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A Second Study of Cytisinicline for Smoking Cessation in Adult Smokers

A Second Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Phase 3 Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Cytisinicline in Adult Smokers

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05206370
Acronym
ORCA-3
Enrollment
792
Registered
2022-01-25
Start date
2022-01-20
Completion date
2023-03-21
Last updated
2026-01-14

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

Conditions

Smoking Cessation

Brief summary

This placebo-controlled Phase 3 study is being conducted at sites within the United States to evaluate 3 mg cytisinicline TID for treatment duration of 42 days/6 weeks and evaluate 3 mg cytisinicline TID for treatment duration of 84 days/12 weeks.

Interventions

film-coated oral tablets containing 3 mg cytisinicline

DRUGPlacebo

film-coated oral tablets containing matched placebo

Behavioral support sessions by a qualified study site staff member will be participant-driven and will include direct engagement with the subject about their attempt to quit smoking. Each session will last approximately 10 minutes.

Sponsors

Achieve Life Sciences
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Male or female subjects, age ≥ 18 years. 2. Current daily cigarette smokers (averaging at least 10 cigarettes per day upon completing a 7-day screening smoking diary) and who intend to quit smoking. 3. Expired air carbon monoxide (CO) ≥ 10 ppm. 4. Failed at least one previous attempt to stop smoking with or without therapeutic support. 5. Willing to initiate study treatment on the day after randomization and set a quit date within 5-7 days of starting treatment. 6. Willing to actively participate in the study's smoking cessation behavioral support provided throughout the study. 7. Able to fully understand all study requirements, willing to participate, and comply with dosing schedule. 8. Sign the Informed Consent Form.

Exclusion criteria

1. More than 1 study participant in same household during the 12-week treatment period. 2. Previous cytisinicline treatment in a prior clinical study or any other cytisine usage. 3. Known hypersensitivity to cytisinicline or any of the excipients. 4. Positive urinary drugs of abuse screen, determined within 28 days before the first dose of cytisinicline. 5. Clinically significant abnormal serum chemistry or hematology values within 28 days of randomization (ie, requiring treatment or monitoring). 6. Clinically significant abnormalities in 12-lead ECG determined after minimum of 5 minutes in supine position within 28 days of randomization (ie, requiring treatment or further assessment). 7. Recent history (within 3 months) of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stroke, cerebrovascular incident, or hospitalization for congestive heart failure. 8. Current uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure ≥160/100 mmHg). 9. Currently psychotic or having had a psychotic event within 3 months. If any subject becomes psychotic during the study, they must be removed from treatment and/or additional study visits. 10. Currently having suicidal ideation or risk for suicide (Yes to either question 4 or question 5 OR Yes to any suicidal behavior question on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale \[C-SSRS\] with clear suicidal intent or previous attempt). 11. Current symptoms of moderate to severe depression (depression score ≥11on the HADS). 12. Renal impairment defined as a creatinine clearance (CrCl) \<60 mL/min (estimated with the Cockroft-Gault equation). 13. Hepatic impairment defined as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \>2.0 x the upper limit of normal (ULN). 14. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. 15. Male or female subjects of childbearing potential who do not agree to use acceptable methods of birth control during the study treatment period. 16. Participation in a clinical study with an investigational drug in the 4 weeks prior to randomization. 17. Treatment with other smoking cessation medications (bupropion, varenicline, nortriptyline, or any nicotine replacement therapy \[NRT\]) in the 4 weeks prior to randomization or planned use of these other smoking cessation medications during the study. 18. Use within the 2 weeks prior to randomization or planned use during the study of non-cigarette and/or noncombustible nicotine products (pipe tobacco, cigars, snuff, smokeless tobacco, hookah, e-cigarettes/vaping) or marijuana smoking or vaping. 19. Any other reason that the investigator views the subject should not participate or would be unable to fulfill the requirements for the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 3 to Week 6Weeks 3 to 6Smoking abstinence as verified by weekly expired carbon monoxide (CO) measurements ≤ 10 parts per million (ppm).
Percentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 9 to Week 12Weeks 9 to 12Smoking abstinence as verified by weekly expired CO measurements ≤ 10 ppm.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 3 to Week 24Week 3 to Week 24Smoking abstinence as verified by expired CO measurements ≤ 10 ppm. Measurements were weekly from Week 3 to Week 12 and monthly from Week 12 to Week 24.
Percentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 9 to Week 24Week 9 to Week 24Smoking abstinence as verified by expired CO measurements ≤ 10 ppm. Measurements were weekly from Week 9 to Week 12 and monthly from Week 12 to Week 24.
Percentage of Participants Taking Cytisinicline Who Are Relapse-Free at Week 24Week 24Relapse is defined as participant reported resuming smoking or an expired CO measure ≥ 10 ppm. Relapse is defined as a participant having met one of the following: not being abstinent from Weeks 3 to 6; not being abstinent at the Week 12 visit; not being abstinent or not self-reporting abstinence during the Week 16 to Week 24 follow-up period. (During the follow-up period \[Weeks 16 to 24\], up to a total of 5 cigarettes could have been smoked.)

