Effects of Glucocorticoids on Craving During Detoxification Treatment of Heroin and/or Stimulants (Goliath)

May 22, 2019 updated by: Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether prednisolone lowers intensity and frequency of craving in heroin-addicted subjects undertaking a detoxification of cocaine and/or heroin.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

Participants of this study are 120 heroin-addicted patients who are inward for a detoxification program for either cocaine or cocaine and heroin. Depending on the detoxification substance(s) there will be two groups of participants: Detoxification of cocaine (A; 60 participants) and detoxification of heroin and cocaine (B; 60 participants). The detoxification starts mandatory with the admission to the ward and lasts about 1-2 weeks. The participation in the study lasts about 4-5 weeks (including follow-up visits). Intake of study medication starts two days after admission and one day after informed consent. Each participant will get either 30mg/d prednisolon or placebo during five days. Participants will be under normal medical supervision during the treatment phase until follow-up 2 (final examination) provided by ward staff. Treatment days and follow-up 1 and 2 consist of : (1) vital signs (BP, HR, temperature) as measured in the daily routine, (2) at midday: visual analogue scales asking about craving for heroin and cocaine at the moment, (3) afternoon: questionnaires to survey mainly the withdrawal symptoms and vegetative parameters.

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.
4

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

  • Switzerland
      • Basel, Switzerland, 4000
        • Psychiatric Hospital University of Basel

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

18 years to 99 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Informed Consent as documented by signature,

  • age ≥18,

    • Group A Detoxification of stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine and/or methamphetamine); ICD-10: F14.2 and/or F15.2) OR Stable opioid dependency (no parallel consumption). Detoxifica-tion of stimulants.
    • Group B Opioid dependency and dependency of stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine and/or methamphetamine) and Detoxification of parallel consumption of stimulants and heroin (ICD-10: F11.2, 14.2, 15.2)
  • admission for detoxification to ward U2 of the University Psychiatric Hospital of Basel

Exclusion Criteria:

  • contraindications to the class of drugs under study or to any of the excipients, e.g. known hypersensitivity or allergy to class of drugs or the investigational product;
  • acute or severe co-morbid psychiatric disturbances (such as a heavy episode of major depression with suicidal ideations, acute exacerbation of a bipolar disorder, acute exacerbation of schizophrenia, alcohol addiction with an acute relapse, psychosis, dementia);
  • current medical conditions excluding participation (such as acute infectious disease, moni-tored by elevated CRP, diabetes mellitus, anticoagulation therapy);
  • recent history of systemic or topic glucocorticoid therapy;
  • alcohol intake > 0.0 ‰ according to breathalyser test on day 0 (screening) to exclude severe alcohol abuse;
  • specific drugs not allowed during the study or for specific periods of time prior to the administration of the test dose: Anticoagulant agents, antidiabetic agents, cyclosporine;
  • women who are pregnant or breast feeding;
  • intention to become pregnant during the course of the study;
  • inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia;
  • participation in another study with investigational drug within the 30 days preceding or during the present study;
  • previous enrolment into the current study;
  • enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons.

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: BASIC_SCIENCE
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • 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: Prednisolon
Participants will receive an oral administration of prednisolone or placebo two times daily for the first five days of opioid detoxification, starting after one day of regular detoxification as baseline. Oral prednisolone will be administered in a dose consistent with standard treatment guidelines for glucocorticoid deficiency (Oelkers, 1996).
Drug: Prednisolone
formulated for oral administration. encapsulated.
Other Names:
  • Prednisolon Streuli(R)
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: Placebo
Identical looking capsules like the IMP containing placebo (without active component) for oral administration.
Drug: Placebo (for Prednisolone)
Sugar pill manufactured to mimic Prednisolon 10mg capsules

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
Heroin Craving
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Heroin Craving Questionnaire, 14 items (HCQ; Tiffany et al., 1993 and Heinz et al., 2006)
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Cocaine Craving
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, 14 items (CCQ; Tiffany et al., 1993 and Heinz et al., 2006)
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Heroin Craving
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Visual Analogue Scale Craving
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Cocaine Craving
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Visual Analogue Scale Craving
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 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
Withdrawal Symptoms according to ICD-10 (F14.3 and F12.2)
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Questionnaire 'Health State'
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
SF-12 (Morfeld M. et al., 2011)
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Questionnaire 'Anger/Irritation'
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
STAI-G form X1 (state; Laux L. et al., 1981)
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Questionnaire 'Anxiety'
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
STAXI (Schwenkmezger P. et al., 1992/2006)
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Saliva Cortisol levels
Time Frame: Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 weeks
Assessing change between baseline and some predefined time points during 2 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.
Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD

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.
Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel

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: Antje Kemter, MD, UPK Basel

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.
October 1, 2016

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.
May 1, 2017

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.
May 1, 2017

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).
October 12, 2016

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.
October 13, 2016

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

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.
October 17, 2016

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.
May 23, 2019

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.
May 22, 2019

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.
May 1, 2019

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.
  • 2016-00851

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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.

Clinical Trials on Opioid Dependence

Clinical Trials on Prednisolone

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings