Clinical trial NCT01146613: Varenicline for Alcohol Dependence
Official title: A Phase 2, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Varenicline Tartrate for Alcohol Dependence in Very Heavy Drinkers
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Alcoholism
Keywords: Alcohol
Alcohol abuse
Alcoholism
Alcohol Dependence
Varenicline
Drinking
Lead sponsor: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2010-06-17
Enrollment: 200
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The primary objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of varenicline in reducing the proportion of heavy drinking days during the last 8 weeks of treatment in subjects with alcohol dependence confirmed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and who frequently consume 10 or more drinks per drinking day for men and 8 or more drinks for women (designated as "very heavy" drinkers).


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Have a current (past 12 months) DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of alcohol dependence.
3. Be seeking treatment for alcohol dependence and desire a reduction or cessation of drinking.
4. 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.
5. 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:

   1. oral contraceptives,
   2. contraceptive sponge,
   3. patch,
   4. double barrier (diaphragm/spermicidal or condom/spermicidal),
   5. intrauterine contraceptive system,
   6. levonorgestrel implant,
   7. medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection,
   8. complete abstinence from sexual intercourse,
   9. hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring, and/or
6. Be able to take oral medication and be willing to adhere to the medication regimen
7. Complete all assessments required at screening and baseline.
8. Provide evidence of stable residence in the last 2 months prior to randomization, have reasonable transportation arrangements to the study site, and have no plans to move within the next 3 months or unresolved legal problems. Subjects must 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.
9. Be willing to discontinue the use of nicotine replacement therapies prior to randomization and refrain from using nicotine replacement therapies during the course of the study.
10. Have a blood alcohol content (BAC) by breathalyzer equal to 0.000 when s/he signed the informed consent document.
11. Be someone who in the opinion of the investigator would be expected to complete the study protocol.
12. 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 interfere with study participation.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Weekly Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days
timeFrame: Weeks 2-13*
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Baltimore
country: United States
facility: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
state: Maryland
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Boston Medical Center
state: Massachusetts
city: Bedford
country: United States
facility: Dartmouth Medical School
state: New Hampshire
city: Hanover
country: United States
facility: Dartmouth Medical School
state: New Hampshire
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: University of Pennsylvania
state: Pennsylvania
city: Charlottesville
country: United States
facility: University of Virginia
state: Virginia
city: Richmond
country: United States
facility: University of Virginia
state: Virginia
Study officials:
affiliation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
name: Raye Z. Litten, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
name: Joanne Fertig, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
name: Daniel E Falk, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Falk DE, O'Malley SS, Witkiewitz K, Anton RF, Litten RZ, Slater M, Kranzler HR, Mann KF, Hasin DS, Johnson B, Meulien D, Ryan M, Fertig J; Alcohol Clinical Trials Initiative (ACTIVE) Workgroup. Evaluation of Drinking Risk Levels as Outcomes in Alcohol Pharmacotherapy Trials: A Secondary Analysis of 3 Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 1;76(4):374-381. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.3079.
citation: Falk DE, Castle IJ, Ryan M, Fertig J, Litten RZ. Moderators of Varenicline Treatment Effects in a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial for Alcohol Dependence: An Exploratory Analysis. J Addict Med. 2015 Jul-Aug;9(4):296-303. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000133.
citation: Litten RZ, Ryan ML, Fertig JB, Falk DE, Johnson B, Dunn KE, Green AI, Pettinati HM, Ciraulo DA, Sarid-Segal O, Kampman K, Brunette MF, Strain EC, Tiouririne NA, Ransom J, Scott C, Stout R; NCIG (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Clinical Investigations Group) Study Group. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the efficacy of varenicline tartrate for alcohol dependence. J Addict Med. 2013 Jul-Aug;7(4):277-86. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0b013e31829623f4.