Safety and Efficacy of Oral Full-Spectrum Medicinal Cannabis Plant Extract in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A Phase I/II Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Orally Administered Full-Spectrum Medicinal Cannabis Plant Extract 0.08% THC (FEN164) in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This is a 20-week open-label study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of full-spectrum medicinal cannabis plant extract < 0.08% THC (FEN164) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: FEN164

Detailed Description

The study population will include twenty (20) boys and girls aged eight (8) years through to seventeen (17) years that have a medical diagnosis of Level 2 and 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as confirmed by the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS-2) criteria.

Participants will commence treatment with a daily dose of 5mg/kg of FEN164. This will gradually increase over a four-week period until the maximum tolerated daily dose or 20mg/kg per day is achieved (Up-titration phase/Stage 1). Participants will continue to receive their respective maximum dose for eight (8) weeks (Treatment phase/Stage 2) which will be gradually decreased by 5 mg/kg for a period of 4 weeks until the end of the study (Down-titration phase).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 18
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Australia
  • Victoria
    • Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3168
      • Monash Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 8 years to 17 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant is aged 8 years to 17 years (inclusive)
• Participant is at a healthy weight at the discretion of the Principal Investigator.
• Parents or caregivers can give informed consent for participation in the trial with assent from individuals with autism.
• Participants can comply with trial requirements.
• According the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria the participant has a diagnosis of Level 2 or 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) confirmed by Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule (ADOS-2) criteria
• All treatments including medications and therapies for ASD related symptoms must have been stable for 4 weeks before enrolment and for the duration of the trial wherever possible.
• Participants must be able to swallow liquid.
• Consent giver must be able to understand the requirements of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or active major depression
• Has a diagnosis other than ASD that dominates the clinical presentation (e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD])
• Has a degenerative condition
• Changes in anticonvulsive therapy within the last 12 weeks
• Taking omeprazole, lansoprazole, tolbutamide, warfarin, sirolimus, everolimus, temsirolimus, tacrolimus, clobazam, repaglinide, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, montelukast, bupropion, or efavirenz
• Currently using or has used recreational or medicinal cannabis, cannabinoid-based medications (including Sativex®, or Epidiolex®) within the 12 weeks prior to screening and is unwilling to abstain for the duration of the trial
• Participant has any known or suspected hypersensitivity to cannabinoids or any of the excipients
• Participant has moderately impaired hepatic function at screening, defined as serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 2 × upper limit of normal (ULN) or total bilirubin (TBL) > 2 × ULN. This criterion can only be confirmed once the laboratory results are available; participants enrolled into the trial who are later found to meet this criterion must be screen-failed.
• Participant is male and fertile (i.e., after puberty unless permanently sterile by bilateral orchidectomy) unless willing to ensure that they use male contraception (condom) or remain sexually abstinent during the trial and for 12 weeks thereafter.
• Participant is female and with childbearing potential (i.e., following menarche and until becoming postmenopausal for ≥ 12 consecutive months unless permanently sterile by hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy) unless willing to ensure that they use a highly effective method of birth control (e.g., hormonal contraception, intrauterine device/hormone-releasing system, bilateral tubal occlusion, vasectomized partner, sexual abstinence) during the trial and for 12 weeks thereafter.
• Female participant who is pregnant (positive pregnancy test), lactating or planning pregnancy during the course of the trial or within 12 weeks thereafter.
• Participant had brain surgery or traumatic brain injury within 1 year of screening.
• Participant has any other significant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the investigator, may either put the participant, other participants, or site staff at risk because of participation in the trial, may influence the result of the trial, or may affect the participant's ability to take part in the trial.
• Any abnormalities identified following a physical examination of the participant that, in the opinion of the investigator, would jeopardize the safety of the participant if they took part in the trial
• Any history of suicidal behaviour (lifelong) or any suicidal ideation of type 4 or 5 on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in the last 4 weeks or at screening or randomization
• Participant has donated blood during the past 12 weeks and is unwilling to abstain from donation of blood during the trial.
• Participant has any known or suspected history of alcohol or substance abuse or positive drugs of abuse test at screening (not justified by a known concurrent medication).
• Participant has previously been enrolled into this trial.
• Participant has plans to travel outside their country of residence during the trial, unless the participant has confirmation that the product is permitted in the destination country/state

