The Zonisamide and Reinforcement for Reducing Alcohol Use (ZARRA) Study

Zonisamide for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder in the Addiction Neuroclinical Assessment Framework

A phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (RCT) to evaluate the ability of zonisamide (ZON) to decrease alcohol use among treatment-seeking adults with an alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Zonisamide; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

This project focuses on the efficacy of a promising pharmacotherapy (ZON) for AUDs using a placebo-controlled design that will rigorously measure alcohol use and medication adherence. Results will guide novel mechanistic targets to better capture the heterogeneity within AUDs. This project will evaluate the ability of ZON to treat the alcohol use disorder.

The investigators hypothesize that the group assigned to ZON associated with the standard treatment (ZON+ST) will yield lower rates of biochemically verified alcohol use, fewer self-reported drinks per day, and fewer heavy drinking days during the 12-week treatment and 1-year follow-up periods, relative to the placebo associated with the standard treatment (PLO+ST) group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 205
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Abigail L Bowen, MS; Phone Number: (425) 736-1354; Email: abigail.bowen@wsu.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Sterling McPherson, PhD; Phone Number: (509) 324-7459; Email: sterling.mcpherson@wsu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Spokane, Washington, United States, 99202
      • Recruiting
      • Washington State University
      • Contact: Serena McPherson, BA; Phone Number: (509) 590-7689; Email: s.mcpherson@wsu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Four or more standard drinks on four or more occasions in the prior 30 days.
2. Seeking AUD treatment.
3. Aged 18-65 years.
4. DSM-5 diagnosis of AUD.
5. Ability to read and speak English.
6. Ability to provide written informed consent.
7. Breath alcohol of 0.00 during informed consent.
8. Provision of at least 1 EtG-positive urine test at any time during the induction period.
9. Non-lactating women of childbearing age using reliable form of birth control with a negative urine pregnancy test at baseline, and
10. Attended at least 4 of 6 visits during the induction period.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Significant risk of dangerous alcohol withdrawal, defined as a history of alcohol detoxification or seizure in the last 12 months and expression of concern by the participant about dangerous withdrawal;
2. Currently receiving any pharmacotherapy for alcohol or in the past 30 days.
3. Current DSM-5 diagnosis of severe substance use disorder other than nicotine.
4. Suicide attempt in the last 20 years.
5. History of hypersensitivity to sulfonamide medication, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, penicillin allergy or allergic reaction to any drug
6. Systemic autoimmune disease.
7. History of current seizure disorder (e.g., are they receiving medication currently for their seizures, have they ever been told by their provider that they have epilepsy, or do they have a history of recurring seizures in the last 5 years?).
8. Current clinically significant blood dyscrasia.
9. History of clinically significant renal calculi or renal failure; renal compromise (defined by an elevation of serum creatinine above our laboratory's limit of normal).
10. History of traumatic brain injury (TBI; e.g., ever been told by a provider that they had a moderate or severe TBI, lost consciousness for 30 minutes or longer or had a post-traumatic amnesia lasting a day or longer).
11. Any other current, clinically significant physical disease [i.e., neurologic, renal, rheumatologic, gastrointestinal, hematologic, pulmonary, endocrine, cardiovascular, hepatic, or autoimmune disease] on the basis of medical history, physical examination, or routine laboratory evaluation that, in the context of the study would represent a risk to the subject, or significant laboratory abnormalities related to hepatic function such as marked elevations of hepatic aminotransferase levels (i.e., AST and ALT) or direct bilirubin, and
12. Any other medical or psychiatric condition that Dr. Rodin determines would compromise safe participation.

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: ZON+ST; Zonisamide (ZON) plus standard treatment (ST)	Drug: Zonisamide; The ZON will be supplied in 100 mg capsules and deposited directly into the TAD device by research staff every 2 weeks. All participants will be told to take 100 mg/day for the first three weeks (Week 1-2 single-blind, placebo-only, induction; end of Week 2, active treatment begins) and increasing by 100 mg/day every other week (Week 4: 200 mg/day; Week 6: 300 mg/day; Week 8: 400 mg/day) up to the target dose of 500 mg/day by Week 10. The participants will be maintained on this dose through Week 14 of active treatment and then tapered off ZON (2 weeks). This dosing schedule is consistent with best practices for ZON. All TAD devices will only dispense the prescribed medication between 4pm and 11pm each night. Participants will be instructed to take the medication at or near bedtime.
Placebo Comparator: PLO+ST; Placebo (PLO) plus standard treatment (ST)	Drug: Placebo; The PLO will be supplied at the same schedule and in the same manner (TAD device) as the ZON.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Self Reported Alcohol Consumption	Consumption of alcohol between participants randomized to ZON+ST vs PLO+ST assessed by participant self report (collected 1x weekly from weeks 1-14 and once at weeks 18, 38, and 54).	12-week treatment and 1-year follow-up period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Biochemically Verified Alcohol Consumption	Consumption of alcohol between participants randomized to ZON+ST vs PLO+ST assessed by alcohol breathalyzer and biochemical EtG values (collected 3x weekly from weeks 1-6, 1x weekly at weeks 7-14, and once at weeks 18, 38, and 54).	12-week treatment and 1-year follow-up period

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Adverse Events	Occurrence of adverse events assessed by SAFETEE (collected 3x weekly at weeks 1-6, 1x weekly at weeks 7-14, and once at weeks 18, 38, and 54).	12-week treatment and 1-year follow-up period

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Washington State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 7, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): August 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Anticipated): August 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 14, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 23, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): November 26, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 27, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2023
• Last Verified: April 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Contingency Management; Alcohol Use Disorder; Incentives for Sobriety; Zonisamide
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Drinking Behavior; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Membrane Transport Modulators; Anticonvulsants; Calcium-Regulating Hormones and Agents; Calcium Channel Blockers; Zonisamide
• Other Study ID Numbers: 18520-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Data is to be shared with NIAAA under their required data archiving procedures.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: 5-6 years
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Determined by NIAAA data archive policy
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

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