Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (OXY-R)

July 14, 2025 updated by: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Autism

We are studying an investigational drug called intranasal oxytocin (Syntocinon®). Syntocinon® has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in helping women breastfeed, but it has not been approved for use in children with ASD. However, there is previous research conducted that has indicated that after administration of oxytocin, adults with ASD demonstrated improvements in social cognition, and reduced repetitive behaviours and anxiety. There is also early research to suggest that children may also benefit in these areas. The purpose of this study is to test if oxytocin works to help children and adolescents with ASD.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Extensive data has been accumulated to suggest that central release of oxytocin is important for social cognition and function, as well as likely involved in anxiety modulation and repetitive behaviors. The Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator of this study have previously documented: 1) an association between ASD and a single nuclear polymorphism of the oxytocin receptor gene, 2) ability to measure oxytocin levels in the blood by enzyme immunoassay and 3) preliminary data to support safety and efficacy of intranasal oxytocin in the treatment of social deficits and repetitive behaviors in adults with autism. A medication treatment targeting the core deficits of ASD in childhood is highly valuable because it could influence the developmental trajectory and make further psychosocial interventions possible. In this context, we propose a randomized placebo controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin in children and adolescents with ASD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4G 1R8
        • Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
  • United States
    • Minnesota
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
        • University of Minnesota

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

10 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Male or female outpatients, 10-17 years of age inclusive.
  2. Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) criteria will be established by a clinician with expertise with individuals with ASD. Best estimate Diagnosis will be reached using DSM-IV criteria, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R).
  3. Have a Clinician's Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) score ≥ 4 (moderately ill) at Screening.
  4. Verbal and performance scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ) ≥ 70 (both subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-I or WASI-II ≥ 70).
  5. If already receiving stable concomitant medications affecting behavior, have continuous participation for 1 month prior to Screening (with the exception of fluoxetine, where a period of 6 weeks is needed), and not electively initiate new or modify ongoing medications for the duration of the study.
  6. If already receiving stable non-pharmacologic educational, behavioral, and/or dietary interventions, have continuous participation during the preceding 3 months prior to Screening, and not electively initiate new or modify ongoing interventions for the duration of the study.
  7. Have normal physical examination and laboratory test results at Screening. If abnormal, the finding(s) must be deemed not clinically significant by the Treating Clinician.
  8. Ability to speak and understand English sufficiently to allow for the completion of all study assessments.
  9. Ability to obtain written informed consent from the participant, if developmentally appropriate. If a participant does not have the capacity to consent, ability to obtain assent (if developmentally appropriate), as well as written informed consent from their parent(s)/legal guardian.

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Patients born prior to 35 weeks gestational age.
  2. Patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis other than ASD.
  3. Patients with a medical history of neurological disease, including, but not limited to, epilepsy/seizure disorder (except simple febrile seizures), movement disorder, tuberous sclerosis, fragile X, and any other known genetic syndromes, or known abnormal brain MRI/structural lesion.
  4. Pregnant female patients, sexually active female patients on hormonal birth control and sexually active females who do not use at least two types of non-hormonal birth control.
  5. Patients with evidence or history of malignancy or any significant hematological, endocrine, cardiovascular (including any rhythm disorder), respiratory, renal, hepatic, or gastrointestinal disease.
  6. Patients with one or more of the following: HIV, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, hemophilia (bleeding problems, recent nose and brain injuries), abnormal blood pressure (hypotension or hypertension), drug abuse, immunity disorder or severe depression.
  7. Patients who are currently taking oxytocin or have taken intranasal oxytocin in the past with no response.
  8. Patients with a sensitivity to oxytocin or any components of its formulation.
  9. Patients unable to tolerate venipuncture procedures for blood sampling.
  10. Patients in foster care for whom the province/state is defined as a legal guardian

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intranasal Oxytocin (Syntocinon)
The proposed dosing schedule is 0.4 IU/kg, taken twice daily, for a maximum of 24 IUs per dose
Drug: Intranasal Oxytocin
Other Names:
  • Syntocinon
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
The proposed dosing schedule is 0.4 IU/kg, taken twice daily, for a maximum of 24 IUs per dose
Drug: Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Social Function
Time Frame: 12 and 24 weeks
This will be measured by a change in score on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) - Social Withdrawal Subscale (0-48, where lower scores indicate improvement)
12 and 24 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Social Cognition
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
This will be measured by a change in score the Revised Eyes Test (0- 28; where higher scores indicate better performance/improvement) Baseline to Week 12
12 Weeks
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Social Cognition
Time Frame: 12 Weeks

This will be measured by improvement on the Let's Face it! Skills Battery from Baseline to Week 12 Social Cognition (higher score=better outcome)

a. Let's Face It Skills Battery; i. Matchmaker (0-100); ii. Faces (0-100); iii. Houses (0-100)
12 Weeks
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Social Function
Time Frame: 12 Weeks

This will be measured by improvement on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC-2) from Baseline to Week 12 Behavioral Assessment System for Children (higher score=positive response); i. *Social Skills: age 6 to 11 (18-69); age 12 to 17 (21-70); ii. Functional Communication: age 6 to 11 (10-66); age 12 to 17 (10-64); iii. Withdrawal age 6-11 (21- 62) ; age 12-17 (14-42)

* only social subscales of BASC-2 reported
12 Weeks
Number of Participant Considered Social Responders
Time Frame: 12 Weeks

This will be measured by the Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement Scale - Social (CGI-I-Social)

a) Clinical Global Impressions - Social Scale (1-7) (lower score=positive response). The results will be reported as the number of participants that were classified as a social responder (achieving a score of 1 or 2 on the scale).
12 Weeks
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Repetitive Behaviors
Time Frame: 12 Weeks

This will be measured by improvement on the Child Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) from Baseline to Week 12

-lower score= positive response (0-20)
12 Weeks
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Repetitive Behaviors
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
This will be measured by improvement on the Repetitive Behavior Scale (RBS-R)(0-129; where lower score= positive response) from Baseline to Week 12
12 Weeks
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Anxiety
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
This will be measured by the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory (CASI-4R) Generalized anxiety score (male (40-101); female (41-96) -where lower score= positive response) from Baseline to Week 12
12 Weeks
Efficacy of Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo on Measures of Quality of Life
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
This will be measured by improvement on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) (0-100, where higher scores indicate positive response) from Baseline to Week 12
12 Weeks
Number of Participant Considered Overall Responders
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
This will be measured by the Clinical Global Impressions - Improvement Scale - Global (CGI-I-Global) (1-7) (lower score=positive response). The results will be reported as the number of participants that were classified as an overall responder (achieving a score of 1 or 2 on the scale).
12 Weeks
Safety and Tolerability of Intranasal Oxytocin in Children and Adolescents With ASD
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
This will be measured by the Safety Monitoring Uniform Report Form (SMURF)
12 Weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
United States Department of Defense

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Evdokia Anagnostou, M.D., Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Suma Jacob, M.D., Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2013

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 23, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 23, 2013

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 25, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • OXY-R07-2013

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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