A Novel Compound for Alcoholism Treatment

Completed · Phase 1

Conditions studied: Alcoholism, Alcohol-Related Disorders, Alcohol Dependence, Alcohol Drinking Related Problems, Alcohol Drinking

In brief

Background: \- Hormones are naturally occurring chemicals in your body. Ghrelin is a hormone that is mainly produced by the stomach and stimulates appetite. Some studies suggest it may stimulate alcohol craving and use. Drugs have been developed that block ghrelin. Researchers want to know if people can tolerate a particular drug that blocks ghrelin. It will be given at two dose levels, combined with alcohol. Objective: \- To determine if a drug that may decrease alcohol consumption when given along with alcohol is safe and tolerable. Eligibility: * Healthy adults 21-65 years old who have 14 (women) to 21 (men) drinks a week. * No one of childbearing potential can participate. Design: * Participants will have 3 inpatient clinic visits; each will last 4 days. * They will have physical exam and blood and urine tests. * They will have breath tests for alcohol and smoking. * They will answer health and mood questions. * Researchers will measure their reaction to smelling alcohol and tasting a sweet drink. * They will eat only the food provided by the clinic. They will keep a food diary 1 day before each stay. * They will be randomly assigned to take the study drug or placebo 5 times each stay. * On Day 3, they will drink alcohol after taking the drug. They will give many blood samples that day through a tube inserted in their skin. * Smokers can take smoke breaks. Once, they will smoke a cigarette through a device. * One week after the last stay, participants will have a follow-up visit to answer questions.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT02039349
Run by: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
People needed: 14
Starts: 2014-01-03
Expected to finish: 2017-12-24
Last updated by the study team: 2019-12-16

Who can join

Age: 21 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may not qualify if…

Interest in receiving treatment for heavy drinking.
Current DSM-IV diagnosis (based on SCID) of substance dependence (other than alcohol and/or nicotine); a negative urine drug screen will also be required.
DSM-IV Axis I criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychoses;
Active illness within the past 6 months of the screening visit that meet the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder or anxiety disorder; subjects with a history of attempted suicide will be excluded;
Clinically significant medical abnormalities (e.g., unstable hypertension, clinically significant EKG abnormalities, Creatinine greater than or equal to 2 mg/dL, liver cirrhosis, AST or ALT > 3x the upper normal limit, hemoglobin <10.5 g/dl);
Heart rate >100 at screening on two separate measurements given potential of study medication to increase heart rate.
BMI less than or equal to 18.5 or anorexia given potential of the study medication to reduce appetite.
BMI greater than or equal to 35 kg/m\^2.
Exclusionary Medications:
Naltrexone, acamprosate, alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors, topiramate, gabapentin, ondansetron, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, H2-blockers, and alpha-1 blockers, baclofen, and barbiturates as well as hormone replacement therapy; medications and dietary/herbal supplements (like St. John's wort) that interact with Cytochrome P450 3A4. All of the medications in the previous sentence will not be allowed if they have been taken within 2 weeks of study medication administration.
PF-05190457 is a substrate for P-glycoproteins (P-gp or encoded by ABCB1 gene) based on information from in vitro or animal models. Patients that are required to take the following inhibitors and inducers of P-gp are excluded unless the subject stops taking these agents for 2 weeks for P-gp inhibitors or 6 weeks for P-gp inducers before study medication administration.
Inhibitors: Amiodarone, azithromycin, captopril, carvedilol, clarithromycin, conivaptan, cyclosporine, diltiazem, dronedarone, erythromycin, felodipine, itraconazole, ketoconazole, lopinavir and ritonavir, quercetin, quinidine, ranolazine, verapamil
Inducers: Avasimibe, carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampin, St John s wort, tipranavir/ritonavir [From Drug Development and Drug Interactions: Table of Substrates, Inhibitors and Inducers, table 12, from http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/DevelopmentResources/DrugInteractionsLabeling/ucm093664.htm#substrates]
History of epilepsy or alcohol-related seizures;
patients who have diabetes and/or are treated with any drug with glucose lowering properties such as sulfonylurea, insulin, metformin, thiazolidinediones (TZD), Dipeptidyl peptidase-4(DPP4) inhibitors, or Glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1)agonists (due to the glucose-lowering properties of PF-05190457 observed in healthy volunteers);
History of alcohol-induced flushing reactions.
Clinically significant alcohol withdrawal symptoms, as assessed by a CIWA-Ar score > 8 at screening.
Any other reason or clinical condition for which the PI or the MAI will consider unsafe for a possible participant to participate in this study.

Where it is running

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike — Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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