medication on the basis of physical examination, medical history, vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), and clinical laboratory tests
  • Have a composite score on Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition (KBIT-2) of at least 60
  • Must live with a parent or primary caregiver or, if not, during each week he/she must either (A) spend at least 3 hours a day for at least 4 days or, (B) spend the weekend with a parent or primary caregiver
  • Any pharmacologic, diet, or behavioral intervention for ASD must have begun at least 1 month prior to the baseline visit and continue unchanged through the treatment period, or have ended at least 1 month prior to the baseline visit
  • Must be able to swallow the study medication whole and self-administer medication if living independently or have a parent or caregiver be able to administer medication
  • Must agree to abide by the birth control requirements during the study and for 3 months after the last dose

Who cannot join

  • Current or recent history of clinically significant suicidal ideation within the past 6 months, or a history of suicidal behavior within the past year
  • Use of a drug with moderate/strong cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 inhibiting or inducing properties at, or prior to, screening that is not discontinued at least within 1 month prior to Day 1
  • History of drug or alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria within 6 months before screening or positive test result(s) for alcohol or drugs of abuse (except if related to current treatment)
  • Currently taking or has taken within the past month recreational or medically prescribed cannabis

Trial locations and contacts

9 sites in 1 country.

9 sites in 1 country

United States9 sites
  • BioBehavioral Research of Austin PC

    Austin, Texas, 78759

  • Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229

  • Harmonex Neuroscience Research

    Dothan, Alabama, 36303

  • New York Presbyterian Hospital

    New York, New York, 10032

  • Cutting Edge Research Group

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73116

  • NRC Research Institute

    Orange, California, 92868

  • Nathan Kline Institute

    Orangeburg, New York, 10962

  • Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center

    Phoenix, Arizona, 85006

  • Seattle Children's Hospital

    Seattle, Washington, 98105

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group, Multicenter Study Investigating the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of JNJ-42165279 in Adolescent and Adult Subjects With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of JNJ-42165279 compared with placebo in the improvement of symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during 12 weeks of treatment using the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI).

Being tested
JNJ-42165279, Placebo
Medical subject headings
Autism Spectrum Disorder

What participants receive

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

  • JNJ-42165279Drug

    Participants will receive 25 mg JNJ-42165279 orally twice daily for 12 weeks.

  • PlaceboDrug

    Participants will receive a matching placebo orally twice daily for 12 weeks.

Study groups in NCT03664232
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
JNJ-42165279ExperimentalParticipants will self-administer 25 milligram (mg) JNJ-42165279 tablets orally twice daily for 12 weeks.
Receives: Drug: JNJ-42165279
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorParticipants will self-administer matching placebo tablets orally twice daily for 12 weeks.
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI) Core Domain Score (Social Communication and Restrictive Behaviour)

    ABI:62-item questionnaire to track outcomes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Each item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions: quality (how well person carries out particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score=severe symptoms/more frequency. ABI core domain score was from 2 domains: social communication (23 items; 3 sub-domains) and repetitive/restrictive behavior (RRB;15 items; 4 sub-domains). Domain and sub-domain scores: calculated as average of non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by number of non-missing items); scores ranged from 0 to 3, higher scores=more severe symptoms of ASD. ABI core domain score=sum of social communication and RRB domain scores divided by total number of items in these 2 domains. Negative changes in ABI core domain score=improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  2. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Social Communication Domain Score

    ABI was 62-item questionnaire completed on a web/mobile application or on paper. It tracks outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. The ABI social communication domain score consisted of 23 items; with 3 sub-domains. The domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). For both domains and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. Negative change in score indicates improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  3. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Repetitive/Restrictive Behavior (RRB) Domain Score

    ABI is 62-item questionnaire completed on a web/mobile application or on paper. It tracks outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. The ABI RRB domain score consisted of 15 items; with 3 sub-domains. The domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). For both domains and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. Negative change in score indicates improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  4. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2) Total T-Score

    SRS-2: 65-item scale measured extent of autistic social impairment and included 5 subscales: social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and restricted interests and repetitive behavior. Each of 65 items had 4 responses: not true, sometimes true, often true, and almost always true. Scoring value for each item was 0 to 3. If a response to an item was missing, then pre-defined median value for item (0 or 1) was imputed. SRS-2 was not scored if 7 or more item responses were missed. Total raw score was sum of item response values. Each subscale was obtained by adding response values and converted total raw score to standardized T-score based on gender and rater (parent or caregiver). Total T-score was categorized: within normal limits (<=59), mild (60 to 65), moderate (66 to 75) and severe (>=76). For total score T-score, higher scores=more severe symptoms. SRS T-score had mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. Negative changes in T-scores=improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

