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Comparative Evaluation of Nicotine Analogs

Comparative Evaluation of Nicotine Analogs

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07585006
Acronym
CENA
Enrollment
70
Registered
2026-05-13
Start date
2026-05-29
Completion date
2026-12-31
Last updated
2026-06-26

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

Conditions

Addiction, Tobacco-Related Carcinoma

Brief summary

This phase I trial compares electronic cigarette (EC) user preferences and smoking behaviors of nicotine analogs to nicotine to improve the understanding of nicotine analog addictiveness. Over the last ten years, EC use has become a major concern due to its increased use among adolescents and young adults. Though progress has been made in regulating nicotine containing products, some companies have shifted toward producing products containing nicotine analogs. ECs are battery-powered electronic devices designed to atomize a nicotine (the poisonous chemical found in tobacco)-containing liquid solution for inhalation in a manner that simulates smoking a tobacco cigarette. When nicotine enters the body, it causes an increased heart rate and use of oxygen by the heart, and a sense of well-being and relaxation. Nicotine analogs are compounds that are similar to nicotine in their chemical structure. Some nicotine analogs have been shown to have nicotine-like effects; however, more research is needed to prove they function similarly to nicotine and/or have similar effects. Comparing EC user preferences and smoking behaviors of nicotine analogs to nicotine may help improve the understanding of nicotine analog addictiveness. Additionally, combustible cigarette smoking is well-known to have deleterious effects on cardiovascular health. High blood pressure is one of the major health consequences of cigarette smoking and can increase the risk of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. Although ECs have been marketed as a less harmful alternative to cigarette smoking, clinical trials have shown that vaping ECs can also lead to acute increases in blood pressure and heart rate. Nicotine can alter vascular reactivity by promoting the release of vasoconstrictors and suppressing the production of vasodilators. No research has examined how the synthetic nicotine in ECs affects hemodynamics, vascular health, and endothelial function. Assessing acute cardiovascular responses to nicotine analogs is therefore critical to enhancing our understanding of the potential cardiovascular risks associated with vaping ECs containing synthetic nicotine.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the subjective effects and behavioral economic demand of 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN) and nicotinamide. II. To assess the use topography of 6-MN and nicotinamide. III. To conduct exploratory pharmacokinetics of 6-MN and nicotinamide. IV. To assess the acute effects of 6-MN and nicotinamide on cardiovascular health. OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 6 intervention sequences. SEQUENCE 1: VISIT 1: Participants take 1 puff of nicotine EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotine EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 2: Participants take 1 puff of 6-MN EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use 6-MN EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 3: Participants take 1 puff of nicotinamide EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotinamide EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. SEQUENCE 2: VISIT 1: Participants take 1 puff of nicotine EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotine EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 2: Participants take 1 puff of nicotinamide EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotinamide EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 3: Participants take 1 puff of 6-MN EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use 6-MN EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. SEQUENCE 3: VISIT 1: Participants take 1 puff of nicotinamide EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotinamide EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 2: Participants take 1 puff of 6-MN EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use 6-MN EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 3: Participants take 1 puff of nicotine EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotine EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. SEQUENCE 4: VISIT 1: Participants take 1 puff of nicotinamide EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotinamide EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 2: Participants take 1 puff of nicotine EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotine EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 3: Participants take 1 puff of 6-MN EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use 6-MN EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. SEQUENCE 5: VISIT 1: Participants take 1 puff of 6-MN EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use 6-MN EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 2: Participants take 1 puff of nicotine EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotine EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 3: Participants take 1 puff of nicotinamide EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotinamide EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. SEQUENCE 6: VISIT 1: Participants take 1 puff of 6-MN EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use 6-MN EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 2: Participants take 1 puff of nicotinamide EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotinamide EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. VISIT 3: Participants take 1 puff of nicotine EC every 30 seconds over 5 minutes for a total of 10 puffs in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Sixty minutes later, participants use nicotine EC as much or as little as they like over 1 hour. Additionally, all patients undergo urine sample collection during screening and blood sample collection on study. Among enrolled current EC users, cardiovascular measurements and biochemical analyses of endothelial function will be conducted in a subset of the participants. After completion of study intervention, participants are followed up at 4 and 12 weeks.

Interventions

PROCEDUREBiospecimen Collection

Undergo urine and blood sample collection

DRUGNicotine

Use nicotine EC

DRUG6-Methyl Nicotine

Use 6-MN EC

DRUGnicotinamide

Use nicotinamide EC

BEHAVIORALPuffing Topography Research

Ancillary studies

OTHERSurvey Administration

Ancillary studies

PROCEDURECardiovascular effects

Cardiovascular effects will be measured using hemodynamic responses (i.e., blood pressure, pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure), arterial stiffness (i.e., central augmentation index), and endothelial function (i.e., plasma levels of endothelin-1, 6-keto-PGF1α, and nitric oxide metabolite).

