Dexmedetomidine Transdermal Systems (DMTS) Treatment for Agitation Associated With Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type
A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of the Dexmedetomidine Transdermal Systems for Agitation Associated With Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- No age limits stated
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study tests whether dexmedetomidine skin patches (DMTS) reduce how often agitation happens and how severe it is. It compares DMTS with a placebo patch that has no study drug. It is for people with likely Alzheimer's dementia who have agitation and live in a care facility.
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of DMTS on frequency and severity of agitation associated with dementia of the Alzheimer's type, compared with placebo.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- You or your legal representative must give written consent, understand the study, and agree to follow its steps.
- You must have lived in a care facility for at least 7 days before screening and stay through follow-up.
- You must have a diagnosis of likely Alzheimer's dementia.
- You must have had at least 2 agitation episodes in the past 7 days that disrupted social or daily activities or needed staff or medical help.
- Your Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) score must be at least 22 once during days -4 to -1. Your MMSE score, a test of memory and thinking, must be 23 or lower at screening.
- Your medicines must not have changed for at least 1 week before screening.
- You must weigh more than 50 kg (about 110 pounds). Your body mass index (BMI), a measure based on height and weight, must be 20 to 38.
- Women must not be pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy during the study or for 1 menstrual cycle after. Women and men must meet the study's birth control or other pregnancy-prevention rules.
Who can't join
- You cannot join if you are allergic to dexmedetomidine or patch ingredients, or have damaged skin, a scar, or a tattoo where the patch would go.
- You cannot join if you have important abnormal lab results, HIV, hepatitis B or C, or a serious health condition the study doctor says makes participation unsafe.
- You cannot join if you have a history of migraines, more than 5 other headaches a month, seizures, seizure medicine use, fainting, or serious dizziness or low blood pressure when standing.
- You cannot join if you have an important abnormal heart tracing (ECG), an average pulse below 60 or above 100, or blood pressure outside the study's limits: top number 90–140 and bottom number 60–90.
- You cannot join if you have agitation caused by intoxication, a serious risk of harming yourself or others, alcohol or drug abuse in the past 5 years, or a positive screening test showing alcohol or drug use.
- You cannot join if you take medicines or natural health products that could interfere with the study. Some medicines for agitation, sleepiness, or heart effects are allowed after at least 30 days at a steady dose, with study doctor approval.
- You cannot join if you had cold-like infection symptoms or used steroid pills or shots within 7 days before study treatment, used an experimental treatment within 30 days, or received DMTS in an earlier trial. Nose sprays and skin steroids are allowed.
- You cannot join if your fall-risk score is above 13, or the study doctor decides you are not suited for the study or are unlikely to follow its steps.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Voluntarily provide written informed consent (subject or legally authorized representative \[LAR\]). 2. Male or female, residing in a care facility. 3. Has a diagnosis of dementia of probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD) based on National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria (2018). The clinical diagnosis of "probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD)" will be based on the 2018 National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) diagnostic criteria, which includes patient biomarker data as part of the research diagnosis (Jack et al., 2018). If patient biomarker data are unavailable, per the 2018 NIA-AA diagnostic criteria, the clinical diagnosis of probable AD will be based on the 2011 NIA-AA criteria (McKhann et al., 2011). 4. Had two or more episodes (using a 7-day lookback period) of agitation that impairs social activities, requires staff or medical intervention, or impairs ability for functional activities of daily living at Screening. 5. Had an ABS total score ≥ 22 at least once during Day -4 to Day -1 when assessing eligibility on Day 1 Pre-randomization. 6. Has gone a minimum of 1 week with no change in medication prior to Screening. 7. Has a score of ≤ 23 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at Screening. 8. Female subjects who are: 1. Not pregnant, not lactating, and not planning to become pregnant during the study or for 1 menstrual cycle thereafter and 2. Surgically sterile; or postmenopausal (ie, amenorrhea for ≥2 years as reported by subject/caregiver; postmenopausal status will be confirmed with FSH test); or have a monogamous partner who is surgically sterile; or have a same gender sex partner; or is using double-barrier contraception; or practicing abstinence; or using an insertable, injectable, transdermal, or combination oral contraceptive for 3 months prior to the study, during the study, and for 1 month following the study. 9. Male subjects who have female sex partners of childbearing potential must be surgically sterile or commit to use a reliable method of birth control during the study and for 1 month following the study. Reliable contraception is defined as: A tubal ligation, condom with spermicidal gel, an approved hormonal contraceptive such as oral contraceptives, emergency contraception used as directed, patches, implants, injections, rings, or hormone releasing or copper intrauterine device (IUD). 10. Has a body weight \> 50 kg, and body mass index of 20 to 38 kg/m2, inclusive. 11. Subject or LAR able to understand the study procedures, comply with all study procedures, and agree to participate in the study program for its full duration. 