Secondary outcomes (16)
  1. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Mood and Anxiety Domain Score

    ABI was 62-item questionnaire to track outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. ABI mood and anxiety domain had 9 items with 5 sub-domains. ABI mood and anxiety domain and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. Domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). Negative changes in ABI mood and anxiety domain score indicated improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  2. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Challenging Behavior Domain Score

    ABI was 62-item questionnaire to track outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. ABI challenging behavior domain had 7 items with 4 sub-domains. ABI challenging behavior domain and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. The domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). Negative changes in ABI challenging behavior domain score indicated improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  3. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Self-Regulation Domain Score

    ABI was 62-item questionnaire to track outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. ABI self-regulation domain had 8 items with 2 sub-domains. ABI self-regulation domain and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. The domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). Negative changes in ABI self-regulation domain score indicated improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  4. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) Subscales Scores

    The ABC was 58-item behavior rating scale used to measure behavior problems across 5 subscales: irritability (15 items), lethargy (social withdrawal; 16 items), stereotypic behavior (7 items), hyperactivity/ noncompliance (16 items), and inappropriate speech (4 items). Items were rated on a 4-point scale score ranging from 0 (not at all a problem) to 3 (the problem is severe in degree). The total subscale scores ranged from 0 to 45, 0 to 48, 0 to 21, 0 to 48 and 0 to 12 for irritability, lethargy (social withdrawal), stereotypic behavior, hyperactivity, and inappropriate speech respectively. The higher scores indicating more severe behavior problems. Negative change in score indicated improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  5. Change From Baseline to Day 71 in the Autism Behavior Inventory-Short Form (ABI-S) Domains Scores

    The ABI-S was the shorter version of ABI. It consists of 24 items across 5 areas: challenging behavior (3 items), mood and anxiety (5 items), restrictive behaviors (7 items), social communication (6 items), and self-regulation (3 items). Each item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs). Each ABI-S domain score was calculated as the sum of the scores in the ABI-S domain divided by the total number of items in this domain. Each item was rated on scales of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. The total subscale scores ranged from 0 to 9, 0 to 15, 0 to 21, 0 to 18, and 0 to 9, for challenging behavior, mood and anxiety, restrictive behaviors, social communication, and self-regulation respectively. Lower score indicated better performance. Negative change in score indicates improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 71

  6. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Autism Behavior Inventory-Clinician Interview (ABI-C) Domains Scores

    The ABI-C covers the domains of ABI and was intended for completion by the clinician following an interview with caregiver and observation or interview with the individual with ASD, as appropriate. The ABI-C was designed to capture the behaviors of a person with ASD that have occurred over the past week. There were 14 items across each of the 5 domains: challenging behavior (2 items), mood and anxiety (2 items), restrictive behaviors (5 items), social communication (3 items), and self-regulation (2 items). The clinician rates the severity of behaviors or level of impairment on a scale of 1 (no impairment) to 7 (very severe difficulties) with a higher score indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. Total subscale scores ranged from 0 to 14, 0 to 14, 0 to 35, 0 to 21 and 0 to 14, for challenging behavior, mood and anxiety, restrictive behaviors, social communication and self-regulation respectively. Lower score indicated better performance. Negative change in score indicates improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  7. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) Scale Score

    The CGI-S 7-point scale was a global assessment that measures the clinician's impression of the severity of illness of the participant. A rating scale of 1 to 7 was used, with 1="normal, not at all ill" and 7="among the most extremely ill". Higher score indicated more severe illness.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  8. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised (RBS-R) Subscale Score

    The RBS-R was a 43-item report scale to indicate the occurrence of repetitive behaviors and degree to which a behavior was a problem scored on a range between 0 (behavior did not occur) to 3 (behavior occurred and was a severe problem). There are 6 subscale scores: Stereotyped Behavior (items 1 to 6), self-injurious behavior (items 7 to 14), compulsive behavior (items 15 to 22), ritualistic behavior (items 23 to 28), sameness behavior (items 29 to 39), and restricted behavior (items 40 to 43). The ranges for RBS-R subscale scores were stereotyped behavior: 0 to 18; self-injurious behavior: 0 to 24; compulsive behavior: 0 to 24; ritualistic behavior: 0 to 18; sameness behavior: 0 to 33; and restricted behavior: 0 to 12. Higher scores indicate more severe problems with repetitive behaviors and a decrease (a negative change) from baseline represents improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  9. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) Global Score

