Could a common ALS drug prevent chemotherapy brain fog?
NCT ID NCT07447050
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests whether riluzole, a drug already approved for ALS, can prevent the cognitive problems (often called 'chemo brain') that many cancer patients face during chemotherapy. The study will enroll 24 adults with various cancers who are about to start chemotherapy. Half will receive riluzole and half a placebo, and researchers will track changes in a blood marker linked to brain health, as well as thinking and memory scores.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Riluzole
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to prevent the mental fog many cancer patients experience during chemotherapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-stage pilot study with only 24 participants. The main goal is to measure a blood marker, not cognitive function directly, so even if that marker changes, it may not translate to clearer thinking.
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 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
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 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Female and male patients diagnosed with cancer and planned to receive an anthracycline- or platinum- containing chemotherapy regimen. * ≥18 years of age. * Life expectancy \> 6 months * Able to provide informed consent. * Patients must agree to complete and be able to complete the questionnaires and computerized assessments used to measure functional outcomes. Note: Patients who have visual impairment or have degenerative conditions (e.g. Parkinsons's disease, etc.) can participate if they cannot complete computerized assessments, as long as they can still complete the questionnaires with assistance. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of primary brain tumors or brain metastases. * Receive a primary chemotherapy regimen that does not include anthracycline- or platinum- containing chemotherapy. * Unwilling to undergo neuropsychological assessments necessary for the study. * Patients who are breastfeeding, pregnant or are planning to get pregnant during the study period. POCBP must have a negative pregnancy test at screening if there is suspicion of pregnancy. Patients who are considered not to be of childbearing potential must have a history of being postmenopausal (with a minimum of 1 year without menses), tubal ligation, or hysterectomy. * History of or suspected hypersensitivity to riluzole or to any of its excipients. * Patients taking or planned to take medications/substances with potential drug-drug interactions: pixantrone, current smoker (defined as having smoked within the last month), abametapir, cannabis, capmatinib, lapatinib, methotrexate, and levoketoconazole. * Hepatic impairment as indicated by: AST and/or ALT ≥ 3 X upper limit normal (ULN). * Have serious pre-existing medical conditions that, in the judgment of the investigator, would preclude participation in this study.
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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 study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
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The places running it
1 site. 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
Show contact details
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Study contacts
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Irvine
RECRUITINGOrange, California, 92868, United States
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