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Can a THC-Based drug calm Alzheimer's agitation? new trial aims to find out

NCT ID NCT07422311

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC (the active ingredient in cannabis), can safely reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer's disease. About 140 adults aged 50 to 90 with Alzheimer's-related agitation will receive either dronabinol or a placebo for 12 weeks, followed by a 6-month extension where everyone gets the active drug. The goal is to see if the drug improves agitation scores compared to placebo.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
dronabinol oral solution (a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could provide a new option to reduce agitation in people with Alzheimer's, improving their quality of life and easing caregiver burden.
What could go wrong
This is an early-to-mid-stage trial with only 140 participants. Dronabinol may not work better than placebo, and side effects like dizziness or confusion are possible, especially in older adults.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2/3

Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.

Participants

About 140 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

May 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A company

The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

50 to 90 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 1\. Participant or legal representative is willing and capable of giving written informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the consent form and is willing and able to return for all study visits and comply with all protocol requirements and procedures. * 2\. Adult males and females, 50 to 90 years of age (inclusive) at screening. * 3\. Participants must have a diagnosis of dementia due to AD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and a diagnosis of probable AD according to the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA). * 4\. Presence of Agit-AD as defined by the provisional criteria from the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA). The definition requires the presence of cognitive impairment, evidence of emotional distress, one of three observable types of behaviour (excessive motor activity, verbal aggression, physical aggression), requires that the behaviour cause excess disability, and notes that the behaviours cannot be solely attributable to another disorder such as psychiatric illness, medical illness, or effects of substance use. * 5\. Clinically significant severity of agitation defined by NPI-C Agitation or NPI-C Aggression \>4. * 6\. Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score of 8-20 (inclusive). * 7\. Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) total score ≥60 at both Screening and Baseline visits, with at least one item in the aggressive behaviour domain (Factor 1) scored \>3 (occurring ≥ once or twice per week). Alternatively, meet Factor 1 positivity criterion: one or more aggressive behaviours occurring several times per week, OR two or more occurring once or twice per week, OR three or more occurring less than once per week. * 8\. If a participant is receiving AD-specific treatment, they must have been on a stable dose for \>3 months prior to first dose of study drug. * 9\. Participant must have at least 1 study partner (e.g., spouse or caregiver in close contact) to support participant in all scheduled study visits and procedures. * 10\. Participants who do not live in assisted living facilities are eligible to participate and must be capable of returning for study visits. * 11\. Adequate vision and hearing (with corrective devices if needed) to complete study assessments, as judged by the investigator. Participants must be able to: 1. Read and understand consent documents and questionnaires 2. Hear and respond to verbal instructions for cognitive testing 3. Participate in clinical interviews * 12\. Has adequate hematologic and organ function, as indicated by the following laboratory values, prior to Cycle 1 Day 1: 1. Absolute Neutrophil Count ≥1500/mm3; or 1.5 x 109/L 2. Platelet count ≥100,000/mm3; or 1.0 x 109/L 3. Hemoglobin ≥8 g/dL 4. Adequate renal function characterized by estimated creatinine clearance ≥50 mL/min Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation (CKDEPI). 5. Total bilirubin ≤1.5 x ULN (≤3 x ULN for participants with Gilbert's syndrome). 6. AST and ALT ≤3 x ULN. * 13\. Female patients: a. Must be of non-child-bearing potential i.e., surgical menopause (hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, bilateral oophorectomy) at least 6 weeks before the screening visit or postmenopausal (where postmenopausal is defined as no menses for 12 months without an alternative medical cause and a follicle-stimulating hormone \[FSH\] level consistent with postmenopausal status, per local laboratory guidelines), or b. If of child-bearing potential, must: i. Have a negative pregnancy test at the screening visit and on admission to the study site on Day-1. ii. Agree not to attempt to become pregnant or donate ova from signing the ICF until at least 30 days after the last dose of study drug. iii. Agree to use adequate contraception (defined as use of a condom by the male partner combined with use of a highly effective method of contraception \[Section 10.4.3\]) from one month prior to screening until at least 30 days after the last dose of study drug, if not exclusively in a same-sex relationship or abstinent as a committed lifestyle. * 14\. Male patients: 1. Must agree not to donate sperm from signing the ICF until at least 90 days after the last dose of study drug. 2. If engaging in sexual intercourse with a female partner who could become pregnant, must agree to use adequate contraception (defined as use of a condom combined with use of a highly effective method of contraception \[Section 10.4.3\]) from signing the ICF until at least 90 days after the last dose of study drug. 3. If engaging in sexual intercourse with a female partner who is not of childbearing potential or a same-sex partner, must agree to use a condom from signing the ICF until at least 5 half-lives of IP after the last dose of study drug. * 15\. Have suitable venous access for blood sampling. * 16\. Willing and able to comply with all study assessments and adhere to the protocol schedule and restrictions. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. Known hypersensitivity to the study drug or any of the study drug ingredients. * 2\. History of anaphylaxis or other significant allergy which, in the opinion of the PI (or delegate), would interfere with the volunteer's ability to participate in the study. * 3\. History or presence of clinically significant, unstable (not well controlled on medications) cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, hematological, gastrointestinal, endocrine, immunologic, dermatologic, psychiatric, or neurological disease/disorder, within the past 3 months determined by the PI (or delegate) to be clinically relevant. * 4\. History of recurrent falls (≥2 falls within 6 months prior to Screening) resulting in injury or associated with acute illness, loss of consciousness, or abnormal vital signs, history of fall with fracture within 12 months of Screening. * 5\. History of surgery or hospitalisation within 3 months prior to screening, or surgery planned during the study. * 6\. Any history of malignant disease in the last 5 years (excludes surgically resected skin squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma). * 7\. History of clinically significant CNS event and/or diagnosis in the past 5 years, including but not limited to epilepsy, significant CNS trauma, CNS surgery, neurosyphilis, meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis. * 8\. Baseline delirium as determined by Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - criteria. * 9\. Commencement of medications that affect the CNS within \<4 weeks prior to first dose of study drug, including but not limited to cannabinoid, benzodiazepines, anti-depressant, and antipsychotic medications. * 10\. History of major psychiatric disorder(s) in the past 5 years, including but not limited to psychosis and bipolar disorder. Mild psychiatric disorder(s) that is well controlled and stable on medication therapy for \>1 year that is not prohibited on this study may be allowed on a case-by-case basis in discussion with study sponsor, if deemed unlikely to put participant at a higher risk of treatment-related toxicity and/or interfere with the integrity of study outcome. * 11\. A history of or positive test results for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies at the screening visit. A negative HCV RNA result is acceptable for enrolment. * 12\. Medications with significant drug-drug interaction potential: 1. Strong CYP3A4 or CYP2C9 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, ritonavir, fluconazole, amiodarone) within 2 weeks of Screening or anticipated need during study 2. disulfiram/metronidazole (risk due to alcohol content) * 13\. Positive drugs of abuse test (for a list of drugs tested refer to Section 11.1.8), cotinine test, or alcohol breath test results at screening and prior to dosing on Day 1. * 14\. Regular consumption of more than 10 standard alcoholic drinks/week and/or more than 4 standard alcoholic drinks on any one day, where 1 standard drink is 10 g of pure alcohol and is equivalent to 285 mL beer \[4.9% Alc/Vol\], 100 mL wine \[12% Alc/Vol\], or 30 mL spirit \[40% Alc/Vol\]). * 15\. Patient smokes more than 5 cigarettes or equivalent nicotine-containing products per week, and/or the volunteer is unwilling to abstain from smoking or the use of nicotine-containing products. Note: 1 average cigar = approx. 5 average cigarettes; 1 average pipe session = approx. 5 average cigarettes; 1 average nicotine liquid vape session = 1 average e-cigarette = 1 average cigarette. * 16\. Females who are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed from pre-dose to 90 days post last dose * 17\. Is not able to reliably and regularly swallow liquid oral medications on a daily basis. * 18\. Current infection that requires systemically absorbed antibiotic, antifungal, antiparasitic or antiviral medication within 10 days prior to first dose of study drug. * 19\. Use of live vaccines within 30 days prior to screening. Use of (non-live) booster vaccines is acceptable for enrolment. * 20\. Participation in another clinical study of an investigational drug or investigational device within 30 days or 5 half-lives of the investigational drug (whichever is longer) prior to screening. * 21\. Any other condition or prior therapy that in the opinion of the PI (or delegate) would make the volunteer unsuitable for this study, including inability to cooperate fully with the requirements of the study protocol or likelihood of noncompliance with any study requirements. * 22\. History or current presence of unexplained recurrent vomiting that may confound safety or tolerability assessments. * 23\. Hemodynamic instability, including clinically significant hypotension, hypertension, syncope, tachycardia or symptomatic orthostatic hypotension. * 24\. Patients with evidence of serious risk of suicide at screening based on the C-SSRS 1. Answers "Yes" on items 4 or 5 (C-SSRS - ideation) with the most recent episode occurring within the 2 months before Screening or, 2. Answers "Yes" to any of the 5 items (C-SSRS - behavior) with an episode occurring within the 12 months before Screening, except for the participant having responded "Yes" to engaging in non-suicidal injurious behavior

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Aberrant Motor Behavior in Dementia Alzheimer disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Finders Medical Center

    Bedford Park, SA Adelaide, 5042, Australia

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.