    The ZBI short version scale consists of 22 items designed to assess the psychological burden experienced by a caregiver. Items ask how the caregiver felt and their responses range from 0 to 4, where 0 = never and 4 = nearly always. The ZBI global score was the sum of all item score and ranges from 0 to 88 with higher scores indicating a higher burden. A negative change in the ZBI global score from baseline representing improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  10. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Child Adolescent Symptom Inventory - Anxiety (CASI-Anx) Scale Score

    The CASI assesses symptoms of the following disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, separation anxiety disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, major depressive episode, manic episode, dysthymic disorder, schizophrenia, autistic/Asperger's disorder, anorexia, and bulimia. CASI-Anx scale total is a 21-point anxiety subscale of the full CASI. Responses were ranged from 0 to 3, where 0 = never and 3 = very often. The CASI-Anx scale total score ranges from 0 to 63 with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety. Negative changes in Symptom Severity scores indicate improvement.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  11. Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Caregiver Global Impression of Severity (Caregiver GI-S) Scale Score

    The caregiver GI-S is a single-item instrument that asks caregivers to rate their overall impression of the severity of their child's ASD symptoms. A rating scale of 1 to 7 was used, with 1= none and 7=severe illness. Higher score indicated more severe illness.

    Measured: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

  12. Caregiver Assessment of Treatment: Question 1: Number of Participants With Overall Status (Improvement) of Autism at Day 85

    The caregiver assessment of treatment is a 3-item questionnaire completed at the end of the treatment period. The first question asks caregivers to rate their overall impression of improvement in their child's autism since starting the study medication, with 7 response options ranging from 1 "very much improved" to 7 "very much worse".

    Measured: At Day 85

  13. Caregiver Assessment of Treatment: Question 2: Number of Participants With Improvement in Specific Symptoms During Treatment at Day 85

    The caregiver assessment of treatment was a 3-item questionnaire completed at the end of the treatment period. The second question asks caregivers whether there was improvement in 9 specific symptoms (child communicated more, child's repetitive behaviors improvement, child's restricted interests, child's mood improved, child was less anxious, child better perform daily activities, child more interest social activities, child's sleep improved, child less distracted), with responses options of Yes or No.

    Measured: At Day 85

  14. Caregiver Assessment of Treatment: Question 3: Number of Participants With Interest in Continuing Treatment at Day 85

    The caregiver assessment of treatment is a 3-item questionnaire completed at the end of the treatment period. The third question asked caregivers their interest in having their child continue the study medication. There were 5 response options ranging from "Not at all interested" to "Extremely interested".

    Measured: At Day 85

  15. Self Global Impression of Improvement (Self GI-I) Scale Score at Day 85

    Self-Global impression of improvement (Self GI-I) scale score at Day 85 was reported. At the end of the treatment period, the participant was asked to give his/her impression of overall improvement in ASD symptoms using a single-item instrument, the Self GI-I. The scale ranges from 1 (very much better) to 7 (very much worse), with higher scores indicating worsening of symptoms.

    Measured: At Day 85

  16. Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) Score (Frequency Distribution) at Day 85

    The CGI-I was single-item instrument that measures the clinician's global impression of improvement in the participant from the initiation of treatment. The CGI-I was 7-point scale to measure improvement in illness, where 1=very much improved, 2=much improved, 3=minimally improved, 4=no change from baseline, 5=minimally worse, 6=much worse, 7=very much worse.

    Measured: At Day 85

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Sep 2018
  2. Study start7 Nov 2018
  3. Primary completion17 Oct 2022
  4. Study completion28 Oct 2022

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
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
78 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03664232
Sponsor's protocol ID
CR108275
Other IDs
42165279AUT2001
Acronym
Envision
Status last verified
Apr 2025
First submitted
7 Sep 2018
Last updated
23 Apr 2025
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing JNJ-42165279 in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Janssen Research & Development, LLC at 9 sites 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 4 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 23 Apr 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 9 sites 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 23 Apr 2025). 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?

Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI) Core Domain Score (Social Communication and Restrictive Behaviour) (time frame: Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 23 Apr 2025.

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