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Role of BP1.3656 on Alcohol Responses

Phase 2
Completed
Conditions
Alcohol Use Disorder
Interventions
Drug: BP1.3656
Drug: Placebo
Registration Number
NCT04727086
Lead Sponsor
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Brief Summary

The current study will determine whether a novel pharmacotherapy, BP1. 3656, affects laboratory alcohol self-administration in participants with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Detailed Description

The current study employs BP1.3656, a novel investigational compound with a track record for safety and tolerability in phase I clinical trials. When administered to mice, BP1.3656 was associated with increased metabolism of histamine and elevated brain dopamine and acetylcholine, suggestive of utility in psychiatric disorders including Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

This study is a Phase II laboratory-based trial of BP1 .3656 for AUD. 40 non-treatment seeking participants with AUD will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned to intervention with BP1 .3656 or placebo in a within-subject, crossover design. During each intervention period, outcome measures relating to alcohol motivation and self-administration will be assessed in the laboratory. It is hypothesized that relative to placebo, alcohol self-administration will be decreased by BP1 .3656.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
37
Inclusion Criteria
  • Fulfilling Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-5 criteria for AUD with endorsement of 4-8 symptoms
  • Average weekly consumption ≥ 14 standard drinks for women and ≥ 21 standard drinks for men over the past 3 months
  • Willingness to take study medication and participate in laboratory sessions requiring alcohol administration
  • Able to give written informed consent
  • Certified as healthy by a comprehensive clinical assessment. Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels should not be more than 1.2 times normal
Exclusion Criteria
  • Seeking treatment for alcohol use (or current efforts to cut down or seek treatment)
  • A Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA) score of 8+ upon initial assessment
  • Current medical conditions or medications that contraindicate receiving the study drug (based on the study physician's assessment)
  • Meeting criteria for a current substance use disorder aside from alcohol or nicotine
  • Recent recreational drug use (assessed via urine toxicology screen)
  • History of gross psychiatric or neurological impairment (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, neurological disorders)
  • Reported difficulty with intravenous procedures
  • Self-report of significant alcohol-induced flushing after 1-2 drinks (a proxy for aldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency)
  • Currently nursing or pregnant (females)
  • Serious unstable medical condition
  • Current use of medication that could increase the risk of BP1.3656B administration
  • Having any clinical condition, drug sensitivity, or prior therapy which, in the investigator's opinion, makes the participant unsuitable for the study
  • Any history of seizures

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Medication (BP1.3656)BP1.3656Participants will receive BP1.3656 in tablet form once daily at a dose of 30 µg/day for the first 4 days, followed by 60 µg/day for the remaining 10 days. If the highest dose is not tolerated, it will be lowered to 30 µg.
Placebo pillsPlaceboParticipants will receive matching placebo pills for 14 days.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Motivation for alcohol completed during a progressive ratio alcohol self-administration session while taking study medication (BP1.3656).Measured during one progressive-ratio self-administration session in the 2nd week of the 14-day medication phase

Measured by number of button presses/work sets

Peak breath alcohol concentration (mg%) during free-access alcohol self-administration while taking placebo.Measured during one self-administration session in the 2nd week of the 14-day placebo phase.

Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) test reading will be assessed

Peak breath alcohol concentration (mg%) during free-access alcohol self-administration while taking study medication (BP1.3656).Measured during one self-administration session in the 2nd week of the 14-day study medication phase.

Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) test reading will be assessed

Motivation for alcohol completed during a progressive ratio alcohol self-administration session while taking placebo.Measured during one progressive-ratio self-administration session in the 2nd week of the 14-day placebo-phase.

Measured by number of button presses/work sets

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Self-reported craving after a priming dose of alcohol during free-access and progressive ratio self-administration sessions while taking BP1.3656, as measured by the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (1-7 scoring)Measured during each of 2 alcohol self-administration sessions (free-access, progressive ratio) completed in 2nd week of medication phase.

8 statements with score options ranging from Score of 1 = Strongly disagree to Score of 7 = Strongly Agree. Higher scores reflect greater craving.

Weekly alcohol consumption during treatment with BP1 .3656Measured during the 2nd week of the 14-day study medication phase

Drinks per week, as measured by the Timeline Follow-Back method

Subjective effects of alcohol during free-access and progressive ratio self-administration sessions while taking study medication (BP1.3656), as measured by the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (0-10 scoring)Measured during each of two alcohol self-administration sessions (free-access, progressive ratio) completed in the 2nd week of the 14-day medication phase.

Two subscales (stimulant and sedative) with a 0-10 scoring where higher scores for stimulant subscale indicate increased stimulated effects from alcohol, while higher scores for sedative subscale indicate more sedated effects from alcohol.

Self-reported craving after a priming dose of alcohol during free-access and progressive ratio self-administration sessions while taking placebo, as measured by the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (1-7 scoring)Measured during each of 2 alcohol self-administration sessions (free-access, progressive ratio) completed in 2nd week of placebo phase.

8 statements with score options ranging from Score of 1 = Strongly disagree to Score of 7 = Strongly Agree. Higher scores reflect greater craving.

Safety and tolerability of BP1.3656During the free-access and progressive ratio sessions in the 2nd week of the 14-day study placebo phase

Side effects of BP1.3656 will be assessed with the Systematic Assessment for Treatment Emergent Effects questionnaire (not reporting score on a scale) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (19 items with 0-3 scoring, where higher scores indicate worse sleep quality).

Subjective effects of alcohol (maximum reported stimulation and sedation from alcohol) during free-access and progressive ratio self-administration sessions while taking placebo, as measured by the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (0-10 scoring)Measured during each of two alcohol self-administration sessions (free-access, progressive ratio) completed in the 2nd week of the 14-day placebo phase.

Two subscales (stimulant and sedative) with a 0-10 scoring where higher scores for stimulant subscale indicate increased stimulation, while higher scores for sedative subscale indicate more sedated effects from alcohol.

Weekly alcohol consumption during treatment with placeboMeasured during the 2nd week of the 14-day placebo phase

Drinks per week, as measured by the Timeline Follow-Back method

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Center for Addiction and Mental Health

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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