Treatment of Schizophrenia and Comorbid Cannabis Use Disorder: Comparing Clozapine to Treatment-as-Usual

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2009-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Many individuals with schizophrenia also suffer from marijuana addiction. Clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic medication, may prove useful at preventing drug relapse in schizophrenic individuals who are seeking treatment for marijuana addiction. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of clozapine, vs. treatment-as-usual with other oral antipsychotics at reducing marijuana use in schizophrenic individuals.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
• Collaborators: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); University of Missouri, Kansas City; University of South Carolina; VA Medical Center-West Los Angeles
• Treatments: Clozapine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Meets Diagnostic and Statical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

• Meets diagnostic criteria for marijuana use disorder, as determined by a rating of 3 or higher on the Drug Use Scale (Abuse or Dependence)

• Used marijuana on 5 or more days during the 3 weeks prior to study entry

• Taking any oral antipsychotic other than clozapine in the month prior to study entry. (Patients may take a second oral antipsychotic medication, if approved by the Medication Adjustment Group)

• If female, willing to use effective contraception throughout the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to take clozapine for medical reasons, including previous clozapine-induced granulocytopenia, myeloproliferative disorder, white blood cell count less than 3500/mm3, or history of seizures

• Currently taking clozapine

• Currently taking other psychotropic medications for the treatment of substance use (e.g., disulfiram, naltrexone, acamprosate, inderol, tegretol, topiramate, and pramipexole)

• Participated in a clinical trial of an investigational drug within 30 days of study entry

• Currently participating in a psychosocial intervention clinical trial

• Has medical or legal problems that may entail a jail or hospital stay during the study

• Has a developmental disability that would make study participation difficult

• Currently enrolled in a live-in treatment program for substance use disorders

• Pregnant or plans to become pregnant during the study