Sponsors

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

Data collectors, analysts, and participants will be blinded to the intervention sequence.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
21 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Aged 21 years or older * Current adult EC user for at least the past 3 months (confirmed by cotinine testing strip) * Willing and able to provide informed consent * Willing to abstain from using any nicotine, tobacco, or marijuana products for 12 or more hours prior to the three lab visits * Able to read, write, and speak English

Exclusion criteria

* Currently attempting to quit nicotine or tobacco products * Use of other tobacco or nicotine products \> 10 days in the past month * Have had a recent cardiac event or distress (defined as occurring within the previous 3 months) * Have had a recent serious lung disease or infection (e.g., tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, asthma, or lung cancer) (defined as occurring in the previous 30 days) * Currently pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding (verified with urine pregnancy test)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Nicotine urges/craving (QSU)Before puffing (0 minutes), and at 5, 15, 65, 95, and 125 minutes after the start of the puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)E-cigarette (EC) urges/craving will be measured with a modified version of the 10-item Tiffany-Drobes Questionnaire of Smoking Urges: Brief Form (QSU). Words such as "cigarette" and "smoke" are replaced with words such as "e-cigarette" and "vape." Each of the 10 items is scored on a 7 point Likert scale. Similar to previous studies, we will collapse the items into two previously identified factors (Factor 1: strong desire and intention to smoke; Factor 2: anticipation of relief from withdrawal symptoms). Scores are calculated by summing the items and range from 5 to 35 with higher scores indicating greater craving to smoke.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms (MNWS)Before puffing (0 minutes), and at 5, 15, 65, 95, and 125 minutes after the start of the puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)The 15-item version of the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS) will be used to measure nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 0 (none) to 4 (severe) where higher scores indicate a greater experience of withdrawal symptoms.
Economic demand indices (E-CPT)After completion of the 60 minute ad lib puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Consumer demand as measured by the E-Cigarette Purchase Task (E-CPT) will be used to measure economic demand. Participants will report the volume (mLs) or puffs of e-liquid they would be willing to purchase and use within 24 hours at a given price, which will incrementally increase from $0 to $1,120.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Modified EC evaluation questionnaire (mCEQ)After completion of the 60 minute ad lib puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)The modified EC Evaluation Questionnaire (mCEQ) will be used to measure sensory effects, affective responses, and other subjective responses (e.g., reward, satisfaction). The 12-item mCEQ includes five subscales: Smoking Satisfaction, Psychological Reward, Aversion, Enjoyment of Respiratory Tract Sensations, and Craving Reduction, with items rated from 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely). Items are averaged to create each of the subscales also ranging from 1 to 7 with higher values indicating greater levels of smoking satisfaction, psychological reward, aversion, enjoyment of respiratory tract sensations, an craving reduction.
Use topography: Inter-puff-interval60 minute puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)The average time between each puff for each participant, in seconds.
Use topography: Puffing duration60 minute puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Average puff duration for each participant, in seconds.
Use topography: Total puff volume60 minute puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)The total volume of all puffs taken for each participant, in mL.
Nicotine/Nicotine analog pharmacokinetics: CmaxImmediately before puffing (0 minutes), and at 5, 15, 65, and 125 minutes after the start of the puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Maximum blood concentration of nicotine/nicotine analog.
Nicotine/Nicotine analog pharmacokinetics: TmaxImmediately before puffing (0 minutes), and at 5, 15, 65, and 125 minutes after the start of the puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Time to maximum blood concentration of nicotine/nicotine analog.
Heart rateImmediately before puffing (0 minutes), and at 5, 15, 65, and 125 minutes after the start of the puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Heart rate
Cardiovascular responsesImmediately before puffing (0 minutes), and at 5 minutes after the end of standardized vaping session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit), and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Hemodynamics and arterial stiffness
Endothelial functionImmediately before puffing (0 minutes) and 15 minutes after the start of the puffing session; at Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (≥ 48 hours after the previous visit) and Visit 3 (end-of-study visit; ≥ 48 hours after the previous visit)Endothelial biomarker levels will be quantified from blood samples collected immediately before puffing.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTThe Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
OSUCCCClinicaltrials@osumc.edu800-293-5066
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORTheodore L Wagener, PhD

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 27, 2026