Safety and Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Symptoms of PTSD in Adults

NCT ID: NCT05269459

Last Updated: 2025-05-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

180 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-12-01

Study Completion Date

2029-04-30

Brief Summary

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder than may develop following a traumatic event including serious incidents, natural or human-caused disasters, violence, death of a loved one, receipt of traumatic news, or serious illness/hospitalization. While half of US adults experience trauma in their lifetime, most do not develop PTSD. However, those who do develop the disorder may have significant impairments and risk for functional dysfunction across multiple domains. While short term symptoms are the most common, some individuals develop chronic PTSD. These individuals may experience frightening and intrusive thoughts and memories of the event (flashbacks), have sleep disturbances, feel numb or detached, and be easily startled (hypervigilance).

This trial is a double-blind placebo controlled study of cannabidiol (CBD) for symptoms of PTSD in adults using liquid structure Formulation (Nantheia ATL5). Participants complete three weeks of baseline data collection including assessments of activity and sleep. Intervention is Nantheia ATL5 or placebo. Dose is initiated at 400mg BID and maintained over 8 weeks. Standardized symptom profile measurements, clinician assessments, laboratory testing, collection of inflammatory biomarkers, and suicide screening is completed throughout. Age- and gender-matched healthy population participants are enrolled and complete baseline data collection only. All participants may complete optional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Detailed Description

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder than may develop following a traumatic event including serious incidents, natural or human-caused disasters, violence, death of a loved one, receipt of traumatic news, or serious illness/hospitalization. While half of US adults experience trauma in their lifetime, most do not develop PTSD. However, those who do develop the disorder may have significant impairments and risk for functional dysfunction across multiple domains. While short term symptoms are the most common, some individuals develop chronic PTSD. These individuals may experience frightening and intrusive thoughts and memories of the event (flashbacks), have sleep disturbances, feel numb or detached, and be easily startled (hypervigilance).

This trial is a single-site phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Nantheia ATL5 to study symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adults. Participants will meet criteria for PTSD using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs-5) of ≥ 27. Suicidality is assessed using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale-Revised (CSSRS-R) at all study visits. Baseline psychopharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy must be stable (unchanged) for 4 weeks prior to enrollment and should remain unchanged during study treatment. Effects of Nantheia ATL5 on self-reported quality of life (overall and health-related); functional status measurements of personal mobility and risk, and sleep dysfunction; neurobiological biomarkers of threat response (optional functional magnetic resonance imaging: fMRI), and serum inflammatory biomarkers (hs-CRP) implicated in PTSD pathophysiology will be assessed. Efficacy and tolerability will be assessed throughout intervention. Serum pregnancy (for participants of child bearing potential), urine drug screening, complete blood count (CBC), and Comprehensive Metabolic Panel are completed at every on-site visit. Optional consent will be sought from all PTSD and healthy population participants who agree to complete the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedures and providing an additional sample of blood to store for future unspecified research. Baseline characteristics of participants with PTSD will be evaluated overall and relative to participants without PTSD (healthy population) during a 3-week baseline period prior to randomization \[Nantheia ATL5 or placebo (PBO)\]. Healthy population participants will complete the study at end of baseline and participants with PTSD will be randomized 1:1 to Nantheia ATL5 or placebo (PBO). Study drug dose is initiated at 400mg BID and maintained for 8 weeks. Study drug is then withdrawn, and one week later safety measures including laboratory testing, assessment of AE's and CSSRS-R are repeated.

Conditions

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PTSD

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Study
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors
Participants and study personnel are blinded to treatment assignment. Randomization will occur in blocks based on self-reported marijuana use (yes/no). Randomization schedule will be provided by the statistician to the research pharmacist for study drug dispensing.

Study Groups

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Cannabidiol Administered as Nantheia ATL5 Group

Cannabidiol (CBD) as Liquid Structure Formulation Nantheia ATL5 400mg will be administered twice a day in 100mg softgel capsules to CBD Group. Each 100mg softgel contains 10% CBD.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Cannabidiol Administered as Nantheia ATL5

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants will take 4 gel capsules twice daily containing 100mg of Nantheia ATL5.

Placebo Group

Matching placebo capsules will be administered twice a day to Placebo Group.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Participants will take 4 matching gel capsules twice daily containing no active drug.

Control Group

Baseline data collection only will be collected from Control group.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Cannabidiol Administered as Nantheia ATL5

Participants will take 4 gel capsules twice daily containing 100mg of Nantheia ATL5.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Participants will take 4 matching gel capsules twice daily containing no active drug.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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CBD PBO

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Ability and willingness to provide informed consent
* Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for duration of the study
* Aged 21-65 years
* Able to read and communicate in English
* Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use less than 3 days per week

PTSD Participants

* Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for a current diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on the Mini-Mental State examination (MMS), with symptoms present for at least 1 month
* Clinician administered Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs) score ≥27 at study enrollment and start of Cannabidiol (CBD) observation
* Stable psychopharmacologic and/or psychotherapeutic intervention for 4 weeks prior to enrollment

