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Psilocybin in Cancer Pain Study

Primary Purpose

Opioid-Related Disorders, Pain Management, Pain Management and Care

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phase
Phase 2
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Psilocybin
Sponsored by
Yvan Beaussant, MD, MSci
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Opioid-Related Disorders focused on measuring Opioid-Related Disorders, Pain Management, Pain Management and Care, Advanced Cancer, Advanced Cancers

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria: Participants must be 18 year old or older; Participants must have advanced cancer, defined as a cancer that is unlikely to be cured or controlled with treatment; Participants must have progressed on or be intolerant to approved therapies with a known clinical benefit (unless it is documented that they have refused such treatments); Participants must evaluate their average pain on BPI Severity Scale ≥ 4/10 over the past week; Participants must receive chronic opioid pharmacotherapy for pain with an Oral Morphine Equivalent (OME) ≥ 200mg/day; Participants must have been seen by a palliative care clinician either at DFCI, MGH or associated satellites in the last three months; Participants must have an ECOG Performance Status ≤ 2 Participants must meet the following organ and marrow function on their last available bloodwork as defined below: Platelets ≥ 50,000/mcL AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤ 5 × institutional ULN Participants must be able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent document Participants must be able to swallow pills. Participants must provide a contact (relative, spouse, close friend or other support person) who is willing and able to be reached by the investigators in the event of a participant becoming suicidal or unreachable. Participants must agree to inform the investigators within 48 hours of any new medical conditions and procedures. Participants must agree to the following lifestyle modifications (described in more detail in Section 3.4 Lifestyle Modifications): Comply with requirements for diet, Refrain from certain medications prior to Experimental Sessions, Be driven home after each Experimental Session, Commit to medication dosing, therapy, and study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: Participants who receive concurrent (less than four weeks or planned within 6 weeks) cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiation therapy that may impair general level of physical functioning or affect study outcomes; Participants with a condition impairing oral intake or digestive absorption; Participants who are not able to give adequate informed consent; Participants who have a significant suicide risk as defined by suicidal ideation with intent and with or without a plan as endorsed on items 4 and/or 5 on the C-SSRS within the past 6 months or at V0 Participants who have a history of, or a current diagnostic of primary psychotic disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, bipolar affective disorder type 1 or history of or current dissociative identity disorder; and participants who have an ongoing substance use disorder (defined as active in the past year). Participants with first-degree relatives with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder may be eligible depending on their age and personal and family psychiatric history. The decision will be made by the principal investigator and study psychiatrist based on risk assessment. Participants for whom there is a potential for adverse drug-drug interactions. Concomitant medications with significant potential to interact with study medications will be exclusionary if they cannot be tapered. These include the following: Serotoninergic antidepressants Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) Efavirenz serotonin-acting dietary supplements (i.e. 5-hydroxy-tryptophan or St. John's wort) Centrally-acting serotonergic agents (e.g. MAO inhibitors) Antipsychotics (e.g. first and second generation) Mood stabilizers (e.g. lithium, valproic acid) Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitors (e.g. disulfiram) Significant inhibitors of UGT 1A0 or UGT 1A10 Any psychiatric medication will be tapered if possible in an appropriate fashion to avoid withdrawal effects. They will be discontinued long enough before the psilocybin Session to avoid the possibility of any drug-drug interaction (the interval will be at least five times the particular drug and active metabolites' half-life + one week for stabilization). See section 5.3 of the protocol for concomitant medications and tapering instructions. Participants who have evidence or history of significant (controlled or uncontrolled) hematological, endocrine, cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, coronary, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, immunocompromising, or neurological disease, including seizure disorder, or any other medical disorder judged by the investigator to significantly increase the risk of psilocybin administration (participants with hypothyroidism who are on adequate and stable thyroid replacement will not be excluded). Participants with brain tumors or brain metastases that haven't been successfully treated Participants with lab abnormalities that may contribute to somnolence, confusion or delayed metabolism of psilocybin and/or with severe lab abnormalities (grade 3 or more per CTCAE scale). Participants with a diagnosis of cirrhosis or liver failure Participants who have uncontrolled hypertension using the standard criteria of the American Heart Association (values of 140/90 milligrams of Mercury [mmHg] or higher assessed on three separate occasions) Participants who have a heart rate > 100 bpm on three separate occasions Participants who have a history of ventricular arrhythmia at any time, other than occasional premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in the absence of ischemic heart disease. Participants who have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or any other accessory pathway that has not been successfully eliminated by ablation. Participants who have a history of arrhythmia, other than premature atrial contractions (PACs) or occasional PVCs in the absence of ischemic heart disease, within 12 months of screening. Participants with a history of atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or any other arrhythmia associated with a bypass tract may be enrolled if they have been successfully treated. Participants who have a history of additional risk factors for Torsade de pointes (e.g., heart failure, hypokalemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome) Participants who have a history of myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease or heart failure Participants who have a marked Baseline prolongation of QT/QTc interval. For purposes of eligibility, this is defined as repeated demonstration of a QT interval corrected on the triplicate ECGs performed at screening, using Fridericia's formula [QTcF] > 450 milliseconds [ms] in males and > 460 ms in females. For transgender or non binary participants, QTc interval will be evaluated based on sex assigned at birth, unless the participant has been on hormonal treatment for five or more years. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or able to become pregnant and are not practicing an effective means of birth control. Acceptable methods of contraception are the following: intrauterine device, injected/ implanted/ intravaginal/ transdermal hormonal method, oral hormones plus a barrier contraception, abstinence, vasectomized sole partner, or double barrier contraception. Participants who have hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the IMP (Investigational Medicinal Product).

