NCT01005810

A Trial of N-Acetylcysteine (an Over-the-Counter Medicine) in Adolescents Who Smoke Marijuana

A Controlled Trial of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) in Cannabis Dependent Adolescents

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 116 (actual)
• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 13 Years – 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study is investigating how N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter medication, will reduce marijuana use when combined with Contingency Management, a behavioral treatment. It is hypothesized that marijuana dependent adolescents who are treated with NAC will use less marijuana during treatment when compared to adolescents who receive a placebo.

Detailed description

This protocol involves investigation of N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) as a pharmacological treatment for cannabis dependence in adolescents. While recent advances have been made in psychosocial treatments for cannabis dependent adolescents, minimal work has been done to investigate the potential adjunctive role for pharmacotherapy in treatment. NAC is an inexpensive, over-the-counter agent with a favorable tolerability profile in adults and children, in common use since FDA approval in 1963. Preclinical and preliminary clinical research in adults suggests a role for NAC in addiction treatment via glutamate modulation.

Conditions

• Cannabis Dependence

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	N-Acetylcysteine	1200 mg twice daily for 8 weeks
DRUG	placebo	2 capsules twice daily for 8 weeks
BEHAVIORAL	Contingency Management	rewarding biologically verified marijuana abstinence during study visits, with an escalating reward schedule

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-09-01
• Primary completion: 2011-08-01
• Completion: 2011-08-01
• First posted: 2009-11-02
• Last updated: 2018-11-21
• Results posted: 2018-11-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States