Study of Safety and Effects of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of PTSD (Canada)

May 23, 2025 updated by: Lykos Therapeutics

An Open-Label, Multi-Site Phase 2 Study of the Safety and Effect of Manualized MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Severe Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Canada)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if MDMA-assisted therapy is safe and effective at reducing PTSD symptoms in people with at least severe PTSD.

The main question it aims to answer is:

Do three open-label sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy reduce PTSD symptoms?

Participants will receive three non-drug preparatory sessions followed by three sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy. Each MDMA-assisted therapy session is followed by three non-drug integrative therapy sessions.

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 multi-site, open-label, Phase 2, lead-in study assesses the safety and effect of MDMA-assisted therapy in participants diagnosed with at least severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therapy teams that have been identified and trained to work on the sponsor's planned Phase 3 studies will treat at least one open-label participant in this study.

This study will compare the effects of three open-label manualized Experimental Sessions of psychotherapy assisted by flexible doses of MDMA. Initial doses per Experimental Session include 100 mg or 125 mg of MDMA compounded with lactose, followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by a supplemental half-dose (50 mg or 62.5 mg). Total amounts of MDMA to be administered per Experimental Session range from 100 mg to 187.5 mg. This ~12-week Treatment Period is preceded by three Preparatory Sessions. During the Treatment Period, each Experimental Session is followed by three Integrative Sessions of non-drug psychotherapy.

The primary outcome measure is the change in the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM 5 (CAPS-5) total severity scores from Baseline to Visit 19. The secondary outcome measure is the change in the customized version of the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) for PTSD for the MAPS studies total scores from Baseline to Visit 19.

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

  • Canada
    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V64 1H
        • British Columbia Centre on Substance Abuse
    • Quebec
      • Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H2W 1Y9
        • Dr. Simon Amar, LLC

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

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Are at least 18 years old
  • Are fluent in speaking and reading the predominantly used or recognized language of the study site
  • Agree to have study visits recorded, including Experimental Sessions, Independent Rater assessments, and non-drug psychotherapy sessions
  • Must provide a contact (relative, spouse, close friend or other caregiver) who is willing and able to be reached by the investigators in the event of a participant becoming suicidal or unreachable.
  • Must agree to inform the investigators within 48 hours of any medical conditions and procedures.
  • If of childbearing potential, must have a negative pregnancy test at study entry and prior to each Experimental Session, and must agree to use adequate birth control through 10 days after the last Experimental Session.
  • Must not participate in any other interventional clinical trials during the duration of the study,
  • Must be willing to remain overnight at the study site after each Experimental Session and be driven home after, and commit to medication dosing, therapy, and study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Are not able to give adequate informed consent
  • Have uncontrolled hypertension
  • Have a marked baseline prolongation of QT/QTc interval (e.g., repeated demonstration of a QTc interval >450 milliseconds [ms] corrected by Bazett's formula)
  • Have a history of additional risk factors for Torsade de pointes (e.g., heart failure, hypokalemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome)
  • Have evidence or history of significant medical disorders
  • Have symptomatic liver disease
  • Have history of hyponatremia or hyperthermia
  • Weigh less than 48 kilograms (kg)
  • Are pregnant or nursing, or are of childbearing potential and are not practicing an effective means of birth control.
  • Meet DSM-5 criteria for active substance use disorder for any substance other than caffeine or nicotine
  • Have used Ecstasy (material represented as containing MDMA) more than 10 times within the last 10 years or at least once within 6 months of the first Experimental Session; or have previously participated in a MAPS or Lykos-sponsored MDMA clinical trial.

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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: MDMA-assisted therapy
Three sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy with flexible dose of midomafetamine HCl from 100 to 125 mg and optional supplemental dose half that of initial dose 1.5 to 2 hours later
Drug: Midomafetamine HCl
Three sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy with flexible dose of midomafetamine HCl from 100 to 125 mg and optional supplemental dose half that of initial dose 1.5 to 2 hours later
Other Names:
  • MDMA
  • 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
  • midomafetamine
  • MDMA HCl
Behavioral: Manualized therapy
Non-directive therapy

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
Change From Baseline to Primary Endpoint in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) Total Severity Score
Time Frame: Baseline (Visit 3) to Primary Endpoint (Visit 19,18 weeks post enrollment)
The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is a clinician administered and scored assessment of PTSD symptoms via structured interview based upon PTSD diagnosis in DSM-5. It contains symptom subscales, a CAPS-5 total severity score, and a diagnostic score. The total severity score is a sum of symptom frequency and intensity scores for the subscales B (re-experiencing), C (avoidance) and D (hypervigilance) and ranges from 0 to 136, with higher scores indicating greater severity of PTSD symptoms.
Baseline (Visit 3) to Primary Endpoint (Visit 19,18 weeks post enrollment)

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
Change From Baseline to Primary Endpoint in Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS for PTSD for MAPS) Total Score
Time Frame: Baseline (Visit 3) to Primary Endpoint (Visit 19, 18 weeks post-enrollment)
The Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS for PTSD for MAPS) is a self-report assessment of functional impairment. The reporting period for the adapted SDS refers to the past month. The items indicate degree of impairment in the domains of work/school, social life, and home life, with response options based on an eleven-point scale (0=not at all to 10=extremely), with higher scores indicating greater functional impairment.
Baseline (Visit 3) to Primary Endpoint (Visit 19, 18 weeks post-enrollment)

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.
Lykos Therapeutics

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: Michael Mithoefer, MAPS Public Benefit Corp.

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.
March 13, 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.
June 4, 2019

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.
June 4, 2019

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).
March 23, 2018

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.
March 30, 2018

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.
April 2, 2018

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.
June 10, 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.
May 23, 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.
May 1, 2025

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.
  • MP-17

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

We will share outcome data appearing in any published reports upon request.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data and study-related documents will be available when all participants have completed the study

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Interested persons should correspond with the central contact for study.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

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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