MND-SMART is investigating whether selected drugs can slow down the progression of motor neuron disease (MND) and improve survival. The study is 'multi-arm' meaning more than one treatment will be tested at the same time. The trial started with 3 arms; drug 1 (memantine), drug 2 (trazodone) and placebo (dummy drug). A third drug, amantadine, was added in April 2023. A fourth drug, tacrolimus, was added in March 2025 in Edinburgh and across all sites in April 2025. The first two drugs, memantine and trazodone, were removed from the trial in September 2023 due to lack of benefit. The trial currently has 4 recruiting arms; amantadine, liquid placebo (matched to amantadine), tacrolimus, and tablet placebo (matched to tacrolimus). This allows the evaluation of each drug versus placebo. Participants will be randomly allocated between the treatment arms they are eligible for. Medicines being tested are already approved for use in other conditions. MND-SMART has an 'adaptive' design. This means medicines being studied can change according to emerging results. Treatments shown to be ineffective can be dropped and new drugs can be added over the duration of the study. This will allow many treatments, over time, to be efficiently and definitively evaluated. The medicines being tested have been selected following a rigorous process involving a systematic, unbiased, and comprehensive review of past clinical trials data, as well as information from pre-clinical research (studies in laboratories), for MND and other related neurodegenerative disorders. Drugs have been ranked for inclusion in MND-SMART by a group of independent MND experts according to set criteria. These include consideration of how the drugs work, their safety profiles, and the quality of previous studies. New drugs will be selected for investigation in MND-SMART based on continuous review of constantly updated scientific evidence as well as findings from state-of-the-art human stem cell based drug discovery platforms. These can be added by substantial amendment to the protocol.
For further information, please visit: https://mnd-smart.org/
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
1,150
Memantine hydrocholoride taken once daily
Trazodone Hydrochloride taken once daily
Placebo taken once daily
Amantadine Hydrochloride taken once daily
Tacrolimus 1Mg overencapsulated tablet taken once daily
Placebo taken once daily
Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Craigavon Area Hospital
Portadown, County Armagh, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGAberdeen Royal Infirmary
Aberdeen, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGUniversity Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGUniversity Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Brighton, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGWest Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGCambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGCardiff and Vale University Local Health Board
Cardiff, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGClinical Research Centre , Ninewells Hospital
Dundee, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGAnne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGRoyal Devon and Exeter Hospital
Exeter, United Kingdom
RECRUITING...and 12 more locations
Change in decline of ALS-FRS(R) over 18months
Co-primary outcome measure
Time frame: 18 months
Survival
Co-primary outcome measure
Time frame: 18 months
Cognition and behaviour
Using Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS)
Time frame: 18 months
Respiratory function - Forced vital capacity
Change in FVC
Time frame: 18 months
King's ALS Clinical stage
Time to reach King's stage IV, scale range I - V
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in anxiety and depression
Measured using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), scale range 0 - 42
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in Quality of Life
Measured using EQ-5D-5L
Time frame: 18 months
Safety and tolerability of IMPs
Measured using adverse events
Time frame: 18 months
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