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Does CERC-501 Attenuate Stress-precipitated Smoking Lapse?

Does CERC-501 Attenuate Stress-precipitated Smoking Lapse?

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02800928
Enrollment
17
Registered
2016-06-15
Start date
2016-06-30
Completion date
2018-01-02
Last updated
2019-08-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Smoking

Brief summary

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Design Study of CERC-501 in a Human Laboratory Model of Stress-precipitated Smoking Behavior.

Detailed description

The study will be performed in subjects who are heavy cigarette smokers currently not seeking treatment for tobacco use disorder. The study is a crossover design study (within-subject analysis), which allows for subjects to be their own control. Each period of the crossover consists of a 7-day out-patient treatment period followed by a single out-patient testing day on Day 8. Subjects will participate in a laboratory session following the McKee Stress-Smoking Lapse Test. Upon completion, subjects will undergo a 7 day washout period followed by the second period of the crossover design and a 7-day follow-up visit.

Interventions

CERC-501

DRUGPlacebo

Placebo

Sponsors

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
CollaboratorNIH
Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)
CollaboratorNIH
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Yale University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Provides written informed consent and agrees to complete required clinic visits 2. Male or female 21 to 60 years of age inclusive 3. Body mass index (BMI) 18.5 to 40 kg/m2 inclusive 4. Smokes at least 10 cigarettes per day on average for the past 6 months 5. Fagerstrom score ≥3 at screening 6. Currently not seeking smoking cessation therapy 7. Urine dip test for cotinine concentration \>150 ng/mL 8. In otherwise good general health without any unstable medical conditions (as determined by medical history, medication history, physical examination, 10- or 12 lead ECG, vital signs, and clinical laboratory testing) 9. Able to read, write, and speak English 10. Females must be either: 1. Post-menopausal (amenorrhea for at least 12 consecutive months), surgically sterile -or- 2. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must meet the criteria below: i. Uses an acceptable double-barrier method of contraception as determined by the Investigator -and- ii. Is not lactating, has a negative serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin pregnancy test at screening and a negative urine pregnancy test prior to dosing on Days 1 and 8 of each treatment period. 11. Male subjects must agree to use a condom if partner is of childbearing potential

Exclusion criteria

1. Have used tobacco or other nicotine containing products other than cigarettes (e.g., nicotine patches, pipe, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco or e-cigarettes) within the past 30 days 2. Any substance use disorder other than nicotine or caffeine as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID) for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 3. Current neurological conditions that interfere with study conduct, assessment or treatment in any significant fashion 4. Any lifetime history of bipolar I, II; schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorders; personality disorders, impulse control disorders as assessed by the SCID-IV 5. Current psychiatric conditions that interfere with study conduct, assessment, or treatment in any significant fashion, such as major depressive disorder (MDD), eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. We will screen for worsening of symptoms of depression and/or suicidality at each medication appointment and lab sessions by having participants complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). If there is a worsening of symptoms of depression and/or suicidality, the participants will speak a licensed psychologist for evaluation. 6. Recent active or past history of gastric disease such as peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, or any gastrointestinal malignancy or precancerous condition 7. Active, comorbid disease that might limit the ability of the subject to participate in the study as determined by the Study MD (i.e., poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, etc.) 8. Clinically significant clinical laboratory test taken during screening 9. Elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥2 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) 10. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C positive as determined by serology testing at Screening 11. Positive ethanol breath test at screening or prior to dosing on Days 1 and 8 of each treatment period 12. Positive urine drug test at screening or and/or prior to dosing on Days 1 and 8 of each treatment period except for cannabis 13. History of severe allergies or multiple adverse drug reactions 14. Known hypersensitivity to CERC-501 15. Current use of a proton pump inhibitor or histamine 2 blocker 16. Use of any investigational medication within 2 months prior to the start of this study or scheduled to receive an investigational drug other than the study drug during the course of this study 17. Current use of any psychoactive medications including: antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSRI/SNRI) or other antidepressants mood stabilizers

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Latency50 minLatency (in minutes and seconds) to time of first cigarette smoking during the delay period
Number of Cigarettes Smoked60 minNumber of cigarettes smoked during the self administration period

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Pre-assignment details

This is a cross-over design. Medication arms are within-subject.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
All Study Participants
Administered orally once daily, 10mg daily, 8 days CERC-501: CERC-501 7 day wash-out Administered orally once daily, placebo Order of placebo/CERC-501 counterbalanced
17
Total17

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyProtocol Violation11
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject11

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicAll Study Participants
Age, Continuous35.18 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.13
Cigarettes per day16.24 cigarettes per day
STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.9
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
10 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
7 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
17 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
7 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
10 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 160 / 15
other
Total, other adverse events
3 / 163 / 15
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 160 / 15

Outcome results

Primary

Latency

Latency (in minutes and seconds) to time of first cigarette smoking during the delay period

Time frame: 50 min

Population: 13 subjects completed study (i.e., completed both CERC-501 and Placebo periods in this cross over design).

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
CERC-501Latency24.56 minutesStandard Error 6.4
PlaceboLatency26.64 minutesStandard Error 6.62
Primary

Number of Cigarettes Smoked

Number of cigarettes smoked during the self administration period

Time frame: 60 min

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
CERC-501Number of Cigarettes Smoked1.67 number of cigarettesStandard Error 0.28
PlaceboNumber of Cigarettes Smoked1.92 number of cigarettesStandard Error 0.25

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026