Exclusion Criteria

* Current use of prescribed or commercially available CBD products, including Epidiolex®
* Suicidal ideation (as defined by answer of "yes" to item 4 or 5 on the baseline Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) or attempt within 6 months prior to enrollment)
* Cognitive impairment in the clinical judgment of the investigator that would impact ability to complete study assessments or confound study results (e.g., neurodegenerative condition or other)
* Meets criteria for substance or alcohol use disorder of moderate or greater severity within 6 months prior to study enrollment based on the Mini-Mental State examination (MMS); nicotine dependence permitted
* Self-reported cannabis use on \> 3 days/week starting 4 weeks prior to enrollment
* Positive urine drug screen for illicit substances other than cannabis
* Pregnant \[confirmed by serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) test\], or breastfeeding
* Co-morbid medical conditions or concomitant treatments that may adversely impact ability to participate in the trial in the clinical judgment of the investigator \[e.g., significant immunosuppression due to active chemotherapy, recent organ transplant, uncontrolled diabetes, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \< 25ml/min or on dialysis, recent acute myocardial infarction (MI), Class IV heart failure, or taking any high-risk drugs for drug-drug interactions\]
* Treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention within 3 months prior to enrollment
* History of psychosis (schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or substance induced psychosis), active bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder diagnosed by a mental health professional
* History of open head injury
* Self-report of exposure to trauma within 30 days prior to enrollment
* Active military service in the 30 days prior to enrollment
* Inpatient psychiatric hospitalization within 6 months prior to enrollment
* Seizure in the last 6 months
* Use of concomitant anti-viral human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medications (PrEP permitted)

Control Participants

* History of diagnosed PTSD
* Pregnant (self-reported) or breastfeeding

Participants who consent to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedures

* Claustrophobia, pregnancy, or any condition (e.g., significant hearing difficulties) that would preclude MRI scanning, in the clinical judgment of the investigator
* Presence of metal objects in or on the body (e.g., pacemakers, aneurysm clips, metallic prostheses, bone plates, braces, orthodontic devices, cochlear implants/hearing aids, non-removable piercings/implants or metallic-ink tattoos, or shrapnel fragments)
* Other confounding medical conditions (e.g., Tourette's or Tic Disorder) that would preclude MRI scanning, in the clinical judgement of the investigator

PTSD Participants

* Index trauma before age 18 and no other traumatic experiences which could relate/identify as part of PTSD
* History of allergic reaction or significant adverse events (AE) related to cannabis, CBD, or THC
* Currently involved in events giving rise to PTSD
* Alanine transaminase (ALT)/Aspartate transaminase (AST)/Bilirubin \> 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN) at screening (abnormalities on the comprehensive metabolic panel or complete blood count deemed to be of clinical significance in the judgement of the investigator and clinical team will be evaluated in the clinical context of the participant's history and physical examination to determine eligibility and testing may be repeated if clinically appropriate at the discretion of the investigator)
* Refusal to use at least one form of birth control throughout study participation \[including, but are not limited to, male or female condoms, diaphragm, or cervical cap (all with or without spermicide) abstinence, or hormonal/implanted birth control, e.g., pill, injection, intra-uterine device (IUD), implant\] by participants who can become pregnant
Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Ananda Scientific Inc

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Texas at Austin

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Nebraska

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Matthew Rizzo, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Nebraska

Locations

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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Brigette S Vaughan, MSN

Role: CONTACT

402-552-6239

Facility Contacts

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Brigette Vaughan, MSN

Role: primary

402-552-6239

References

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Association, A. P. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Association, A. P. (2017). Medications for PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/medications

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Stanciu CN, Brunette MF, Teja N, Budney AJ. Evidence for Use of Cannabinoids in Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD: A Systematic Review. Psychiatr Serv. 2021 Apr 1;72(4):429-436. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000189. Epub 2021 Feb 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33530732 (View on PubMed)

Wall MB, Pope R, Freeman TP, Kowalczyk OS, Demetriou L, Mokrysz C, Hindocha C, Lawn W, Bloomfield MA, Freeman AM, Feilding A, Nutt D, Curran HV. Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain's resting-state functional connectivity. J Psychopharmacol. 2019 Jul;33(7):822-830. doi: 10.1177/0269881119841568. Epub 2019 Apr 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31013455 (View on PubMed)

Sholler DJ, Schoene L, Spindle TR. Therapeutic Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD): A Review of the Evidence from Clinical Trials and Human Laboratory Studies. Curr Addict Rep. 2020 Sep;7(3):405-412. doi: 10.1007/s40429-020-00326-8. Epub 2020 Jul 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33585159 (View on PubMed)

Marx BP, Lee DJ, Norman SB, Bovin MJ, Sloan DM, Weathers FW, Keane TM, Schnurr PP. Reliable and clinically significant change in the clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 among male veterans. Psychol Assess. 2022 Feb;34(2):197-203. doi: 10.1037/pas0001098. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34941354 (View on PubMed)

Hurd YL. Leading the Next CBD Wave-Safety and Efficacy. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 1;77(4):341-342. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.4157. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31940016 (View on PubMed)

Elsaid S, Kloiber S, Le Foll B. Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in neuropsychiatric disorders: A review of pre-clinical and clinical findings. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2019;167:25-75. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.06.005. Epub 2019 Aug 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31601406 (View on PubMed)

Andrewes DG, Jenkins LM. The Role of the Amygdala and the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Emotional Regulation: Implications for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychol Rev. 2019 Jun;29(2):220-243. doi: 10.1007/s11065-019-09398-4. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30877420 (View on PubMed)

Babson KA, Sottile J, Morabito D. Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017 Apr;19(4):23. doi: 10.1007/s11920-017-0775-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28349316 (View on PubMed)

Elms L, Shannon S, Hughes S, Lewis N. Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Apr;25(4):392-397. doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0437. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30543451 (View on PubMed)

Hori H, Kim Y. Inflammation and post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019 Apr;73(4):143-153. doi: 10.1111/pcn.12820. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30653780 (View on PubMed)

Jackson BN, Weathers FW, Jeffirs SM, Preston TJ, Brydon CM. The revised Clinician-Administered PTSD scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5-R): Initial psychometric evaluation in a trauma-exposed community sample. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Feb;38(1):40-52. doi: 10.1002/jts.23093. Epub 2024 Aug 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39176447 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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0159-22-FB

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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