A Phase II Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Xanamem™ in Subjects With Mild Dementia Due to AD (XanADu) (XanADu)

XanADu: A Phase II, Double-Blind, 12-Week, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Xanamem™ in Subjects With Mild Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

This XanADu Phase II study in mild Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of Xanamem in subjects with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease. Subjects will be randomized to receive either 10mg once daily Xanamem or Placebo at a 1:1 ratio in a double-blinded fashion.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Dementia, Alzheimer Type
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Xanamem™; Drug: Placebo (for Xanamem™)

Detailed Description

This is a Phase II, randomised, multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof-of-concept study to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of oral Xanamem once daily in adult subjects with mild dementia due to AD.

Based on Xanamem's mode of action on hippocampal function, amnestic symptoms may respond best, thus favouring the inclusion of mild dementia due to AD, with given evidence of disease progression. Subjects will be treated in a double-blind fashion, where both the investigators and subjects will be unaware of the treatment assignments, to minimise any subjective or unrecognised bias carried by the investigators and subjects. Placebo will be used as the comparator in this study.

It is planned to randomise approximately 174 subjects at approximately 25 study sites in three countries (Australia, United Kingdom, and United States), with the aim to enrol 7 to 10 subjects at each study site. Subject enrolment will be competitive but a cap of 20 subjects per study site is to be established to avoid any side effects. In case the sample composition at one study site is creating concerns, an enrolment stop can also occur at fewer than 20 subjects.

At study end, a total of 185 subjects were randomised into this study and received active treatment.

The data safety monitoring board (DSMB) will periodically meet for the review of accumulating safety study data and will also be involved in the interim analysis.

At the Baseline visit (Week 0), eligible subjects will be randomised on a 1:1 ratio to receive either Xanamem administered orally once daily (QD) for the treatment group or matching placebo for the placebo group. Subjects will return to the study site for visits at Week 4 and Week 8, End of Treatment (Week 12) and Follow-up (4 weeks post last dose of study drug) visits, at which study assessments will be performed.

Ad hoc telephone contact may also occur at any other time-point throughout the study, if deemed necessary by the investigator/study nurse, or if the subject wishes to report an Adverse Event (AE)

Subjects will be interviewed and examined at the study site at each visit and will complete a variety of questionnaires and routine safety evaluations.

Optional Pharmacodynamic (PD) sampling will be performed at specific visits. Subjects who do not provide consent for this optional sub-study will still be eligible for the main study.

The overall study duration for an individual subject will be 17 to 20 weeks, including a screening period of one to 4 weeks, a double-blind treatment period of 12 weeks, and a follow-up period of 4 weeks. The total duration of the study is expected to be 2 years.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 185
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Australia
  • New South Wales
    • Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia, 2261
      • Central Coast Neurosciences Research
    • Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia, 2010
      • St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
    • Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia, 2113
      • KaRa Institute of Neurological Diseases
  • Victoria
    • Heidelberg West, Victoria, Australia, 3081
      • Medical & Cognitive Research Unit, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital - Austin Health
  • Western Australia
    • Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
      • Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation
• United Kingdom
  • Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH8 9YL
    • Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Centre for Dementia Prevention, The University of Edinburgh
  • Combe Park
    • Bath, Combe Park, United Kingdom, BA1 3NG
      • The Research Institute for the Care of Older People
  • Lancashire
    • Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom, M8 5RB
      • Manchester Mental Health & Social Care Trust - Dementia Research Office - Park House North Manchester General Hospital
  • London
    • Isleworth, London, United Kingdom, TW7 6FY
      • West London Mental Health Trust
    • Kings Cross, London, United Kingdom, WC1X 8QD
      • St Pancras Clinical Research
  • Northern Ireland
    • Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, BT9 7AB
      • Institute of Clinical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast
• United States
  • Arizona
    • Tucson, Arizona, United States, 85710
      • Tucson Neuroscience Research, LLC
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90057
      • National Research Institute
    • Poway, California, United States, 92064
      • PCND Neuroscience Research Institute
    • San Diego, California, United States, 92103
      • Pacific Research Network, Inc.
  • Florida
    • Clearwater, Florida, United States, 33756
      • Research Alliance Inc.
    • Miami, Florida, United States, 33186
      • The Neurology Research Group, LLC
    • Orlando, Florida, United States, 32806
      • Compass Research LLC
    • Palmetto Bay, Florida, United States, 33157
      • IMIC, Inc.
  • Georgia
    • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30331
      • Atlanta Center for Medical Research
    • Decatur, Georgia, United States, 30033
      • NeuroStudies.net, LLC
  • New Jersey
    • Mount Arlington, New Jersey, United States, 07856
      • The NeuroCognitive Institute
  • New York
    • Staten Island, New York, United States, 10312
      • Richmond Behavioral Associates
  • North Carolina
    • Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States, 27804
      • PMG Research of Rocky Mount, LLC
  • Pennsylvania
    • Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, United States, 19046
      • The Clinical Trial Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 46 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Males and females aged 50 years or older at the time of informed consent.

2. Female Subjects:

   1. Post menopausal women, defined as no menses for 12 months without an alternative medical cause. If there is any concern about the menopausal status of a prospective female subject, a follicle stimulating hormone test (FSH) should be requested to confirm post-menopausal status. Post menopausal women confirmed by FSH level > 40 mIU (milli-international units per milliliter) /mL, will be confirmed by central laboratory.
   2. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative pregnancy test at Screening and Baseline, and be willing to use highly effective methods of contraception from the Screening visit until 3 months after last dose of study drug. If re-test is required, a local urine pregnancy test will be performed at Baseline to determine if the subject can continue to randomisation.
   3. Are permanently sterile or have had a hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy or bilateral oophorectomy.
   4. Women must not be breastfeeding.

3. Male Subjects:

   1. Who are sexually active, fertile men must use highly effective methods of contraception from Day 1 until 3 months after last dose of study drug if their partners are WOCBP.
   2. Who are permanently sterile or have had bilateral orchiectomy.
4. Diagnosis of mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) with increased level of certainty (provided by evidence of clinical deterioration within the 6 months preceding Screening, as assessed by the investigator) as determined by the National Institute of Ageing (NIA) and the Alzheimer's Association (AA) workgroup.
5. Mild dementia due to probable AD with Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) 20 to 26 (inclusive).
6. Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) Global Score of 0.5 to 1.0.
7. A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan in the 12 months preceding Screening that in the investigator's opinion is consistent with AD as the principle aetiology of the dementia with no other clinically significant abnormality, e.g. another principle underlying aetiology of the subject's dementia, or a lesion which could affect cognition e.g. a brain tumour or large stroke.
8. On stable dose of acetylcholinesterase (AChEI) and/or memantine (at least 3 months prior to Screening) OR treatment-naïve. Initiating AChEIs or memantine during the study will not be permitted.
9. Apart from a clinical diagnosis of mild dementia due to AD, the subject must be in good health as determined by the investigator, based on medical history and screening assessments.
10. Has a consenting study partner who, in the investigator's judgement, has frequent and sufficient contact with the subject to be able to provide accurate information as to the subject's cognitive and functional abilities. The study partner must be available to provide information to the investigator and study site staff about the subject and agrees to attend all study site visits in person for scale completion. A study partner should be available for the duration of the study. The measure of adequate availability will be at the investigator's discretion.
11. Must be willing and able to comply with the requirements of the protocol and must be available to complete the study.
12. Must satisfy a medical examiner about their fitness to participate in the study.
13. Must provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Clinically significant abnormalities in vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate and oral temperature), as determined by the investigator.
2. Clinically significant abnormal haematology, biochemistry and urine examination values, specifically abnormal liver and renal function and Vitamin B12 levels below lower threshold since these parameters may impact cognitive function, as determined by the investigator.
3. Has had a significant systematic illness or infection within the past 4 weeks prior to randomisation, as determined by the investigator.
4. Clinically significant neurological disease other than AD, such as (but not limited to) Parkinson's disease, multi-infarct dementia, Huntington's disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumour, progressive supranuclear palsy, seizure disorder, subdural haematoma, multiple sclerosis or a history of significant head trauma followed by persistent neurologic defaults or known structural brain abnormalities.
5. Subjects with clinical evidence of peripheral neuropathy or historical evidence of clinically significant nerve conduction abnormalities.
6. Has had a stroke within the year prior to randomisation, as determined by the investigator.
7. Has a lifetime diagnosis of a major psychiatric disorder (other than dementia), based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition criteria. This includes but is not limited to schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, alcohol dependence syndrome or major depressive disorder.
8. Has a history of disease directly related to the hypothalamus, the pituitary and/or the adrenal glands which affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function.
9. Has uncontrolled clinical conditions relating to glucose and lipid metabolism.
10. Clinically significant electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities, including Corrected QT interval (QTc) > 450 ms, following ECG tracings at Screening.
11. Use of any prohibited medication as detailed in the study protocol.
12. Participation in another clinical study of an investigational drug or device whereby the last investigational drug/device administration is within 60 days of Screening.
13. Inability to communicate well with the investigator (i.e. language problem, non-fluent English [as scales will be provided in English only], poor mental development or impaired cerebral function).
14. Subject will undergo the tests, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scales (ADAS)-Cog v14, CDR-Sum of Boxes (SOB), MMSE, Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB; executive domain) and RAVLT at the indicated time-points to avoid uncontrolled learning effects. Subjects who need to perform these tests externally to and in parallel with this study will be excluded.
15. Subject has ingested any food or drink containing grapefruit, Seville oranges, star fruit or derived products (e.g. fruit juice), for at least 3 days prior to the first administration of study drug.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Xanamem™; Oral Xanamem™ capsules 10mg, to be administered once daily	Drug: Xanamem™; Xanamem™ is formulated in green and cream coloured size 3, Coni-Snap shaped gelatin capsules as an excipient blend at a dose of 10mg. It contains active pharmaceutical ingredient of UE2343; Other Names: UE2343
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Matching placebo which is identical in appearance to the test product except that it contains no active ingredient, to be administered once daily	Drug: Placebo (for Xanamem™); Excipient blend capsules manufactured to mimic Xanamem™ capsules; Other Names: Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
ADAS-Cog v14	Change in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scales - Cognitive Subscale Score, version 14 (ADAS-Cog v14) Total scores of ADAS Cog 14 range from 0 to 90, with higher scores indicating greater disease severity.	Baseline, Week 12
AD COMposite Scores	Change in AD COMposite Scores (ADCOMs- ADCOMs, composite score is derived from a weighted linear combination of items from commonly used outcome scales Cognitive Subscale Version 14 [ADAS-Cog v14], Clinical Dementia Rating Scale - Sum of Boxes [CDR-SOB], and Mini-Mental Status Examination [MMSE]. Th ADCOMs range: 0 - 1.97, whereas a lover score is interpreted as a better result. Included scales: ADAS-Cog v14 (range: 0-90): A lower score is indicative of better cognition, a higher score indicates higher cognitive impairment. CDR-SOB (range: 0-18): A lower score is indicative of better cognition, a higher score indicates higher cognitive impairment. MMSE (range: 0-30): A higher score is indicative of better cognition, a lower score indicates higher cognitive impairment.	Baseline, Week 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
RAVLT	Change in Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) RAVLT will be administered using five trials, with individual scores from 0-15. The total score is the combined score of all five trials, ranging from 0 to 75, whereas a lower score is considered a worse outcome and a higher score a better outcome.	Baseline, Week 12
CDR-SOB	Change in Clinical Dementia Rating Scale - Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) The CDR is obtained through semi-structured interviews of patients and informants, and cognitive functioning is rated in six domains of functioning: memory, orientation, judgement and problem solving, community affairs, home and hobbies, and personal care. Each domain is rated on a five-point scale of functioning as follows: 0, no impairment; 0.5, questionable impairment; 1, mild impairment; 2, moderate impairment; and 3, severe impairment. The CDR-SOB is based on summing each of the domain box scores, with scores ranging from 0-18, whereas lower scores represent better outcomes and higher scores worse outcomes.	Baseline, Week 12
MMSE	Change in Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) MMSE total score (0 - 30) is a sum of all 30 point questionnaire of MMSE. A score of 20 to 24 suggests mild dementia, 13 to 20 suggests moderate dementia, and less than 12 indicates severe dementia.	Baseline, Week 12
NPI (Neuropsychiatric Inventory)	Change in Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) The NPI includes questions to ten behavioural and two neurodegenerative domains. Raters recorded neuropsychiatric symptoms using a 1-4 scale for frequency and a 1-3 scale for severity for each item in the instrument, with the score for each domain being: domain score = frequency x severity. The total score is calculated by adding the scores of the first 10 domain scores. The two neurodegenerative items are not included in the NPI total score as they form part of the depression syndrome in some patients and were specifically excluded from the dysphoria subscale of the NPI in order to allow that subscale to focus on mood symptoms. The total NPI-score minimum is 0 and the maximum 144. A lower score is considered a better outcome, a higher score a worse outcome.	Baseline, Week 12
NTB - Executive Domain	Change in Neuropsychological Test Batteries (NTB) - Executive Domains: Controlled Oral Word Association - Test (COWAT) and Total Correct Response (CFT) Total NTB score is the sum of COWAT and CFT. During the COWAT test, the subject is asked to mention as many words as possible beginning with different letters (F, A, S) within 1 minute each. The number of words for each letter is recorded, the score is the sum of all words. There is no minimum or maximum score, whereas more words indicate a better outcome. During the CFT test, the subject is given 1 minute to produce as many unique words as possible within a semantic category. The subject's score is the number of unique correct words. There is no minimum or maximum score whereas a score of under 14 is interpreted as concerning regarding cognition.	Baseline, Week 12

