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Recruiting Phase 2 NCT05742698

NCT05742698 Nabilone for Agitation in Frontotemporal Dementia

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Clinical Trial Summary
NCT ID NCT05742698
Status Recruiting
Phase Phase 2
Sponsor Simon Ducharme, MD
Condition Frontotemporal Dementia
Study Type INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment 45 participants
Start Date 2023-03-07
Primary Completion 2026-04

Eligibility & Interventions

Sex All sexes
Min Age 18 Years
Max Age N/A
Study Type INTERVENTIONAL
Interventions
NabilonePlacebo

Eligibility Fast-Check

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What to Expect as a Participant

You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.

In Phase 2, researchers evaluate early signs of effectiveness. You may be randomized to receive the active treatment or a comparator. Monitoring continues closely.

This trial targets 45 participants in total. It began in 2023-03-07 with a primary completion date of 2026-04.

⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.

Brief Summary

The primary goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that oral nabilone treatment will reduce agitation compared with placebo in patients with Frontotemporal Dementia (both behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia). The study population is defined as patients with probable Frontotemporal Dementia that meet the International Psychogeriatric Association criteria for agitation in cognitive disorders.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women over 18 years * Major neurocognitive disorder due to probable behavioural variant FTD (Rascovsky criteria)17 or primary progressive aphasia (Gorno-Tempini criteria)18. All ages and severity levels will be included. * Meets International Psychogeriatric Association criteria for agitation in cognitive disorders19 * CMAI score of 39 or above * Stable psychoactive medication for 2 weeks prior to screening (all medications allowed) with no intention to change dose during treatment period * Available study partner with ≥10 hours per week in-person contact with the patient. This can either be a friend/family member or a staff member at an assisted living facility. * Capacity to provide written consent in English or French, or consent from official surrogate decision maker in case of incapacity Rationale for Inclusion Criteria: The inclusion criteria are designed to enroll patients with FTD with the behaviours of interest, with a range of disease severity that will permit assessment of all outcome measures. Exclusion Criteria: * Clinically significant psychotic symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory domain score (severity x frequency) ≥4 on the delusions or hallucinations subscale) * Clinically significant orthostatic hypotension (a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg or in diastolic blood pressure of 10 mm Hg within three minutes of standing compared to blood pressure in a seated position) * Symptomatic orthostatic tachycardia (heart rate increase from of at least 30 beats per minute within the first 5 minutes of standing compared to a seated position IF orthostatic hypotension is not a problem) * Unstable cardiovascular condition in the opinion of the investigator * Known or suspected history of drug or alcohol dependence or abuse in the past 12 months, including use of any psychomimetic drugs (e.g. ketamine, lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin). * Allergy, or significant adverse reaction to cannabinoids. If the adverse reaction involved psychological symptoms that are indicative of psychosis or severe anxiety the patient will be excluded. Their treating clinician may be consulted for a clinical opinion on the severity of the response to cannabis and whether this justifies exclusion from the trial. * Major depressive episode within 6 months of screening * Women who are breast feeding or pregnant * Severe liver dysfunction, as determined by their treating clinician * Other psychiatric or neurological condition that could cause significant agitation * Ongoing use of any cannabinoid-related products. This includes any THC or CBD based products, regardless of administration method (oral, inhalation, topical, etc…) Rationale for Exclusion Criteria: The exclusion criteria are designed to avoid inclusion of patients who may have medical comorbidities that would increase their risk of serious side effects from repeated nabilone administration.

Contact & Investigator

Central Contact

Simon Ducharme, MD, MA

✉ simon.ducharme@mcgill.ca

📞 15144305748

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the NCT05742698 clinical trial?

This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, studying Frontotemporal Dementia. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.

What phase is the NCT05742698 trial and what does that mean for participants?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether the treatment shows signs of effectiveness while continuing to monitor safety. More participants are enrolled than in Phase 1 to help refine the treatment protocol.

Is NCT05742698 currently recruiting?

Yes, NCT05742698 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at simon.ducharme@mcgill.ca for enrollment information.

Where is the NCT05742698 trial being conducted?

This trial is being conducted at Vancouver, Canada, London, Canada, Toronto, Canada, Toronto, Canada and 3 additional locations.

Who is sponsoring the NCT05742698 clinical trial?

NCT05742698 is sponsored by Simon Ducharme, MD. The trial plans to enroll 45 participants.

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ClinicalMetric — Independent clinical trial intelligence platform. Not affiliated with NIH, ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. FDA, or any pharmaceutical company, hospital, or clinical research organization. Trial data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Do not make any treatment, enrollment, or health decisions based solely on information found here — always consult a qualified healthcare professional. Full Disclaimer  ·  Last Reviewed: April 2026  ·  Data Methodology