Human Laboratory Study of Varenicline for Alcohol Use Disorder

October 22, 2019 updated by: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
This study is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group, two-site study designed to assess the effects of varenicline as compared with placebo on responses to in vivo alcohol cue exposure in the human laboratory setting.

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

This study is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group, two-site study designed to assess the effects of varenicline as compared with placebo on responses to in vivo alcohol cue exposure in the human laboratory setting. After signing informed consent, subjects will be screened for eligibility including medical history, physical examination, vital signs, electrocardiogram (ECG), drinking history by the timeline follow-back (TLFB) method, alcohol breathalyzer test, Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-revised (CIWA), medication use, MINI neuropsychiatric interview, urine toxicology screen, clinical chemistry, response to cue reactivity, and Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSR-S). Women of child-bearting potential will have a pregnancy test. If eligible for the study, subjects will be randomized using a stratified permuted block randomization procedure in an approximate 1:1 ratio (targeting 24 subjects per group - 12 subjects per group per site) to receive either varenicline or placebo for 6 weeks. Any nicotine use versus no use (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, electronic cigarettes, etc.) in the week before randomization is the stratification variable.

Varenicline or matched placebo will be titrated over the first week of the study up the maintenance dose of 1 mg (active) or two capsules (placebo) taken orally BID for an additional 5 weeks. Subjects will be seen in the clinic at screening, at randomization and 6 other times during the study. A final follow-up telephone interview will occur during Week 9 (2 weeks after the end of study visit).

After the first two weeks and after five weeks of investigational product administration at Study Week 3 and Study Week 6, respectively, subjects will undergo a cue reactivity paradigm session (HLAB) including 4 individual visual analog scale (VAS) items assessing alcohol craving, 2 VAS items assessing emotional reactivity to picture stimuli, and 2 items assessing emotional manipulation. Immediately after the HLAB session, subjects will view each picture again and record the emotion felt using the Self-Manikin Assessment (SAM).

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.
47

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
  • Phase 1

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

  • United States
    • Connecticut
      • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06511
        • Yale University School Of Medicine
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02912
        • Brown University

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

21 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

To be eligible, the subject must:

  • Be at least 21 years of age.
  • Meet the DSM 5 criteria for alcohol use disorder of a least moderate severity (AUD-MS).
  • Be seeking treatment for AUD and desire a reduction or cessation of drinking.
  • Be able to verbalize an understanding of the consent form, able to provide written informed consent, verbalize willingness to complete study procedures, able to understand written and oral instructions in English and able to complete the questionnaires required by the protocol.

  • Agree (if the subject is female and of child bearing potential) to use at least one of the following methods of birth control, unless she is surgically sterile, partner is surgically sterile or she is postmenopausal:

    1. oral contraceptives,
    2. contraceptive sponge,
    3. patch,
    4. double barrier (diaphragm/spermicidal or condom/spermicidal),
    5. intrauterine contraceptive system,
    6. levonorgestrel implant,
    7. medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection,
    8. complete abstinence from sexual intercourse, and/or
    9. hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring.
  • Be able to take oral medication and be willing to adhere to the medication regimen.
  • Complete all assessments required at screening and baseline.
  • Have a place to live in the 2 weeks prior to randomization and not be at risk that s/he will lose his/her housing in the next 2 months.
  • Not anticipate any significant problems with transportation arrangements or available time to travel to the study site over the next 2 months.
  • Not have any unresolved legal problems that could jeopardize continuation or completion of the study.
  • And others.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Contact site for additional information

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: Double

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: varenicline
1 mg BID (2 capsules BID)
Drug: Varenicline
1 mg BID
Other Names:
  • Chantix
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
1 mg BID (2 capsules BID)
Drug: Placebo oral capsule
1 mg BID

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
Cue-elicited Craving
Time Frame: Study Week 3
The primary outcome is cue-elicited alcohol craving, operationalized as the difference in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) craving for alcohol when exposed to an alcohol cue minus the VAS craving for alcohol when exposed to a water cue. The VAS has a minimum value of 0 and maximum value of 20; higher scores indicate more craving (a worse outcome).
Study Week 3

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
Percent Heavy Drinking Days
Time Frame: Weeks 3-6
The percentage of heavy drinking days during the last month of treatment (weeks 3-6). A heavy drinking day is defined as 4 or more drinks on a single day for females and 5 or more drinks on a single day for males.
Weeks 3-6
The Percentage of Subjects Abstinent During the Last Month of Treatment (Weeks 3-6).
Time Frame: Weeks 3-6
The percentage of subjects abstinent from alcohol during the last month of treatment (weeks 3-6).
Weeks 3-6
Cigarettes Smoked Per Week
Time Frame: Weeks 3-6
The number of cigarettes smoked per week during the last month of treatment (weeks 3-6) computed only among participants who were smokers at baseline (varenicline n=11; placebo n=11). Note: cigarettes smoked per week outcome data was missing for two of the varenicline participants resulting in n=9 available for analysis.
Weeks 3-6
Penn Alcohol Craving Scale
Time Frame: Study Weeks 3, 4, 5, 6 (assessed weekly during this period)
Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (higher numbers are indicative of more craving for alcohol); min = 0, max = 30. The measure was assessed at Study Weeks 3, 4, 5, and 6. The reported outcome is the adjusted mean total score across weeks 3-6.
Study Weeks 3, 4, 5, 6 (assessed weekly during this period)

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.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

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.
  • Study Director: Raye Litten, PhD, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

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 (Actual)

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.
May 1, 2017

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.
July 1, 2018

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.
July 7, 2018

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).
January 26, 2017

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.
January 26, 2017

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.
January 30, 2017

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.
October 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.
October 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.
October 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • HLAB 001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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