Cannabinoid Medication for Adults With OCD

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2019-01-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The purpose of this pilot research study is to test the effects of a medication called nabilone (Cesamet) in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants will receive either nabilone on its own, or nabilone in combination with a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) called exposure and response prevention (EX/RP). Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid and acts on the brain's "endocannabinoid system," which has been hypothesized to play a role in OCD. Nabilone is approved by the FDA for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It is not FDA-approved for treating OCD.

• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: New York State Psychiatric Institute
• Treatments: Dronabinol; Nabilone

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18-60

• Physically healthy, not pregnant

• Primary Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Patient off all psychotropic (except selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) and other types of drugs likely to interact with nabilone

• Ability to provide informed consent

• Ability to tolerate a treatment free-period

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of any significant medical condition that may increase the risk of participation

• Females who are pregnant or nursing

• Current or lifetime history of psychiatric disorders other than OCD that may increase the risk of participation (e.g. lifetime psychosis or bipolar disorder)

• Current substance use disorder or positive urine toxicology at screening, or any adverse reaction to a cannabinoid

• Patients already receiving EX/RP