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Anorexia NervosaPhase 2NCT04661514

Evaluation of Psilocybin in Anorexia Nervosa: Safety and Efficacy

A Phase 2 study testing Psilocybin in people with Anorexia Nervosa, run by University of California, San Diego 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

The primary aim of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of one 25 mg dose of psilocybin in participants with anorexia nervosa based on adverse events (AEs), changes in vital signs, electrocardiograms (ECGs) and clinical laboratory tests. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 40 years
Conditions the study is for
Anorexia Nervosa
What is being tested?
Psilocybin
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
16 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 May 2021to 10 Jun 2022
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 40 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • 18 to 40 years of age at Screening
  • Current diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (informed by DSM 5) based on medical records, clinical assessment, weight, and documented completion of the version 7.0.2 Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
  • Agree for the study team to maintain contact with their primary care team for the duration of the study.
  • Ability to complete all protocol required assessment tools without any assistance or alteration to the copyrighted assessments, and to comply with all study visits.

Who cannot join

  • Medical exclusion criteria will be determined during the Screening Period and Baseline. Exclusion assessments that will be rechecked on the day of dosing are marked with an Asterix.
  • BMI < 16 kg/m2 *
  • Medical instability as indicated by significant (>3kg) weight loss during the screening period, orthostatic heart rate and blood pressure *
  • Women who are pregnant, nursing, or planning a pregnancy in the near future. Male and female participants who are sexually active must agree to use a highly effective contraceptive method throughout their participation in the study. Women of child bearing potential must have a negative urine pregnancy test at Screening visits and Baseline, and psilocybin dosing session days *
  • Cardiovascular conditions: recent stroke (<1 year from signing of ICF), recent myocardial infarction (<1 year from signing of ICF), uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure >140/90 mmHg) or clinically significant arrhythmia within 1 year of signing the ICF.
  • Uncontrolled or insulin-dependent diabetes.
Show all 19Show fewer
  • Seizure disorder.
  • Use of psychedelics, including psilocybin, within one year prior to Screening assessment
  • Positive urine drug screen for illicit drugs or drugs of abuse in the Screening Period and Baseline and psilocybin dosing days. Any positive urine drug test will be reviewed with participants to determine the pattern of use and eligibility will be determined at the investigator's discretion *
  • Current enrolment in any investigational drug or device study or participation in such within 30 days prior to Screening
  • Abnormal and clinically significant results on the physical examination, vital signs, ECG, or laboratory tests at Screening, such as liver function tests (LFTs) three times greater than the upper limit of normal, reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and elevated creatinin two times of upper limit of normal
  • Any other clinically significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal or any other major concurrent illness that, in the opinion of the investigator, may interfere with the interpretation of the study results or constitute a health risk for the participant if he/she takes part in the study
  • Non-English speakers
  • Current or past history of schizophrenia, psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, significant history of mania, delusional disorder, paranoid personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or borderline personality disorder as assessed by medical history and a structured clinical interview
  • McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder >7 at Screening
  • Currently taking a serotonergic medication. All serotonergic medication must be discontinued at least two weeks prior to Baseline.
  • Current (within the last year) alcohol or substance use disorder as informed by DSM-5 at Screening
  • Significant suicide risk as defined by (1) suicidal ideation as endorsed on items 4 or 5 on the Colombia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) within the past year, at Screening or at Baseline, or; (2) suicidal behaviors within the past year, or; (3) clinical assessment of significant suicidal risk during subject interview (pre-treatment Baseline sessions).
  • Other personal circumstances and behavior judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or safe exposure to psilocybin, including exposure to psilocybin within the past year and use of psychedelics, such as ayahuasca, during the current episode.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute

    La Jolla, California, 92037

Other trials in United States

About this study

The primary aim of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of one 25 mg dose of psilocybin in participants with anorexia nervosa based on adverse events (AEs), changes in vital signs, electrocardiograms (ECGs) and clinical laboratory tests. The secondary objectives are to explore the efficacy of a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin on eating disorder symptoms and behaviors, body image, anxiety, food related obsessions and rituals, and body weight.

Read the detailed description

Because there are no proven treatments that normalize core symptoms in adult anorexia nervosa, a disorder with high chronicity, many individuals seek out alternative approaches to care. Recent evidence has suggested that anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and diminished reward or motivation play key roles in the development and maintenance of dysfunctional eating, and poor outcome. In recent years, a growing number of studies have demonstrated the safety and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin in clinical trials for a range of psychiatric illnesses including treatment resistant depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, addiction, and anxiety. Psilocybin may represent a promising new treatment for anorexia nervosa. However, no studies have tested psilocybin in this eating disorder population. Accordingly, this study aims to establish the safety, tolerability and dosing of psilocybin in adult patients with anorexia nervosa, as well as gather pilot data on possible efficacy.

For this study, the investigators will recruit adults who currently have a DSM-V diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. Participants will undergo medical and psychological screening and those who are deemed eligible will partake in a maximum of 7 study visits, lasting from 4-8 weeks. On dosing day, participants will receive a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin along with psychotherapeutic support, which includes preparation and integration sessions surrounding the experience. There will be a follow-up period of one month following the psilocybin session during which a range of psychological measures (questionnaires and interviews) will be collected.