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: FEN164; Full-Spectrum Medicinal Cannabis Plant Extract with less than 0.08% THC (FEN164) Stage 1: 5mg/kg, 10mg/kg, 15mg/kg, 20mg/kg (1 week each) Stage 2: 20mg/kg (8 weeks), 15mg/kg, 10mg/kg, 5mg/kg (1 week each)	Drug: FEN164; Oil based. Full-spectrum medicinal cannabis plant extract with less than 0.08% THC.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Clinical Global Impression Scale - Improvement (CGI-I)	This is a 7-point scale measuring symptom change from baseline. Where a score of 1 is very much improved and a score of 7 is very much worse.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Third Edition	Used to measure adaptive functioning across three core domains (Communication, Daily Living Skills, and Socialization), and two optional domains (Motor Skills and Maladaptive Behaviour); items are rated on a 3-point scale (0=never; 1=sometimes; 2=usually or often). The core domains sum to a total Adaptive Behaviour Composite.	Baseline, Week 17
Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd Editions (SRS-2)	Five domains are assessed including: Social Awareness, Social Cognition, Social Communication, Social Motivation, and Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behaviour. Items are scored on a 4-point scale (ranging from 1=not true to 4=almost always true).	Baseline, Week 17
Anxiety, Depression and Mood Scale (ADAMS)	28 symptom items that resolve into five subscales labelled: Manic/Hyperactive Behaviour, Depressed Mood, Social Avoidance, General Anxiety, and Compulsive Behaviour. Items are rated on 4-point scale ranging from 0=not a problem to 3=severe problem.	Baseline, Week 17
Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC)	Six subscales including Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep, Sleep Breathing Disorders, Disorders of Arousal, Sleep Wake Transition Disorders, Disorders of Excessive Somnolence, and Sleep Hyperhydrosis. Items are rated on 5-point scale where 1=never and 5=always (daily). Subscale scores sum to equal a total score.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17
Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S)	Reflects clinician's impression of severity of illness on a 7-point scale ranging from 1=not at all to 7=among the most extremely ill.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17
Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ)	Parent/Caregiver form used to measure impact of autism interventions on family experience and quality of life. Items are rated on a 5-point scale where 1=always and 5=never.	Baseline, Week 17
Anxiety Scale for Children - Autism Spectrum Disorder - Parent Version (ASC-ASD-P)	Parent/Caregiver form developed to detect symptoms of anxiety in youth with ASD. Composed of four subscales (Performance Anxiety, Uncertainty, Anxious Arousal, and Separation Anxiety), items are rated on a 4-point scale (0=never and 3=always). Subscales sum to equal a total score.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17
Anxiety Scale for Children - Autism Spectrum Disorder - Child Version (ASC-ASD-C)	Child form developed to detect symptoms of anxiety in youth with ASD. Composed of four subscales (Performance Anxiety, Uncertainty, Anxious Arousal, and Separation Anxiety), items are rated on a 4-point scale (0=never and 3=always). Subscales sum to equal a total score.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17
The Child Behaviour Checklist for Ages 6 - 18 (CBCL)	A parent/carer measure to assess patterns of behaviour. The measure is a Likert scale rated over 3 or 4 points.	Baseline, Week 17
Caregiver Global Impression of Change in Attention (CGI-CA)	Reflects clinician's impression of change in attention on a 7-point scale ranging from 1=not at all to 7=very severe problem. Provided as Baseline and Post-Baseline questionnaires.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17
Caregiver Global Impression of Change (CGI-C) Target Behaviour	Reflects clinician's impression of change of behaviour on a 7-point scale ranging from 1=not at all to 7=very severe problem. Provided as Baseline and Post-Baseline questionnaires.	Baseline, Weeks 5, 9, 13 & 17

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fenix Innovation Group
• Collaborators: Monash Health; Neurotech International
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Michael Fahey, Head of Paediatric Neurology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): September 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): September 2, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 4, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 23, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): August 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 25, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 23, 2022
• Last Verified: August 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive
• Other Study ID Numbers: FNX001-21

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