Sites / Locations

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Massachusetts General Hospital

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm Type

Experimental

Arm Label

Psilocybin

Arm Description

Participants will complete study procedures as follows: 2, in-clinic or remote, preparation sessions with therapists. In-clinic treatment session with therapists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Participants will take a predetermined amount of psilocybin once. Participants will be transported home by a friend or family member. In-clinic integration session the day after psilocybin administration with therapists. In-clinic or remote, integration session with therapists 1 week after psilocybin administration. In-clinic or remote follow visits with therapists at week 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 after psilocybin administration.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Feasibility of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
Feasibility of intervention is defined as at least 60% of recruited participants will complete treatment and all assessments.
Acceptability of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
Acceptability is defined as >= 70% of participants will evaluate favorably (agree or strongly agree) acceptability on the Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire Revised (RRPQ V6b), a 23-item measure scored on a 5-point Likert scale.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Change in Pain Intensity Score from Baseline
Pain intensity score is evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-short, and change will be calculated between the score at baseline and at assessment at week 3 post dosing. Pain intensity score ranges from 0-10, while a larger number represents worse feelings.
Change in Pain Interference Score from Baseline
Pain interference score is evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-short, and change will be calculated between the score at baseline and at assessment at week 3 post dosing. Pain interference score ranges from 0-10, while a larger number represents worse feelings.
Change in Pain Catastrophizing Score from Baseline
Pain catastrophizing is measured by the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), which consists of 13 items describing different thoughts and feelings associated with catastrophizing response-style. Answers are graded on a 5-point scale with endpoints (0) not at all to (4) all the time.
Change in Oral Morphine Equivalent (OME) from Baseline
OME would be obtained from participant's Electronic Medical Record and/or directly from participants based on CDC Oral Morphine Milligram Equivalent Conversion table.

Full Information

First Posted
August 14, 2023
Last Updated
August 14, 2023
Sponsor
Yvan Beaussant, MD, MSci
Collaborators
Cy Biopharma, Pancreatic Cancer North America
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT06001749
Brief Title
Psilocybin in Cancer Pain Study
Official Title
Feasibility Phase 2 Study of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Opioid-Refractory Pain in Patients With Advanced Cancer
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
August 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Not yet recruiting
Study Start Date
January 2024 (Anticipated)
Primary Completion Date
December 31, 2025 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
December 31, 2026 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor-Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
Yvan Beaussant, MD, MSci
Collaborators
Cy Biopharma, Pancreatic Cancer North America

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
Yes
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
Yes

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The overall objective of this study is to assess the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy to alleviate opioid-refractory pain in patients with advanced-cancer. The name of the study intervention used in this research study is: Psilocybin (a tryptamine derivative)
Detailed Description
This study is a phase 2 open label, single center, concurrent mixed-methods trial to assess the feasibility of a novel palliative-care informed psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy regimen to alleviate opioid-refractory pain in patients with advanced-cancer. Psilocybin works on the serotonin system in the brain which is linked to the regulation of mood, motivation and impulse control. Psilocybin is an "Investigational" drug, meaning that the study drug has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for any disease. However, investigators have permission from the FDA to use this drug in this research study. The research study procedures include screening for eligibility, an electrocardiogram, blood tests, and the study intervention includes preparation, evaluations, one psilocybin session and follow up visits. Participants will be followed for up to 12 weeks (approximately 3 months) after receiving the study treatment. It is expected that about 15 people will take part in this research study. Filament Health is supporting this research study by providing the study investigational medication, psilocybin. Cy Biopharma and Pancreatic Cancer North America are supporting this research study by providing funding.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Opioid-Related Disorders, Pain Management, Pain Management and Care, Advanced Cancer, Advanced Cancers
Keywords
Opioid-Related Disorders, Pain Management, Pain Management and Care, Advanced Cancer, Advanced Cancers

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Phase 2
Interventional Study Model
Single Group Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
N/A
Enrollment
15 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Psilocybin
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Participants will complete study procedures as follows: 2, in-clinic or remote, preparation sessions with therapists. In-clinic treatment session with therapists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Participants will take a predetermined amount of psilocybin once. Participants will be transported home by a friend or family member. In-clinic integration session the day after psilocybin administration with therapists. In-clinic or remote, integration session with therapists 1 week after psilocybin administration. In-clinic or remote follow visits with therapists at week 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 after psilocybin administration.
Intervention Type
Drug
Intervention Name(s)
Psilocybin
Intervention Description
A tryptamine derivative, capsule, taken orally.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Feasibility of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
Description
Feasibility of intervention is defined as at least 60% of recruited participants will complete treatment and all assessments.
Time Frame
3 weeks
Title
Acceptability of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy
Description
Acceptability is defined as >= 70% of participants will evaluate favorably (agree or strongly agree) acceptability on the Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire Revised (RRPQ V6b), a 23-item measure scored on a 5-point Likert scale.
Time Frame
3 weeks
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Change in Pain Intensity Score from Baseline
Description
Pain intensity score is evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-short, and change will be calculated between the score at baseline and at assessment at week 3 post dosing. Pain intensity score ranges from 0-10, while a larger number represents worse feelings.
Time Frame
3 weeks
Title
Change in Pain Interference Score from Baseline
Description
Pain interference score is evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-short, and change will be calculated between the score at baseline and at assessment at week 3 post dosing. Pain interference score ranges from 0-10, while a larger number represents worse feelings.
Time Frame
3 weeks
Title
Change in Pain Catastrophizing Score from Baseline
Description
Pain catastrophizing is measured by the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), which consists of 13 items describing different thoughts and feelings associated with catastrophizing response-style. Answers are graded on a 5-point scale with endpoints (0) not at all to (4) all the time.
Time Frame
3 weeks
Title
Change in Oral Morphine Equivalent (OME) from Baseline
Description
OME would be obtained from participant's Electronic Medical Record and/or directly from participants based on CDC Oral Morphine Milligram Equivalent Conversion table.
Time Frame
3 weeks