12. Has lived in facility for at least 7 days prior to screening and will remain in facility through the completion of Follow-Up assessments. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Has a known sensitivity to dexmedetomidine or any excipient in the DMTS/placebo. 2. Has a skin abnormality (eg, scar, tattoo) or unhealthy skin condition (eg, burns, wounds) at the DMTS/matching placebo application site, according to examination by the investigator at screening. 3. Has a clinically significant abnormal clinical laboratory test value as determined by the investigator. 4. Has agitation caused by acute intoxication. 5. Has significant risk of suicide or homicide per investigator's assessment, or any patient with an answer of "yes" to Items 4 or 5 on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). 6. Has a history of or positive test results for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, or hepatitis C. 7. Has a clinically significant history or clinically significant manifestation of any of the following, as determined by the investigator: a renal (including an estimated glomerular filtration rate \[eGFR\] below the appropriate age- and gender-specific range \[see Section 8.1.3.2\]), hepatic (including any evidence of ascites and/or a Child-Pugh hepatic impairment score \> 6 \[Appendix G\]), cardiovascular, metabolic, neurologic, or psychiatric condition; congestive heart failure, peptic ulcer, gastrointestinal bleeding, or other condition that may preclude participation in the study. 8. Has a history of physician-diagnosed migraine, frequent non-vascular headaches (\> 5 per month), seizures, or are currently taking anticonvulsants. 9. Has a history of syncope or other syncopal attacks. 10. Has present and/or significant history of postural hypotension (determined through examination by the investigator or designee) or history of severe dizziness or fainting on standing in the opinion of the investigator. 11. Has evidence of a clinically significant 12-lead ECG abnormality. 12. Has an average heart rate \< 60 or \> 100 bpm, systolic blood pressure (BP) \< 90 or \> 140 mmHg, or diastolic BP \< 60 or \> 90 mmHg, measured in 3 sequential positions (supine after 5 minutes; sitting after 1 minute; and standing after 2 minutes) and after the sequence has been completed 3 times. 13. Has a history of alcohol abuse or prescription/illicit drug abuse within the previous 5 years. 14. Has positive results on the urine drug screen or alcohol breath test indicative of drugs of abuse or alcohol use at screening. 15. Is receiving concurrent therapy that can interfere with the evaluation of efficacy or safety, such as any drug that in the investigator's opinion may exert significant synergistic interactions with dexmedetomidine. Medications with potential cardiac effects (eg, hypotension, bradycardia) and medications that may cause sedation (such as quetiapine \[Seroquel®\]), are permissible if the subject has been on a stable dose for a minimum of 30 days prior to Screening and the investigator deems it appropriate. Medications given for the treatment of chronic agitation are permissible if the subject has been on a stable dose for a minimum of 30 days prior to Screening. 16. Uses any natural health products (including chaparral, comfrey, germander, jin bu huan, kava, pennyroyal, skullcap, St. John's wort, or valerian, and excluding vitamins or mineral supplements) within 7 days prior to study drug administration and throughout the study, unless in the opinion of the investigator or designee the product will not interfere with the study procedures or data integrity or compromise the safety of the subject. 17. Had symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection within 7 days prior to dosing of the study drug. 18. Utilized oral or injectable corticosteroids within 7 days prior to dosing of the study drug (intranasal and topical corticosteroid use during this time period is allowed). 19. Received any investigational product within 30 days prior to dosing of the study drug. 20. Received DMTS in a previous clinical trial. 21. Has a Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Score of \> 13. 22. In the opinion of the investigator or designee, is considered unsuitable for study entry and/or is unlikely to comply with the study protocol for any reason.
Study sites (10)
CA
- Inland Psychiatric Medical Group · Chino, CA 91710Nandita Puchakayala, MD · Study contact · 909-488-9116 · nandita.puchakayala@inlandpsych.comNandita Puchakayala, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Chino
FL
- Arrow Clinical Trials · Daytona Beach, FL 32117Andrew White · Study contact · 386-278-8000 · awhite@arrowtrials.comDavid Billmeier, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Daytona Beach
- Personal Physician Care · Delray Beach, FL 33445Renee Jones, PharmD · Study contact · 561-498-5660 ext. 358 · rjones@ppcare.netDanielle Neuman, MD · Principal investigatorLloyd La Grange Jr, MD · Sub-investigatorOscar Farronay, MD · Sub-investigatorMore trials in Delray Beach
- Global Medical Institutes Florida LLC · Miami, FL 33125Melissa Matienzo · Study contact · 305-547-2011 · mmatienzo@gminstitutes.comLeonardo Alonso, MD · Principal investigatorMagaly Alonso, MD · Sub-investigatorMore trials in Miami
- Miami Jewish Health · Miami, FL 33137Alexander Gomez · Study contact · 305-762-1487 · AGomez@miamijewishhealth.orgMarc Agronin, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Miami
- Professional Health Care of Pinellas, LLC · St. Petersburg, FL 33713Melissa Suarez · Study contact · 727-820-1033 · msuarez@phcpinellas.comFadi Saba, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in St. Petersburg
KS
- Integrity Clinical Network · Wichita, KS 67202Dwight St. Claire, MD · Study contact · 877-426-1048 · dstclair@integrity-clinical.comDwight St. Claire, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Wichita
MA
- Elixia MA, LLC · Springfield, MA 01103More trials in Springfield
- Vitalix · Worcester, MA 01608Matthew Collins · Study contact · 413-363-5206 · mcollins@vitalixclinical.comJames Carroll, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Worcester
NJ
- BioBehavioral Health · Toms River, NJ 08755More trials in Toms River