A Trial of Directly Observed and Long-term Varenicline

August 28, 2024 updated by: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Achieving Smoking Cessation Milestones in Opioid Treatment Patients: a Randomized 2 x 2 Factorial Trial of Directly Observed and Long-term Varenicline

This 2 x 2 factorial, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will test two interventions: directly observed medication therapy, and long-term therapy with varenicline among smokers with opioid use disorder recruited from community-based, outpatient opioid treatment programs. The analytic strategy will evaluate the milestones in smoking cessation-achieving initial abstinence, preventing lapse and preventing relapse--necessary for long-term cessation, and evaluate theoretically-guided psychological and social factors and pharmacogenetic factors that influence these cessation processes.

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

Tobacco use and tobacco-related disease are highly prevalent among persons with opioid use disorders (OUD). Unfortunately, traditional evidence-based smoking cessation interventions have yielded low rates of tobacco abstinence in this group. The majority of trials evaluating smoking cessation treatment interventions among persons with OUD have relied on short-term interventions that do not account for the unique challenges faced by these smokers, specifically, establishing initial abstinence, adhering to evidence-based cessation treatments, and maintaining abstinence once active treatments cease. Long-term smoking cessation medication treatment approaches have shown promise in promoting cessation and decreasing relapse among individuals without OUD, however the applicability of extended medication approaches to smokers with OUD may be limited by poor adherence to smoking cessation medications. Though adherence to cessation medication is strongly associated with cessation success, adherence is especially challenging for persons with OUD. Opioid treatment program-based directly observed therapy (DOT) interventions improve clinical outcomes in HIV and TB, and pilot data suggest that DOT varenicline is associated with increased smoking cessation medication adherence and may increase smoking cessation rates. In this 2 x 2 factorial, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the investigators will test two interventions: directly observed medication therapy, and long-term therapy with varenicline. The analytic strategy will evaluate the milestones in smoking cessation-achieving initial abstinence, preventing lapse and preventing relapse--necessary for long-term cessation, and evaluate theoretically-guided psychological and social factors and pharmacogenetic factors that influence these cessation processes. The investigators will recruit smokers with OUD from community-based, outpatient opioid treatment programs and test the following specific aims: (1) to test the efficacy of directly observed varenicline therapy compared to self-administered varenicline therapy on smoking cessation milestones, (2) to test the efficacy of long-term varenicline compared to short-term varenicline on smoking cessation milestones, and (3) to understand the mechanism of smoking cessation by examining the impact of theory-guided psychological and social factors and of pharmacogenetic factors on cessation milestones.

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.
243

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 4

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • Bronx, New York, United States, 10467
        • Albert Einstein College of Medicine

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 and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1) age ≥18 years old; 2) English or Spanish speaking (i.e., be able to participate in study interviews in English or Spanish); 3) current cigarette smoking (smoked at least 100 cigarettes/lifetime, smoking ≥ 5 cigarettes/day); 4) interest in quitting tobacco smoking; 5) receiving methadone or buprenorphine in the DoSA clinic one to six times weekly; 6) enrollment in a DoSA opioid treatment program ≥ 3 months; 7) stable methadone or buprenorphine dose for two weeks; 8) agreement to use contraception for the duration of the trial (among women with reproductive potential); 9) willingness to participate in all study components; and 10) ability to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1) serious or unstable disease, specifically: decompensated cirrhosis (INR≥ 1.7, albumin <2.7 g/dl or physical exam evidence of decompensated cirrhosis); severe cardiovascular disease (MI, PTCA, unstable angina, CABG, and/or serious arrhythmia in the previous 6 months); severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (requiring supplemental oxygen or hospitalization in past 6 months); HIV/AIDS (AIDS-defining illness or hospitalization in past 6 months); 2) creatinine clearance <30 mL/min; 3) history of seizure disorder; 4) women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or contemplating pregnancy; 5) current suicidal ideation; 6) history of suicide attempt in the past year; 7) psychiatric hospitalization in the past year; 8) current DSM V criteria for major depressive episode, current bipolar disorder, or current psychotic disorder; 9) current DSM V criteria for alcohol use disorder; or 10) use of varenicline in the past 30 days.

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: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

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: Long-Term Varenicline
Participants will receive 24 weeks of varenicline at standard doses (0.5 mg/day for days 1 to 3, 0.5 mg twice daily for days 4 to 7, then 1 mg twice daily)
Drug: Long-Term Varenicline
Varenicline tablet x 24 weeks
Other Names:
  • varenicline
  • chantix
Active Comparator: Short-Term Varenicline
Participants will receive 12 weeks of varenicline at standard doses (0.5 mg/day for days 1 to 3, 0.5 mg twice daily for days 4 to 7, then 1 mg twice daily), followed by matching placebo twice daily through week 24.
Drug: Short-Term Varenicline
varenicline tablet for 12 weeks, followed by placebo tablet manufactured to mimic varenicline 1 mg tablet
Other Names:
  • placebo
  • varenicline
  • chantix
Experimental: Directly Observed Therapy
Participants receiving directly observed therapy (DOT) will receive varenicline from opioid treatment program nurses at the same time as they receive methadone, as well as individually packaged take-home doses for self administration on evenings/weekends.
Behavioral: Directly Observed Therapy
Varenicline doses are administered by opioid treatment program nurses
Active Comparator: Self Administered Therapy
Patients receiving varenicline self administered therapy (SAT) will self-administer all varenicline doses.
Behavioral: Self Administered Therapy
Varenicline doses are self-administered