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Placebo + Behavioral Support
One placebo tablet PO TID for 12 weeks plus behavioral support
265
6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral Support
One cytisinicline tablet PO TID for 6 weeks followed by one placebo tablet PO TID for 6 weeks plus behavioral support
263
12-Week Cytisinicline + Behavioral Support
One cytisinicline tablet PO TID for 12 weeks plus behavioral support
264
Total792

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002
Overall StudyAdverse Event345
Overall StudyDeath013
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up231614
Overall StudyOther, Nor Specified224
Overall StudyPhysician Decision132
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject273024

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPlacebo + Behavioral Support6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral Support12-Week Cytisinicline + Behavioral SupportTotal
Age, Continuous51 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.4
52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.7
52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.3
52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.8
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
17 Participants15 Participants13 Participants45 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
248 Participants248 Participants251 Participants747 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
American Indian or Alaska Native
1 Participants4 Participants0 Participants5 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Asian
0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants4 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Black or African American
51 Participants38 Participants50 Participants139 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Other, Not Specified
3 Participants3 Participants5 Participants11 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
White
210 Participants216 Participants205 Participants631 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
146 Participants142 Participants151 Participants439 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
119 Participants121 Participants113 Participants353 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 2621 / 2633 / 260
other
Total, other adverse events
110 / 262132 / 263137 / 260
serious
Total, serious adverse events
8 / 2628 / 2638 / 260

Outcome results

Primary

Percentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 3 to Week 6

Smoking abstinence as verified by weekly expired carbon monoxide (CO) measurements ≤ 10 parts per million (ppm).

Time frame: Weeks 3 to 6

Population: All Randomized Set: all randomized participants. Placebo and 6-week treatment arms only.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 3 to Week 66.0 percentage of participants
6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 3 to Week 614.8 percentage of participants
p-value: 0.000895% CI: [1.475, 5.617]Exact computations
p-value: 0.00195% CI: [1.485, 5.094]Exact computations
p-value: 0.000695% CI: [0.033, 0.134]Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel
Primary

Percentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 9 to Week 12

Smoking abstinence as verified by weekly expired CO measurements ≤ 10 ppm.

Time frame: Weeks 9 to 12

Population: All Randomized Set: all randomized participants, Placebo and 12-week treatment arms only.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 9 to Week 129.4 percentage of participants
6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Smoking Abstinence From Weeks 9 to Week 1230.3 percentage of participants
Comparison: Abstinence from Week 9 to Week 12p-value: <0.000195% CI: [2.566, 7.343]Exact computations
p-value: <0.000195% CI: [2.575, 6.885]Exact computations
p-value: <0.000195% CI: [0.141, 0.267]Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel
Secondary

Percentage of Participants Taking Cytisinicline Who Are Relapse-Free at Week 24

Relapse is defined as participant reported resuming smoking or an expired CO measure ≥ 10 ppm. Relapse is defined as a participant having met one of the following: not being abstinent from Weeks 3 to 6; not being abstinent at the Week 12 visit; not being abstinent or not self-reporting abstinence during the Week 16 to Week 24 follow-up period. (During the follow-up period \[Weeks 16 to 24\], up to a total of 5 cigarettes could have been smoked.)

Time frame: Week 24

Population: All Randomized Set: All randomized participants. Participants in the cytisinicline arms.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants Taking Cytisinicline Who Are Relapse-Free at Week 248.7 percentage of participants
6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants Taking Cytisinicline Who Are Relapse-Free at Week 2410.6 percentage of participants
Comparison: Relapse free at Week 24p-value: 0.553895% CI: [0.652, 2.297]Exact computations
p-value: 0.55695% CI: [0.691, 2.231]Exact computations
p-value: 0.2822Zelen's exact test (Pr ≤ P)
Secondary

Percentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 3 to Week 24

Smoking abstinence as verified by expired CO measurements ≤ 10 ppm. Measurements were weekly from Week 3 to Week 12 and monthly from Week 12 to Week 24.

Time frame: Week 3 to Week 24

Population: All Randomized Set: all randomized participants, Placebo and 6-week treatment arms only.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 3 to Week 241.1 percentage of participants
6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 3 to Week 246.8 percentage of participants
Comparison: Abstinence from Week 6 to Week 24p-value: 0.000695% CI: [1.851, 34.619]Exact computations
p-value: 0.000795% CI: [2.026, 27.544]Exact computations
p-value: 0.000795% CI: [0.023, 0.075]Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel
Secondary

Percentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 9 to Week 24

Smoking abstinence as verified by expired CO measurements ≤ 10 ppm. Measurements were weekly from Week 9 to Week 12 and monthly from Week 12 to Week 24.

Time frame: Week 9 to Week 24

Population: All Randomized Set: all randomized participants, Placebo and 12-week treatment arms only.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 9 to Week 244.2 percentage of participants
6-Week Cytisinicline + 6-Week Placebo + Behavioral SupportPercentage of Participants With Continuous Smoking Abstinence From Week 9 to Week 2420.5 percentage of participants
Comparison: Abstinence from Week 9 to Week 24p-value: <0.000195% CI: [2.888, 12.458]Exact computations
p-value: <0.000195% CI: [3.091, 12.13]Exact computations
p-value: <0.000195% CI: [0.11, 0.202]Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 30, 2026