AAV8-hCocH for Cocaine Use Disorder

May 21, 2026 updated by: W. Michael Hooten

Intravenous Administration of AAV8-human Cocaine Hydrolase to Treat Cocaine Use Disorder

The purpose of this study is to test the safety of a novel gene viral vector treatment for adults with cocaine use disorder-sustained remission. This gene regulates an enzyme (cocaine hydrolase) that breaks down cocaine into inactive substances, thereby decreasing the pleasurable feeling this drug usually provides.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

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 is a phase-I dose escalation clinical trial testing the safety and MTD of IV administration of AAV8-hCocH to subjects with a history of cocaine use disorder-sustained remission. Subjects who provide written informed consent, meet entry criteria, and do not have transduction inhibition to AAV8 (pre-existing AAV8 antibodies) will be eligible. Subjects will be enrolled sequentially every 2-3 months or longer between cohorts. Dose escalation may be initiated after a single subject has been safely dosed; maximum enzyme expression is anticipated at week 3-4. This escalation paradigm is intended to minimize the number of subjects exposed to sub-therapeutic doses. The starting dose is based on the expression and safety of AAV8-CocH in mice, rats and NHP, and previous human experience using AAV8-FVIII IV in hemophilia patients. The starting dose has a large safety margin (15-fold) from the NOAEL in NHP. Approximately 7 weeks after an injection, a decision to escalate to the next dose level will be made based on a review of safety parameters and CocH levels by the investigative team.

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 (Estimated)

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.
10

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 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 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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

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 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Non-treatment seeking male or females ages 18 to 65 years, inclusive.
  • DSM-5 diagnosis of cocaine use disorder in sustained remission as confirmed by the PI's review of the medical record.
  • Are motivated to abstain from cocaine use during the period of the study, as evidenced both by the judgment of the Investigator or designee and by compliance with the requirement to make regular clinic visits.
  • In the opinion of the PI, be in good general health as determined by medical and psychiatric history, general clinical examination, vital signs, and laboratory tests.
  • Have provided written informed consent. Subjects should be cooperative, willing and able to participate and adhere to the protocol requirements.
  • Have hematology, chemistry, kidney and liver function laboratory tests that are within (+/- 10%) of the current Mayo Clinic standardized normal values.
  • Show a baseline EKG that demonstrates normal sinus rhythm and conduction without clinically significant abnormalities or arrhythmias.
  • Are willing to return to research area for follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • They show detectable pre-existing immunity to the AAV8 capsid as measured by AAV8 transduction inhibition and AAV8 total antibodies.
  • Evidence of HIV or hepatitis of any etiology.
  • Creatinine ≥ 1.5 mg/dL.
  • Any disease or mental health condition at the physician's discretion that would prevent the subject from fully complying with the requirements of the study. The physician may exclude subjects with active alcohol abuse, other substance abuse or positive urine toxicology screen for substances of abuse.
  • Pregnant &/or lactating. All lactating women will be excluded from study participation. Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test performed at screening visit, agree to use birth control throughout the study period, refrain from getting pregnant within the study period and consent to pregnancy testing throughout the study period. Men must agree to use barrier methods of birth control and refrain from fathering children within the next year.
  • Morbid obesity (BMI > 40).

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: Other
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential 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: AAV8-hCocH dose level 1: 2e12 vg/kg
Cohort 1: Participant receives one-time IV administration of low dose 2e12 vg/kg of AAV8-hCocH, with 7 week of follow-up after dose
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
2e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
6e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
4e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Experimental: AAV8-hCocH dose level 3: 6e12vg/kg
Cohort 3: Participant receives one-time IV administration of medium dose 6e12vg/kg of AAV8-hCocH, with 7 week of follow-up after dose
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
2e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
6e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
4e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Experimental: AAV8-hCocH dose level 2: 4e12vg/kg
Cohort 2: Participant receives one-time IV administration of medium dose 4e12vg/kg of AAV8-hCocH, with 7 week of follow-up after dose
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
2e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
6e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous
Drug: AAV8-hCocH
4e12 vg/kg single infusion intravenous

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
Adverse Events
Time Frame: 60 months
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events
60 months
Change in enzyme expression profile
Time Frame: Baseline, 24 months
Serum level of AAV8-hCocH gene expression
Baseline, 24 months

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
Maximum Observed Plasma Concentration (Cmax)
Time Frame: 24 months
Cmax is measured as the peak concentration of AAV8 in the blood after intravenous infusion
24 months
Time of peak concentration (tmax)
Time Frame: 24 months
The time to maximum plasma concentration of AAV8 in the blood after intravenous infusion
24 months
Half-Life (t1/2)
Time Frame: 24 months
The time for plasma concentration of AAV8 in the blood to be reduced to exactly half of starting concentration
24 months
Area under the Concentration-Time Curve (AUC)
Time Frame: 24 months
AUC is a measure of the AAV8 serum concentration over time. Used to characterize drug absorption.
24 months

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.
W. Michael Hooten

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)

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: W. Michael Hooten, MD, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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 8, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

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).
May 7, 2021

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.
May 11, 2021

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.
May 13, 2021

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 26, 2026

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 21, 2026

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, 2026

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.
  • 20-012225
  • 5UH3DA042492 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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.

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