Assessing the Efficacy of Micro-dosed Psilocybin on Reducing Anxiety & Depression Levels in Adults

Anxiety and Depression Clinical Trial

Official title: Randomized Double Blind Placebo Controlled Assessing the Efficacy of Micro-dosed Psilocybin in Reducing Anxiety and or Depression Levels in Adults

Status Withdrawn

Clinical Trial Summary

To investigate the efficacy of a 16 week treatment with PSIL428 patient reported anxiety levels in otherwise healthy individuals suffering from depression and or anxiety symptoms.

Clinical Trial Description

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the efficacy of micro-dosed psilocybin on reducing anxiety and/or depression levels in adults

Study summary:

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation reported that Anxiety disorders currently affect an estimated 275 million people worldwide, about one in 13 people (7.3 percent).

COVID-19 has accelerated the rate of new anxiety diagnoses and exacerbated pre-existing diagnoses of anxiety in individuals worldwide.

The effectiveness of full dose psilocybin for treatment of anxiety and depression has been shown in a number of clinical trials. While there is a significant evidence of clinical efficacy of full dose psilocybin, acute effects of the dose result in a significant impairment - perceptual and sensory distortions incapacitating the patient for the duration of drug activity. Recent work suggests while not producing perceptual changes, micro-dosing may indeed be associated with improved mood and enhanced well-being. The practice of micro-dosing is gaining popularity in the general population, while clinical data on its safety and efficacy is lacking.

This will be a novel randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed at establishment of safety and anxiolytic efficacy of psilocybin PSIL428 administered in a micro-dosing regimen (2-5% of a full therapeutic dose) to adults suffering from depression or anxiety.

The primary outcome of this study is the change in anxiety and/or depression levels from screening to week 16. Participant anxiety levels will be monitored through Beck Anxiety inventory, depression levels - through Beck Depression Inventory forms on a bi-weekly basis across the course of the study.

Study Drug PSIL428 is an experimental intervention and the active ingredient psilocybin is botanically derived. Similar interventions are currently undergoing Phase IIb/III clinical trials in international jurisdictions. It is being assessed for treatment of depressive disorders. Typically psilocybin used in full therapeutic doses associated with significant acute adverse effects. The proposed trial would utilize psilocybin in different dosing regimen - as micro-dosing - ingesting of sub-perceptual doses of the drug equal to 2-10% of the full dose. The micro-dosing practice is gaining significant popularity world-wide, however evidence-based data around it is minimal. Risks and benefits associated with the trial are not definitively established, however existing pre-clinical and clinical data around full-dose use of the drug carries a favorable risk-benefit potential.

The trial will be conducted in accordance with the most recently acceptable version of the Declaration of Helsinki, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) according to International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, and applicable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The trial will be conducted under a protocol reviewed and approved by an IRB; the trial will be conducted by scientifically and medically qualified persons; the benefits of the study are in proportion to the risks; the rights and welfare of the subjects will be respected; each subject will give his or her written informed consent before any protocol-driven tests or evaluations are performed.

The investigators are responsible for obtaining informed consent in adherence to GCP and according to applicable regulations prior to entering the subject into the trial.

A positive change in Beck Anxiety and/or Beck Depression numeric levels between PSIL428 and placebo groups will mark our primary outcome achievement of confirming beneficial effects of micro-dose-administered psilocybin on study participants' overall anxiety and/or depression levels ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety and Depression
• Anxiety Disorders
• Depression
• Depressive Disorder

• NCT number: NCT04989972
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Wake Network, Inc.
• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: September 15, 2022
• Completion date: August 31, 2023