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Participants must be 18 year old or older; Participants must have advanced cancer, defined as a cancer that is unlikely to be cured or controlled with treatment; Participants must have progressed on or be intolerant to approved therapies with a known clinical benefit (unless it is documented that they have refused such treatments); Participants must evaluate their average pain on BPI Severity Scale ≥ 4/10 over the past week; Participants must receive chronic opioid pharmacotherapy for pain with an Oral Morphine Equivalent (OME) ≥ 200mg/day; Participants must have been seen by a palliative care clinician either at DFCI, MGH or associated satellites in the last three months; Participants must have an ECOG Performance Status ≤ 2 Participants must meet the following organ and marrow function on their last available bloodwork as defined below: Platelets ≥ 50,000/mcL AST(SGOT)/ALT(SGPT) ≤ 5 × institutional ULN Participants must be able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent document Participants must be able to swallow pills. Participants must provide a contact (relative, spouse, close friend or other support person) who is willing and able to be reached by the investigators in the event of a participant becoming suicidal or unreachable. Participants must agree to inform the investigators within 48 hours of any new medical conditions and procedures. Participants must agree to the following lifestyle modifications (described in more detail in Section 3.4 Lifestyle Modifications): Comply with requirements for diet, Refrain from certain medications prior to Experimental Sessions, Be driven home after each Experimental Session, Commit to medication dosing, therapy, and study procedures. Exclusion Criteria: Participants who receive concurrent (less than four weeks or planned within 6 weeks) cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiation therapy that may impair general level of physical functioning or affect study outcomes; Participants with a condition impairing oral intake or digestive absorption; Participants who are not able to give adequate informed consent; Participants who have a significant suicide risk as defined by suicidal ideation with intent and with or without a plan as endorsed on items 4 and/or 5 on the C-SSRS within the past 6 months or at V0 Participants who have a history of, or a current diagnostic of primary psychotic disorder, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, bipolar affective disorder type 1 or history of or current dissociative identity disorder; and participants who have an ongoing substance use disorder (defined as active in the past year). Participants with first-degree relatives with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder may be eligible depending on their age and personal and family psychiatric history. The decision will be made by the principal investigator and study psychiatrist based on risk assessment. Participants for whom there is a potential for adverse drug-drug interactions. Concomitant medications with significant potential to interact with study medications will be exclusionary if they cannot be tapered. These include the following: Serotoninergic antidepressants Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) Efavirenz serotonin-acting dietary supplements (i.e. 5-hydroxy-tryptophan or St. John's wort) Centrally-acting serotonergic agents (e.g. MAO inhibitors) Antipsychotics (e.g. first and second generation) Mood stabilizers (e.g. lithium, valproic acid) Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitors (e.g. disulfiram) Significant inhibitors of UGT 1A0 or UGT 1A10 Any psychiatric medication will be tapered if possible in an appropriate fashion to avoid withdrawal effects. They will be discontinued long enough before the psilocybin Session to avoid the possibility of any drug-drug interaction (the interval will be at least five times the particular drug and active metabolites' half-life + one week for stabilization). See section 5.3 of the protocol for concomitant medications and tapering instructions. Participants who have evidence or history of significant (controlled or uncontrolled) hematological, endocrine, cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, coronary, pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, immunocompromising, or neurological disease, including seizure disorder, or any other medical disorder judged by the investigator to significantly increase the risk of psilocybin administration (participants with hypothyroidism who are on adequate and stable thyroid replacement will not be excluded). Participants with brain tumors or brain metastases that haven't been successfully treated Participants with lab abnormalities that may contribute to somnolence, confusion or delayed metabolism of psilocybin and/or with severe lab abnormalities (grade 3 or more per CTCAE scale). Participants with a diagnosis of cirrhosis or liver failure Participants who have uncontrolled hypertension using the standard criteria of the American Heart Association (values of 140/90 milligrams of Mercury [mmHg] or higher assessed on three separate occasions) Participants who have a heart rate > 100 bpm on three separate occasions Participants who have a history of ventricular arrhythmia at any time, other than occasional premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in the absence of ischemic heart disease. Participants who have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or any other accessory pathway that has not been successfully eliminated by ablation. Participants who have a history of arrhythmia, other than premature atrial contractions (PACs) or occasional PVCs in the absence of ischemic heart disease, within 12 months of screening. Participants with a history of atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or any other arrhythmia associated with a bypass tract may be enrolled if they have been successfully treated. Participants who have a history of additional risk factors for Torsade de pointes (e.g., heart failure, hypokalemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome) Participants who have a history of myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease or heart failure Participants who have a marked Baseline prolongation of QT/QTc interval. For purposes of eligibility, this is defined as repeated demonstration of a QT interval corrected on the triplicate ECGs performed at screening, using Fridericia's formula [QTcF] > 450 milliseconds [ms] in males and > 460 ms in females. For transgender or non binary participants, QTc interval will be evaluated based on sex assigned at birth, unless the participant has been on hormonal treatment for five or more years. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or able to become pregnant and are not practicing an effective means of birth control. Acceptable methods of contraception are the following: intrauterine device, injected/ implanted/ intravaginal/ transdermal hormonal method, oral hormones plus a barrier contraception, abstinence, vasectomized sole partner, or double barrier contraception. Participants who have hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the IMP (Investigational Medicinal Product).
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Amani Ingram
Phone
8572151476
Email
patresearch@dfci.harvard.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Isabel Kristan
Phone
6176322574
Ext
22574
Email
patresearch@dfci.harvard.edu
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Yvan Beaussant, MD
Organizational Affiliation
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Brigham and Women's Hospital
City
Boston
State/Province
Massachusetts
ZIP/Postal Code
02215
Country
United States
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Amani Ingram
Phone
857-215-1476
Email
patresearch@dfci.harvard.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Yvan Beaussant, MD
Facility Name
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
City
Boston
State/Province
Massachusetts
ZIP/Postal Code
02215
Country
United States
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Amani Ingram
Phone
857-215-1476
Email
patresearch@dfci.harvard.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Yvan Beaussant, MD
Facility Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
City
Boston
State/Province
Massachusetts
ZIP/Postal Code
02215
Country
United States
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Amani Ingram
Phone
857-215-1476
Email
patresearch@dfci.harvard.edu
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Mihir Kamdar, MD

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
Yes
IPD Sharing Plan Description
The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to: [contact information for Sponsor Investigator or designee]. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.
IPD Sharing Time Frame
Data can be shared no earlier than 1 year following the date of publication
IPD Sharing Access Criteria
Contact the Belfer Office for Dana-Farber Innovations (BODFI) at innovation@dfci.harvard.edu

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Psilocybin in Cancer Pain Study

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