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Ketamine and Motivational Enhancement Therapy for the Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder

Ketamine and Motivational Enhancement Therapy for the Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder

Status
Completed
Phases
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05796791
Enrollment
7
Registered
2023-04-04
Start date
2023-05-02
Completion date
2024-06-30
Last updated
2025-07-18

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

Conditions

Nicotine Dependence, Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Use

Brief summary

The purpose of the study is to examine whether an investigational medication called ketamine is able to improve treatment outcomes for tobacco use disorder when delivered in conjunction with brief motivational enhancement therapy. Participants will receive ketamine assisted motivational enhancement therapy weekly for three weeks and there will be 2 follow up visits. All visits will also consist of questionnaires and saliva samples will be taken. The overall participation will last approximately 8 weeks.

Interventions

DRUGKetamine Hydrochloride

IM ketamine given in weekly session for a total of 3 weeks

BEHAVIORALMotivational enhancement therapy

Brief motivational based therapy

Sponsors

Medical University of South Carolina
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Pilot Study

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. 21 to 65 years old. 2. Able to provide informed consent. 3. Be a daily cigarette smoker with multiple unsuccessful previous quit attempts, and report a continued desire to quit smoking. 4. Agree to abstain from smoking for the ketamine session from 1 hour before ketamine administration 5. Agree to refrain from using any psychoactive drugs, including alcoholic beverages, within 24 hours of ketamine administration. Exceptions include caffeine and nicotine. 6. Subjects taking other psychotropic medications must be maintained on a stable dose for at least four weeks before study initiation. 7. Be healthy as determined by screening for medical problems via a personal interview, a medical questionnaire, a physical examination, an electrocardiogram (ECG) to verify normal QTc intervals. 8. Subjects with normal blood pressure not on antihypertensive medications or medication controlled hypertension as defined baseline visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) \<140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \<90 mmHg.

Exclusion criteria

1. Women who are pregnant (positive pregnancy test) or nursing, or are not practicing an effective means of birth control which can include oral, implant, intrauterine device, or patch contraceptive methods as well as barrier contraceptive methods, history of surgery such as hysterectomy or tubal ligation, or abstinence 2. Subjects who meet DSM-5 criteria for current or history of psychotic spectrum disorders or current depression or bipolar disorder based on clinical interview. 3. Subjects meeting DSM-5 criteria for current substance use disorder other than tobacco use disorder. 4. Subjects with hypertension as defined by a baseline visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) \>140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \>90 mmHg. 5. A history of allergic or other adverse reaction to ketamine (or its excipients). 6. Clinically significant physical exam findings or self-reported medical conditions for which a transient increase in blood pressure could be significantly detrimental (e.g. glaucoma, aneurysmal disease, cardiovascular disease, or end-stage renal disease). 7. Cardiovascular conditions: uncontrolled hypertension, angina, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g., atrial fibrillation), TIA in the last 6 months, stroke, peripheral or pulmonary vascular disease 8. Subjects who live greater than 20 miles from the study site and cannot arrange their own transportation will be excluded from the study. 9. Subjects with clinically significant kidney or liver impairment. 10. Have any current neurological illnesses including, but not limited to, seizure disorders, frequent migraines or on prophylaxis, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, history of significant head trauma, or CNS tumor. 11. Morbidly obese (BMI \>40), or severely underweight as determined by medical examination.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Feasibility of Ketamine Treatment for Tobacco Use Disorder8 weeksThe primary outcome of this study will be the feasibility of using ketamine-assisted treatment for smoking cessation, which will assess the number of people selected for randomization that complete the full treatment. This will help determine if the treatment of ketamine in tobacco use would be beneficial for further study.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Smoking CessationBaseline, Treatment week 1, 2, 3, and follow up week 4, and 8Saliva cotinine levels will be collected prior to each ketamine session and at each follow up to detect smoking over approximately the past 6 days
Reduction in Cigarettes Smoked Per DayBaseline, Treatment week 1, 2, 3, and follow up week 4, and 8Evaluate if there is reduction in cigarettes smoked per day via the self-reported time-line follow back

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder With Ketamine
Ketamine Hydrochloride: IM ketamine given in weekly session for a total of 3 weeks Motivational enhancement therapy: Brief motivational based therapy
7
Total7

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTreatment of Tobacco Use Disorder With Ketamine
Age, Continuous46 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.2
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
6 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
7 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
3 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
4 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 7
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 7
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 7

Outcome results

Primary

Feasibility of Ketamine Treatment for Tobacco Use Disorder

The primary outcome of this study will be the feasibility of using ketamine-assisted treatment for smoking cessation, which will assess the number of people selected for randomization that complete the full treatment. This will help determine if the treatment of ketamine in tobacco use would be beneficial for further study.

Time frame: 8 weeks

Population: Number of participants enrolled that completed all three interventional sessions.

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder With KetamineFeasibility of Ketamine Treatment for Tobacco Use Disorder7 Participants
Secondary

Reduction in Cigarettes Smoked Per Day

Evaluate if there is reduction in cigarettes smoked per day via the self-reported time-line follow back

Time frame: Baseline, Treatment week 1, 2, 3, and follow up week 4, and 8

Secondary

Smoking Cessation

Saliva cotinine levels will be collected prior to each ketamine session and at each follow up to detect smoking over approximately the past 6 days

Time frame: Baseline, Treatment week 1, 2, 3, and follow up week 4, and 8

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