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Daridorexant for Alcohol Use Disorder

A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of Daridorexant for Alcohol Use Disorder

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07532252
Enrollment
150
Registered
2026-04-15
Start date
2027-01-01
Completion date
2031-02-01
Last updated
2026-04-20

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

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Brief summary

This study will test whether the dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) daridorexant reduces alcohol craving and use and improves total sleep time among patients with co-occurring alcohol use disorder and sleep disturbance. The study will assess the role of the orexin system in modulating alcohol craving and use in a real-world treatment setting.

Interventions

Daridorexant 50 mg (Orally administered)

OTHERPlacebo

Placebo (Oral)

Sponsors

Johns Hopkins University
Lead SponsorOTHER
Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
CollaboratorNIH

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

* Current moderate or severe DSM-5 criteria for AUD at the time of the screening session * Evidence of clinically significant sleep disturbance, based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; i.e., score \>5) * Aged 18 years or older * Willingness to comply with all components of the study protocol * Use of birth control throughout the study, if a pre-menopausal female who is not sterile, and who is sexually active with a male partner or considering being sexually active with a male partner * Report ability to access a computer with an internet connection during the outpatient phase of the study to complete virtual outpatient visits * Report a desire to quit or reduce drinking (i.e., not enrolling in treatment solely to satisfy an external requirement) * Able to provide informed consent, and evidence an understanding of study procedures based on a quiz following informed consent * Fluent in English (in order to complete study assessments).

Exclusion criteria

* Current moderate or severe substance use disorder other than AUD, cannabis use disorder, nicotine use disorder, or caffeine use disorder * Pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study * Known allergy to any DORA * Past 30-day use of any DORA * Current use of benzodiazepines or other schedule IV medications for insomnia * Use of any medications that are contraindicated for use with daridorexant * Current withdrawal symptoms, as assessed by a score \>8 on the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar) and benzodiazepine administration in the past 24 hours * Past-year suicidal behavior * Current bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder * Abnormal liver enzyme levels (i.e., AST or ALT greater than five times above the upper limit of normal, or bilirubin greater than two times the upper limit of normal), as assessed during standard intake procedures at Ashley Addiction Treatment * AHI\>30, as assessed using a wireless EEG/apnea device, to rule out those with severe sleep apnea * Any other medical or psychological condition that is judged by the investigators to impede ability to safely complete study requirements * Legal problems or living situation judged by the investigators as a factor that could interfere with study completion (e.g., impending jail time).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Total Sleep Time (Minutes)Enrollment to one month follow-upTotal sleep time will be assessed through both wireless EEG and ambulatory monitoring. Wireless EEG will be assessed during the residential phase only. Ambulatory monitoring will occur during both the residential and outpatient phase.
Alcohol Craving Visual Analogue ScaleEnrollment to one month follow-upVisual Analogue Scales assessing alcohol craving will be administered (Range 0-100, higher scores indicate greater craving).
Daily alcohol use, assessed via Timeline Followback (TLFB)Outpatient phase (Day 1 post-residential treatment to one-month follow-up)
Number of Adverse EventsFrom enrollment to one month follow-up

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Daily binge drinking, assessed via Timeline Followback (TLFB)Outpatient phase (Day 1 post-residential treatment to one-month follow-up)
Number of Participants with Positive breathalyzer screenOutpatient phase (Day 1 post-residential treatment to one-month follow-up)
Number of Alcohol use disorder symptomsEnrollment to one-month follow-upAlcohol use disorder symptoms, assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders module of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. 9-items rated on a dichotomous Yes/No scale.
Self-Reported Insomnia SeverityEnrollment to one-month follow-upSelf-reported insomnia severity, assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index. Each item is scored 0 (no problem) - 4 (very big problem) likert scale with total score range between 0-28 (absence of insomnia (0-7); sub-threshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21); and severe insomnia (22-28).

Contacts

CONTACTJennifer Ellis
jellis36@jhmi.edu410-550-6346
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJennifer Ellis

Johns Hopkins University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 21, 2026