Efavirenz for Patients With Alzheimer's Disease (EPAD)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03706885 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : October 16, 2018
Last Update Posted : February 15, 2023
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This will be a two-center, placebo controlled blinded clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of efavirenz (EFV) in 36 clinically stable subjects with mild cognitive impairment/early dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) age ≥55 years. Of these 36 total subjects, 18 will be recruited by MGH and 18 will be recruited by UH. A subset of the subjects at MGH only will also participate in a Stable Isotope Labeling Kinetics (SILK) protocol with deuterated water (a nonhazardous substance), designed to more precisely measure EFV effects on CNS cholesterol turnover.
Each respective site's 18 total recruited individuals will be divided into 3 groups: these 3 groups will represent two particular dosages of EFV and a placebo group, respectively. In a double-blind fashion, participants will be receiving either a capsule of EFV or placebo daily for 20 weeks. At MGH only, 12 individuals (4 from each of the two EFV groups and placebo) will participate in the unique "heavy water" SILK protocol assessing the kinetics of deuterium enrichment in plasma 24-hydroxycholesterol (24-OHC). All study participants at both sites will have their blood, cerebral spinal fluid, and urine analyzed at various points throughout the study. All participants will have their DNA genotyped for APOE isoforms (E2, E3 or E4) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP46A1 (rs754203) and CYP2B6 (rs3745274) to be used for post-hoc analysis.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Alzheimer Disease, Early Onset | Drug: Sustiva Pill | Phase 1 |

Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 5 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Masking Description: | Only the Statistician and Pharmacists are unmasked |
Primary Purpose: | Other |
Official Title: | A Proof-of-Concept Clinical Research Study of Efavirenz in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease |
Actual Study Start Date : | May 5, 2018 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | January 28, 2022 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | January 28, 2022 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Treatment with placebo - 1 pill per day for 20 weeks
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Drug: Sustiva Pill
One pill (Sustiva 50 mg or Sustiva 200mg or Placebo) One pill per day for 20 weeks
Other Name: Efavirenz |
Active Comparator: Sustiva 50mg
Treatment with Sustiva 50mg - 1 pill per day for 20 weeks
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Drug: Sustiva Pill
One pill (Sustiva 50 mg or Sustiva 200mg or Placebo) One pill per day for 20 weeks
Other Name: Efavirenz |
Active Comparator: Sustiva 200mg
Treatment with Sustiva 200mg - 1 pill per day for 20 weeks
|
Drug: Sustiva Pill
One pill (Sustiva 50 mg or Sustiva 200mg or Placebo) One pill per day for 20 weeks
Other Name: Efavirenz |
- Plasma levels of 24-hydroxycholesterol [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Changes in plasma 24-hydroxycholesterol (measured in ng/dL) by more or equal to 30%.
- Plasma levels of deuterated 24-hydroxycholesterol [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Plasma appearance of deuterated 24-hydroxycholetserol (measured in ng/dL) will be measured within 14 days after a participant will drink the last portion of deuterated water in the Stable Isotope Kinetics Labeling Study.
- APOE isoform status (E2, E3, or E4) and presence of the SNPs rs754203 and rs3745274 in CYP46A1 and CYP2B6, respectively. [ Time Frame: 1 year ]Participants will be genotyped for the APOE isoform status (E2, E3, or E4) and presence of the SNPs rs754203 and rs3745274 in CYP46A1 and CYP2B6, respectively

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 55 Years to 85 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Between the ages of 55-85
- Either male or female
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Diagnosis of (a) as per below:
a) Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or early dementia due to AD as defined by (1) complaint of cognitive decline, (2) MMSE Total=16-30, (3) CDR=0.5-1
- Fluent in English
- Education >8 years, literate, and/or good working history that precludes consideration of mental retardation
- Visual and auditory acuity sufficient for neuropsychological testing
- Modified Hachinski Ischemic Score<4
- No major health issues or diseases expected to interfere with the study
- Willing to complete all assessments and study procedures
- Not pregnant, lactating or of child-bearing potential (women must be >2 years post- menopausal or surgically sterile)
- If cognitively impaired, study partner with frequent contact with patient willing to accompany patient to visits and complete partner study forms
- No contraindication or hypersensitivity to EFV
- Screening laboratory testing must be within normal limits or, if abnormal, must be judged to be clinically insignificant by the investigators
- Stable use of cholinesterase inhibitor is permitted if doses are stable for 3 months prior to enrollment
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any CNS disease other than suspected prodromal or early AD, such as clinical stroke, brain tumor, normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis, significant head trauma with persistent neurological or cognitive deficits or complaints, Parkinson's Disease, frontotemporal dementia, or other neurodegenerative diseases
- Ongoing major and active psychiatric disorder and/or other concurrent medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, might compromise safety and/or compliance with study requirements.
- History of alcohol or other substance abuse or dependence within the past two years
- Any significant systemic illness or unstable medical condition that could affect study compliance, including a history of prolonged QTc
- Laboratory abnormalities in B12, TSH, or other common laboratory parameters that might contribute to cognitive dysfunction
- Current use of medications with psychoactive properties that may deleteriously affect cognition (e.g., anticholinergics, antihistamines, antipsychotics, sedative hypnotics, anxiolytics) that, in the opinion of the investigator, may deleteriously affect cognition. Use of other investigational agents one month prior to entry and for the duration of the study
- Treatment with any of the following agents/classes within the past 3 months: simvastatin, antiepileptic agents, clopidogrel, voriconazole, systemic ketoconazole, cyclosporine, St. John's Wort.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03706885
United States, Ohio | |
University Hospitals Brain Health and Memory Center | |
Beachwood, Ohio, United States, 44122 |
Principal Investigator: | Irina A Pikuleva, PhD | Case Western Reserve University |
Other Publications:
Responsible Party: | Irina Pikuleva, PhD, Professor, Case Western Reserve University |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03706885 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
ADDF 20160601 |
First Posted: | October 16, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | February 15, 2023 |
Last Verified: | February 2023 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Alzheimer Disease Dementia Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Tauopathies Neurodegenerative Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders Mental Disorders Efavirenz Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors |
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Antiviral Agents Anti-Infective Agents Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 Inhibitors Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 Inhibitors Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B6 Inducers Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inducers Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inducers |