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
Time-to-initial abstinence
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks
Time-to-initial abstinence, defined as a 24 hour period without smoking, will be assessed as Period of ≥ 24 hour self-reported abstinence during the intervention period, will be assessed. Group mean time-to-initial abstinence will be reported.
Up to 24 weeks
Time-to-lapse
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks
Time-to-lapse, defined as the initial occasion of cigarette smoking after abstinence, will be based on the first day during which subjects smoke, even a puff, after a period of initial abstinence. Group mean number of days to time-to-lapse will be reported.
Up to 24 weeks
Time to relapse
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks
Time-to-relapse, defined as the return to regular cigarette use, will be based on the time first day of seven consecutive days of self-reported smoking after a period of initial abstinence. Group mean number of days to time-to-relapse will be reported.
Up to 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
Durability of 7-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence
Time Frame: week 28
Durability of tobacco abstinence will be assessed using Carbon Monoxide (CO)-verified, 7-day point prevalence abstinence at week 28. Smoking abstinence in accordance with self-reported Timeline Follow Back Method (TLFB), which uses calendar prompts to assess self-reported daily patterns, and verified by expired carbon monoxide (CO) < 8 ppm, will be reported.
week 28
Durability of 7-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence
Time Frame: week 52
Durability of tobacco abstinence will be assessed using Carbon Monoxide (CO)-verified, 7-day point prevalence abstinence at week 52. Smoking abstinence in accordance with self-reported Timeline Follow Back Method (TLFB), which uses calendar prompts to assess self-reported daily patterns, and verified by expired carbon monoxide (CO) < 8 ppm, will be reported.
week 52
Number of Cigarettes smoked per day
Time Frame: 24 weeks
Group mean of self-reported number of cigarettes smoked per day will be obtained via self-reported TLFB and summarized per group.
24 weeks
Nicotine dependence
Time Frame: 24 weeks
Nicotine dependence will be assessed using Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). FTND is a 6-item instrument designed to provide an ordinal measure of nicotine dependence related to cigarette smoking. Specifically, the FTND evaluates the quantity of cigarette consumption, the compulsion to use, and dependence. Three Yes/No items are scored as either 0 (No) or 1 (Yes). Two multiple-choice items are either scored from 0-3 or 1-3, with higher scores signifying greater nicotine dependence. A final question, "Which cigarette would you hate to give up?" with 'First in the Morning' scored as 1 and 'Any other' scored as 0. The FTND yields an overall score of 0-10. An overall score of 1-2 = "Lowest Dependence", 3-4 = "Low to Moderate Dependence", 5-7 = "Moderate Dependence", and 8+ = "High Dependence"
24 weeks
Quality of life - Physical and Mental Health (SF-36)
Time Frame: 24 weeks
Quality of Life will be assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12 (SF-12). The SF-12 is a 12-item general health questionnaire, derived from the Medical Outcomes Study 36 item Short Form Survey (SF-36), is designed to have similar performance as the SF-36, while taking less time to complete. The SF-12 asks a series of questions measuring eight health domains assessing both physical (PCS-12) and mental health (MCS-12). Two summary scores are generated: a mental component score (MCS-12), and a physical component score (PCS-12). Scores for both range from 0-100 with higher scores indicating better physical and mental health functioning, respectively. A score of 50 or less on the PCS-12 has been recommended as a cut-off to determine a physical condition, while a score of 42 or less on the MCS-12 may be indicative of 'clinical depression'. Group mean scores will be reported.
24 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.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

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.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Pfizer
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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: Shadi Nahvi, MD, MS, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

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.
October 25, 2018

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.
November 14, 2023

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.
April 24, 2024

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).
November 28, 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.
December 6, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

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.
December 7, 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.
August 30, 2024

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.
August 28, 2024

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.
August 1, 2024

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.
  • 2016-6688
  • R01DA042813 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Our final dataset will include: survey and laboratory data, including demographic, medical, tobacco, and other substance use-related information about all clinical trial subjects. The final dataset will be stripped of all personal identifiers.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After data collection and cleaning is complete.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

We will share data with qualified investigators whose research protocols have been approved by their institutions' Institutional Review Boards. Data will be made available to potential users under a NIDA-approved data-sharing agreement that ensures that: (1) data is used only for research purposes and does not identify individual participants; (2) data is handled in a secure and confidential way; and (3) data is destroyed or returned after analyses are completed.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

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.

Yes

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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