Cannabidiol Medication Intervention Trial

Launched by SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE · Aug 22, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The CALM-IT trial is studying a medication called cannabidiol (CBD) to see if it can help reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This is a Phase 2 clinical trial, meaning it’s in an early stage of testing to assess safety and effectiveness. The trial is currently looking for volunteers who are at least 55 years old and have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a related condition. Participants should also have significant agitation and be stable on their current medications for at least three months. A primary caregiver must accompany participants to help with the study visits.

If you or a loved one are eligible and decide to participate, you will receive either the CBD capsules or a placebo (a pill with no active medication) during different phases of the study, and neither you nor the researchers will know which one you are receiving at any time to ensure fairness. Throughout the trial, researchers will monitor participants for any side effects and gather information on how well the treatment is working. It's an important opportunity to contribute to research that may improve care for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Males or females ≥55 years of age; female must be post-menopausal or must agree to comply with contraception requirements. Males should also abide by contraceptive requirements when the partner is a woman of childbearing potential. Acceptable methods of contraception include: combined (estrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation, which may be oral, intravaginal, or transdermal; progestogen-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation, which may be oral, injectable, or implantable; intrauterine device or intrauterine hormone-releasing system; vasectomy of a female subject's male partner (with medical assessment and confirmation of vasectomy surgical success); bilateral tubal occlusion
• • 2. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM 5) criteria for Major Neurocognitive Disorder due to possible AD. Patients with Major Neurocognitive Disorder due to multiple etiologies (AD and vascular) will be included
• • 3. sMMSE ≤24
• • 4. Presence of clinically significant agitation based on the IPA definition at both screening and baseline
• • 5. If treated with cognitive-enhancing medications (cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine), dosage must be stable for at least 3 months prior to study randomization
• • 6. Availability of a primary caregiver to accompany the participant to study visits and to participate in the study. The primary caregiver must be sufficiently proficient in English to complete the required study assessments, as per investigator judgement and should spend at least 10 hours a week with the participant
• • 7. Willing and able to provide informed consent and/or have a Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) provide informed consent on behalf of the participant
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Change in psychotropic medications less than the duration of 5 half-lives of the medication in question prior to screening (e.g., concomitant antidepressants or atypical antipsychotics) and any changes during study participation
• • 2. Contraindications to CBs, e.g. allergies to cannabis and cannabis products, potential clinically important drug-drug interactions (e.g. strong CYP3A4 inducers/inhibitors, anticonvulsants)
• • 3. Vascular disease, clinically important cerebrovascular disease or current uncontrolled cardiovascular disease (e.g. uncontrolled hypertension, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia and severe heart failure, cardiovascular accident in the 3 months prior to Screening (V1)), as per investigator assessment
• • 4. Clinically significant liver disease, as reflected by serum alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase \> 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN), or total bilirubin \> 1.5 x ULN; The Investigator may decide to repeat the assessment to confirm criterion prior to screen failing the participant
• • 5. Clinically significant impaired renal function at screening, as per investigator assessment
• • 6. Currently meeting DSM 5 criteria for Major Depressive Episode Presence, or current substance dependence (excluding caffeine and nicotine) or history of other major psychiatric disorders or neurological conditions (e.g. psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, stroke, epilepsy)
• • 7. Substance-Related Disorders (excluding caffeine and nicotine)
• • 8. Clinically significant delusions and/or hallucinations (e.g. NPI-NH delusion/hallucinations subscore ≥4 or judgement of QI)
• • 9. Reported use of marijuana or cannabinoid-based medications, products or supplements (botanical or synthetic) within 1 week prior to randomization
• • 10. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) \< 90 mmHg or \> 150 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \< 50mmHg or \> 105 mmHg at screening or baseline (prior to randomization) or a postural drop in SBP ≥ 20 mmHg or DBP ≥ 10 mmHg at screening