Last reviewed · How we verify

NCT01751386

Baclofen for Treating Anxiety and Alcoholism

Completed Phase 2 Results posted Last updated 18 September 2017
What this trial tests

Phase 2 trial testing Baclofen in Alcoholism in 39 participants. Completed in 17 August 2016.

Timeline
3 December 2012
Primary endpoint
17 August 2016
17 August 2016

Quick facts

Lead sponsorNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
PhasePhase 2
StatusCompleted
Study typeINTERVENTIONAL
Allocationrandomized
Designparallel
Maskingquadruple
Primary purposeother
Enrollment39
Start date3 December 2012
Primary completion17 August 2016
Estimated completion17 August 2016
Sites1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

Conditions studied

Sponsor

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Who can join

Adults 21 to 65, any sex, with Alcoholism or Alcohol Dependence. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Total Amount of Alcohol Consumed During the Alcohol Self Administration (ASA) Session Primary · 2 hours

Amount of alcohol was measured as the number of mini-drinks each participant decided to drink (0-8 mini-drinks). The alcohol content of each mini-drink was calculated based on the participants' total body water, and was designed to raise the blood alcohol concentration by 0.015 g/dL.

GroupValue95% CI
Baclofen4.11± 0.66
Placebo4.5± 0.72

Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Time frame: 15 days. Reporting threshold: 5%. Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.

Baclofen
Serious: 0/20 (0%)
Deaths: 0/20
Placebo
Serious: 0/19 (0%)
Deaths: 0/19
Other adverse events (16 terms — click to expand)

ReactionSystemBaclofenPlacebo
SomnolenceNervous system disorders
HeadacheNervous system disorders
InsomniaNervous system disorders
Abdominal distensionGastrointestinal disorders
Decreased appetiteGeneral disorders
FatigueGeneral disorders
Nasal congestionRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
ConstipationGastrointestinal disorders
Increased appetiteMetabolism and nutrition disorders
Back painMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Muscular weaknessMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
DizzinessNervous system disorders
Memory impairmentNervous system disorders
DepressionPsychiatric disorders
CoughRespiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
RashSkin and subcutaneous tissue disorders

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01751386 adverse events section.

Sponsor's own description

Background: \- Baclofen is a drug used to control muscle stiffness in people with neurological diseases. Some studies suggest that baclofen may reduce alcohol craving and use. It helps to reduce anxiety in alcoholics, which in turn can help to reduce cravings. Researchers want to see if baclofen can be a safe and effective treatment for alcoholics who have high anxiety levels. Objectives: \- To see if baclofen is safe and helpful for people who have alcoholism and high anxiety levels. Eligibility: * Individuals between 21 and 65 years of age who have been diagnosed with alcoholism and anxiety issues. * Participants must not be taking anti-anxiety medication. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. Tests of alcohol dependency and anxiety levels will also be given. * Participants will be divided into two groups. One group will take baclofen. The other group will have a placebo. * About 1 week after the screening visit, participants will have a study visit. They will answer questions about their behavior and mood. They will then start to take either baclofen or a placebo. Participants will take the study drug three times a day, every day. * After 1 week on the study drug, participants will have an overnight stay at the National Institutes of Health. They will have blood tests and answer questions about mood and behavior. They will also have tests that involve choosing to drink alcohol and answering more questions about cravings. * Participants will stop taking their study drug over a 3-day period. * A final follow-up visit will be required 1 week after the overnight study visit. Participants will receive information about other alcohol abuse treatment programs.

Publications & conference data

8 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

  1. Biobehavioral effects of baclofen in anxious alcohol-dependent individuals: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, laboratory study.
    Farokhnia M, Schwandt ML, Lee MR, Bollinger JW, et al · · 2017 · cited 49× · PMID 28440812 · DOI 10.1038/tp.2017.71
  2. The glucagon-like peptide-1 system is modulated by acute and chronic alcohol exposure: Findings from human laboratory experiments and a post-mortem brain study.
    Farokhnia M, Browning BD, Crozier ME, Sun H, et al · · 2022 · cited 36× · PMID 36001436 · DOI 10.1111/adb.13211
  3. Alcohol modulation of G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels: from binding to therapeutics.
    Bodhinathan K, Slesinger PA. · · 2014 · cited 31× · PMID 24611054 · DOI 10.3389/fphys.2014.00076
  4. A deeper insight into how GABA-B receptor agonism via baclofen may affect alcohol seeking and consumption: lessons learned from a human laboratory investigation.
    Farokhnia M, Deschaine SL, Sadighi A, Farinelli LA, et al · · 2021 · cited 22× · PMID 30382188 · DOI 10.1038/s41380-018-0287-y
  5. A closer look at alcohol-induced changes in the ghrelin system: novel insights from preclinical and clinical data.
    Deschaine SL, Farokhnia M, Gregory-Flores A, Zallar LJ, et al · · 2022 · cited 20× · PMID 33908131 · DOI 10.1111/adb.13033
  6. Identifying and Characterizing Subpopulations of Heavy Alcohol Drinkers Via a Sucrose Preference Test: A Sweet Road to a Better Phenotypic Characterization?
    Bouhlal S, Farokhnia M, Lee MR, Akhlaghi F, et al · · 2018 · cited 16× · PMID 30016385 · DOI 10.1093/alcalc/agy048
  7. Extracellular esterase activity as an indicator of endoplasmic reticulum calcium depletion.
    Trychta KA, Heathward EJ, Sulima A, Bäck S, et al · · 2018 · cited 13× · PMID 30095301 · DOI 10.1080/1354750x.2018.1490968
  8. A human laboratory study on the link between alcohol administration and circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in individuals with alcohol use disorder.
    Farokhnia M, Wang T, Jourdan T, Godlewski G, et al · · 2023 · cited 12× · PMID 36822122 · DOI 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109809

Verify or expand the search:

Other trials of Baclofen

Trials testing the same drug.

Other recruiting trials for Alcoholism

Currently open trials in the same condition.

Other National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) trials

Trials by the same sponsor.

Verify against primary sources

Data sources for this page

Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT01751386.

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing