Could a 7-Day pill ease PTSD in veterans?
NCT ID NCT04452500
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a drug called CORT108297, which blocks the stress hormone cortisol, as a short-term treatment for PTSD in veterans. Forty veterans with PTSD will take either the drug or a placebo daily for one week. The goal is to see if it reduces PTSD symptoms and to check its safety for future, larger studies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- CORT108297 (a drug that blocks the hormone cortisol)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new short-term treatment to ease PTSD symptoms in veterans.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 40 participants and a 7-day treatment. It may not show clear benefits, and safety is still being established.
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
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2022
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 69 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * History of US military service * Capable of reading and understanding English * Able to provide written informed consent * Symptoms of PTSD (must score 23 or greater on the CAPS-5 assessment at screening visit) * Men and pre-menopausal women must agree to use two forms of reliable contraception, one of which is a barrier method. * Participants who use an SSRI or SNRI medication for PTSD must be on a stable dose for 8 weeks before enrollment. * Participants who use trazodone for sleep must be on a stable dose. * Participants who use opiate pain medication must be on a stable dose. * For participants who are in psychotherapy, treatment must be stable for 6 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: * Alcohol use that meets criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder in past 3 months. * Marijuana or other drug use that meets criteria for Substance Use Disorder in past 3 months. * Ever diagnosed with: Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Features * Experienced any psychologically traumatic event in the past 3 months * Currently using certain antidepressant medications such as doxepin or tricyclics * Currently using certain mood stabilizers, such as lithium * Currently using antipsychotic medication * High risk for suicide or violent behavior * Has sleep apnea and not using any treatment, such as CPAP * Currently using corticosteroid medication (oral or inhaled) * History of neurological disease * Angina, congestive heart failure or low blood pressure * Heart attack in the past 6 months * Heart block or irregular heartbeat * Kidney failure, liver failure or pancreatitis * Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) * History of liver disease with lab results on AST or ALT more than 2 times the normal readings * History of kidney disease with lab results on eGFR less than 60 ml/min * History of additional risk factors for Torsades de pointes, such as heart failure, low potassium, or family history of a heart rhythm disorder called long QT syndrome * Use of certain medications that can affect heart rhythm * Use of certain medications that can interfere with the effects of the study drug * High blood pressure that is not controlled by medication * Diabetes that is not well-controlled * History of certain types of head injuries * Mild cognitive impairment
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94121-1563, United States
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Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, AL
RECRUITINGTuscaloosa, Alabama, 35404, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a personalized mix of nerve stimulation and therapy rewire the brain for better mental health?
- Can a therapist on a screen ease both trauma and pain?
- Zapping the Brain's fear hub: a new hope for PTSD?
- Can a drug combo or therapy dogs ease PTSD?
- Can six short writing sessions ease PTSD in underserved patients?
- Can a psychedelic compound help veterans and first responders with PTSD and alcohol use disorder?