This multicenter, triple-blind, phase 2, randomized controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of psilocybin therapy compared to an active control in treating demoralization in adults near the end of life (≤2 years life expectancy).
After providing written informed consent, participants deemed eligible for this trial will be randomized to a brief course of talk therapy plus 1 dose of oral psilocybin vs the same brief course of talk therapy plus 1 dose of oral ketamine (the active control). Participants' degree of demoralization and other clinical outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety) will be assessed at 1, 2, and 5 weeks after the study drug administration. After completing the study, participants will have the option of being told which study drug they took (aka, "unblinded"); those who were randomized to the active control will be offered another brief course of talk therapy plus 1 dose of oral psilocybin, and the same sequence of outcome assessments.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
100
Psilocybin, \[3-\[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl\]-1H-indol-4-yl\] dihydrogen phosphate.
ketamine hydrochloride injection, for intravenous or intramuscular use, contains ketamine, a nonbarbiturate general anesthetic and has a molecular formula of C13H16ClNO•HCl and a molecular weight of 274.19. The chemical name for ketamine hydrochloride is (±)-2-(o-Chlorophenyl)-2-(methylamino)cyclohexanone hydrochloride.
Marin Cancer Care
Greenbrae, California, United States
RECRUITINGUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
RECRUITINGUniversity of San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Change in patient-reported Demoralization Scale-II..
The DS-II is a validated, patient-reported outcome assessing demoralization with a 2-week recall period.
Time frame: From Pre-dose V4 to ~14-days post drug (V8), and from Pre-dose (V4) to ~35-days post drug (V9), compared to active control.
i) Change in clinician-rated Clinical Global Impression (CGI) for Severity of demoralization.
The CGI-I is a widely used and validated assessment of global clinical improvement. Possible scores range "0=Not assessed", "1=Very much improved", to "7=Very much worse." The CGI-I has been adapted here for assessing improvement in demoralization.
Time frame: From Enrollment (V1) to ~14-days (V8) and ~35-days (V9) post-drug for patients treated with psilocybin therapy vs active control.
ii) Odds ratio of meeting criteria for demoralization on the clinician-rated Demoralization Interview Interview (DI).
The CGI-I is a widely used and validated clinician-rated assessment of global clinical improvement. Possible scores range "0=Not assessed", "1=Very much improved", to "7=Very much worse." The CGI-I has been adapted here for assessing improvement in demoralization.
Time frame: From Enrollment (V1) to ~14-days (V8) and ~35-days (V9) post-drug for patients treated with psilocybin therapy vs active control.
Change in depression symptoms
A comparison to active control using the following measures: PHQ-9, GRID-HAM-D6.compared to active control
Time frame: From Pre-dose V4 to ~14-days post drug (V8), and from Pre-dose V4 to ~35-days post drug (V9),
Change in anxiety symptoms, quality of life, and spiritual well-being
A comparison to active control, using the following measures: GAD-7, FACIT-Pal-14 FACIT-Sp-12.
Time frame: From Enrollment (V1) to ~14-days post drug (V8), and Enrollment (V1) to ~35-days post drug (V9)
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Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Torrance, California, United States
RECRUITINGSunstone Therapies
Rockville, Maryland, United States
RECRUITINGChange in patient-reported pain
A comparison to active control, using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF).
Time frame: From Enrollment (V1) to ~14-days post drug (V8), and from Enrollment (V1) to ~35-days post drug (V9),
Associations will be explored between change in Demoralization Scale-II and other measures pre-dose and 7 days post drug
Associations will be explored between change in Demoralization Scale-II and 1) Credibility Expectancy Questionnaire (CrEQ), 2) Treatment Allocation Questionnaire, 3) Mystical Experience Questionnaire-30 (MEQ-30) and PEQ-4, 4) Challenging Experience Questionnaire (ChEQ), and 5) Change in Death Transcendence Scale-15 item (DTS-15)
Time frame: From Pre-dose (V4) to 7-days post-drug.
DS-II and PHQ-9 comparison measures assessment
Change in DS-II and PHQ-9 will be compared to assess if there is a differential response to psilocybin therapy in this population.
Time frame: Throughout the study