Being tested
Psilocybin
Keywords
Anorexia, Anorexia Nervosa Signs and Symptoms, Eating Disorders, Mental Disorders, Psilocybin, Hallucinogens, Physiological Effects of Drugs, Psychotropic Drugs, Psychedelic Drugs
Medical subject headings
Anorexia Nervosa, Anorexia, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Mental Disorders

What participants receive

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

  • PsilocybinDrug

    Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy

Study groups in NCT04661514
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Safety, Tolerability, and TreatmentExperimentalOn dosing day, each participant will receive 1 x 25 mg treatment bottle containing 5 x 5 mg oral capsules of psilocybin. The administration session will last approximately 4-6 hours and will be supported by a lead therapist and an assisting therapist.
Receives: Drug: Psilocybin

What is being measured

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

  1. Incidence and occurrence of changes in AEs

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

  2. Incidence and occurrence of changes in AEs

    Measured: Day 1 to Day 28

  3. Incidence of clinically important changes in ECG parameters

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1

  4. Incidence of clinically important changes in ECG parameters

    Measured: Baseline to Day 7

  5. Incidence of clinically important changes in ECG parameters

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

  6. Incidence of clinically important changes in laboratory tests

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1

  7. Incidence of clinically important changes in laboratory tests

    Measured: Baseline to Day 7

  8. Incidence of clinically important changes in laboratory tests

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

  9. Incidence of clinically significant changes in vital signs

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1

  10. Incidence of clinically significant changes in vital signs

    Measured: Baseline to Day 7

  11. Incidence of clinically significant changes in vital signs

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

  12. Incidence of changes in the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) at each post-Baseline visit

    The C-SSRS will be used to assess suicide potential or tendency as a study entry criteria and monitored throughout the study.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. Change in Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) scores for Dietary Restraint, Eating Concern, and Shape Concern

    The EDE is a structured clinical interview (investigator rated) and is used to measure the severity of the characteristic psychopathology of eating disorders. The four EDE subscales (Dietary Restraint, Eating Concern, Weight Concern, and Shape Concern) are rated on a 7-point forced-choice format (0-6), with higher scores reflecting greater severity or frequency.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

  2. Change in weight (kg)

    Measured: Baseline to Day 7 and Day 28

  3. Change in trait anxiety and state anxiety total scores on the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

    The STAI consists of self-report scales for measuring "state" and "trait" anxiety. It consists of 40 items scored by a 4 point Likert scale. 20 questions refer to state anxiety, and 20 to trait anxiety thus each section is scored between 20 and 80. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1, Day 7, and Day 28

  4. Change in Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS) trait total score and state score

    The PASTAS is a self-reported 16-item measure that assesses anxiety about physical appearance. Each question is rated on a Likert scale from 0 to 4, indicating that the individual feels anxious, tense or nervous about a specific body part or general overweightness. There is a minimum score on each scale 0 and a maximum score of 64, where higher scores indicated greater severity in anxiety.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1, Day 7, and Day 28

  5. Change in Body Image State Scale (BISS) total score

    The BISS is a self-report questionnaire that has six items used to assess an individual's evaluative and affecting body image state at a given moment in time. The six items are: 1) dissatisfaction with physical appearance, 2) dissatisfaction with body size and shape, 3) dissatisfaction with weight, 4) feelings of physical unattractiveness, 5) current feeling about one's look relative to how one usually feels, and 6) evaluation of one's appearance relative to how the average person looks. Each item is evaluated on a 9-point bipolar Likert like scale and higher scores indicate more positive body image.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 28

  6. Change in Yale Brown Cornell Eating Disorder Scale (YBC-EDS-SRQ)

    This self-report scale consists of 65 items and 19 question items related to eating disorder preoccupations and rituals. There is an emphasis on comparison between current state (last two weeks) and worst state, the one month where the participant believed their eating disorder to be the most severe. The scoring includes a preoccupations subtotal, rituals subtotal and total score.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1, Day 7, and Day 28

  7. Change in Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) total score

    The EDI is a self-report questionnaire. It consists of 91 items organized into 12 primary scales rated on a 0-4 point scoring system, consisting of 3 eating disorder specific scales and 9 general psychological scales that are highly relevant to, but not specific to, eating disorders. It yields six composite scores: one that is eating disorder specific (i.e., Eating Disorder Risk) and five that are general integrative psychological constructs (i.e., Ineffectiveness, Interpersonal Problems, Affective Problems, Overcontrol, General Psychological Maladjustment). A computer-based scoring program generates a detailed clinical profile and scoring report for each participant.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1, Day 7, and Day 28

  8. Change in Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Form (EDE-QS) total scores

    The EDE-QS is a self-report questionnaire. It consists of 32 items that assess the core symptoms of eating disorders and range of eating-related psychopathology. The EDE-QS is based closely on the EDE interview. Scores range from 0 to 36 and higher scores indicate greater eating disorder symptoms.

    Measured: Baseline to Day 1, Day 7, and Day 28

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Dec 2020
  2. Study start1 May 2021
  3. Primary completion10 Mar 2022
  4. Study completion10 Jun 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
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
16 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04661514
Sponsor's protocol ID
049345
Status last verified
Jul 2022
First submitted
19 Nov 2020
Last updated
25 Jul 2022
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Peck SK, Shao S, Gruen T, Yang K, Babakanian A, Trim J, Finn DM, Kaye WH. Psilocybin Therapy for Females With Anorexia Nervosa: A Phase 1, Open-Label Feasibility Study. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2024 Jul;22(3):381-387. doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.24022013. Epub 2024 Jun 28.

    PubMed 38988455
  • Peck SK, Shao S, Gruen T, Yang K, Babakanian A, Trim J, Finn DM, Kaye WH. Psilocybin therapy for females with anorexia nervosa: a phase 1, open-label feasibility study. Nat Med. 2023 Aug;29(8):1947-1953. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02455-9. Epub 2023 Jul 24.

    PubMed 37488291

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Psilocybin in people with Anorexia Nervosa, run by University of California, San Diego 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 19 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 25 Jul 2022. 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?

Incidence and occurrence of changes in AEs (time frame: Baseline to Day 28). The study lists 12 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT04661514, which also lists 2 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 25 Jul 2022.

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