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pregnancy Test	Women of childbearing potential only. Serum pregnancy test at screening and a urine pregnancy test at all subsequent clinic visits	Screening, baseline, Week 4, Week, 8, Week 12, Week 16
Optional PD Assessment - Changes in Pharmacodynamic (PD) Measures of Testosterone	This assessment will be carried out on subjects who consented to this optional test. PD sample will be collected at pre-dose at each required visit	Screening, baseline, Week 4, Week, 8, Week 12, Week 16
Optional PD Assessment - Changes in Pharmacodynamic (PD) Measures of Androstenedione	This assessment will be carried out on subjects who consented to this optional test. PD sample will be collected at pre-dose at each required visit	Screening, baseline, Week 4, Week, 8, Week 12, Week 16
Optional PD Assessment - Changes in Pharmacodynamic (PD) Measures of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEAS)	This assessment will be carried out on subjects who consented to this optional test. PD sample will be collected at pre-dose at each required visit	Screening, baseline, Week 4, Week, 8, Week 12, Week 16
Optional PD Assessment - Changes in Pharmacodynamic (PD) Measures of Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)	This assessment will be carried out on subjects who consented to this optional test. PD sample will be collected at pre-dose at each required visit	Screening, baseline, Week 4, Week, 8, Week 12, Week 16
Change in Pharmacokinetics (PK), Including Analysis of Cortisol Levels	This assessment will be carried out on subjects who consented to this optional test. PD sample will be collected at pre-dose at each required visit	Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12 and Unscheduled Safety Visit
NTSS-6	Change in Neuropathy Total Symptom Score (NTSS-6)	Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16, Ad Hoc and Unscheduled Safety Visit
NFM	Change in Nerve Function Monitoring (NFM)	Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16
Vital Signs	Change in Vital Signs (including Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Body Weight, BMI)	Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16, Unscheduled Safety Visit
Metabolic Function	Change in Metabolic Function Test Results of Lipids, Glucose, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)	Baseline, Week 12
Clinical Safety Laboratory Values	Change in Clinical Safety Laboratory Values (biochemistry, hematology, urine examination)	Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16
AEs	Incidence of Adverse Events (AEs)	Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16, Ad Hoc
ECG	Change in Electrocardiogram (ECG) Values	Screening, Baseline, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16
CSSRS	Change in Scores of Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS)	Screening, Week 4, Week 8, Week 12, Week 16

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Actinogen Medical
• Collaborators: ICON Clinical Research
• Investigators: Study Chair: Bill Ketelbey, MD, Actinogen Medical; Study Director: Alan Boyd, MD, FFPM, Actinogen Medical

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Webster SP, McBride A, Binnie M, Sooy K, Seckl JR, Andrew R, Pallin TD, Hunt HJ, Perrior TR, Ruffles VS, Ketelbey JW, Boyd A, Walker BR. Selection and early clinical evaluation of the brain-penetrant 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1) inhibitor UE2343 (Xanamem). Br J Pharmacol. 2017 Mar;174(5):396-408. doi: 10.1111/bph.13699. Epub 2017 Jan 25.

Helpful Links

• Selection and early clinical evaluation of the brain-penetrant 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1(11β-HSD1) inhibitor UE2343 (Xanamem™)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 23, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 15, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): March 15, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 21, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 30, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): April 5, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 21, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia; Cortisol; Mild Alzheimer's Disease; Actinogen; Xanamem; 11β-HSD1; 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1; UE2343 (Laboratory Code for Xanamem); XanADu; Cognitive Impairments; emestedastat
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Alzheimer Disease; Dementia
• Other Study ID Numbers: ACW0002

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No