Intranasal Oxytocin for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

Completed · Phase 2 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Alcohol Use Disorder, Alcohol Misuse

In brief

Primary: The primary objective of the study is to compare the efficacy of intranasal oxytocin in reducing the weekly percentage of heavy drinking days over the 10 weeks of maintenance treatment among subjects with moderate to severe Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). A "heavy drinking day" is 4 or more drinks per drinking day for women and 5 or more drinks per drinking day for men. Secondary: Secondary objectives include assessment of other measures of the effects of oxytocin compared with placebo on reduction of alcohol use as well as effects on psychological assessments, alcohol craving, alcohol-related consequences, cigarette smoking and other nicotine use, retention in the study, safety, and application site (nares) tolerability throughout the study.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03878316

Run by

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

People needed

100

Starts

2022-06-29

Expected to finish

2023-10-13

Last updated by the study team

2025-08-07

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Be at least 21 years of age.
• Have a current (past 12 months) DSM-5 diagnosis of AUD (4 or more symptoms) assessed using the MINI neuropsychiatric interview version 7.0.2 (at least moderate severity, ICD-10-CM Code F10.20 alcohol dependence, uncomplicated).
• Have a BAC by breathalyzer equal to 0.000 when s/he signed the informed consent document (either just prior to or immediately after signing consent).
• Be seeking treatment for problems with alcohol reduction in drinking.
• Be able to verbalize an understanding of the consent form, able to provide written informed consent, verbalize willingness to complete study procedures, able to understand written and oral instructions in English and able to complete the questionnaires required by the protocol.
• Agree (if the subject is female and of child bearing potential) to use at least one of the following methods of birth control, unless she is surgically sterile, partner is surgically sterile or she is postmenopausal:
• oral contraceptives,
• contraceptive sponge,
• patch,
• double barrier (diaphragm/spermicidal or condom/spermicidal),
• intrauterine contraceptive system,
• etonogestrel implant,
• medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection,
• complete abstinence from sexual intercourse, and/or
• hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring.
• Be able to take intranasal investigational products and be willing to adhere to the investigational product regimen.
• Complete all assessments required at screening and baseline.
• Have a place to live in the 2 weeks prior to randomization and not be at risk that s/he will lose his/her housing by Study Week 14.
• Not anticipate any significant problems with transportation arrangements or available time to travel to the study site by Study Week 14.
• Not have any plans to move within Study Week 14 to a location which would make continued participation in the study impractical.
• Not have any unresolved legal problems that could jeopardize continuation or completion of the study.
• Provide contact information of someone, such as a family member, spouse, or significant other, who may be able to contact the subject in case of a missed clinic appointment.
• Be someone who in the opinion of the investigator would be expected to complete the study protocol.
• Agree to the schedule of visits, verbally acknowledge that s/he will be able to attend each scheduled visit, participate in phone visits and that s/he does not have any already scheduled events or a job that may substantially interfere with study participation.
• If taking a medication for depression or anxiety, must have been taking a stable dose in the 2-months prior to randomization and plan to continue during the study. This includes drugs such as the following:

You may not qualify if…

• Contact study site for exclusion criteria.

Where it is running

• University of California — Los Angeles, California, United States
• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine — Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• Boston Medical Center — Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• University of Virginia — Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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