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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05106153

A Study to Determine the Abuse Potential of Seltorexant Compared to Suvorexant and Zolpidem

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the abuse potential of seltorexant compared to placebo and two active comparators (zolpidem and suvorexant) in non-dependent, recreational sedative users.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

Altasciences Inc.

Overland Park, Kansas, 66212, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Be a current, recreational, not physically dependent, drug user
  • Participant must be medically stable
  • All female participants must have a negative serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) pregnancy test at screening and a negative urine pregnancy test on Day -1 of the qualification phase and on Day -1 of each treatment period of the treatment Phase
  • Blood pressure (after the participant is in a sitting position for 5 minutes) between 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and 160 mmHg systolic, inclusive, and no higher than 100 mmHg diastolic at screening and Day -1 prior to qualification phase randomization
  • A 12-lead ECG consistent with normal cardiac conduction and function, including: sinus rhythm, pulse rate between 40 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), QTc interval less than or equal to (<=) 450 milliseconds (ms) for males, <=470 for females, QRS interval of less than (<) 120 ms, PR interval <210 ms, Morphology consistent with healthy cardiac conduction and function

Exclusion criteria

  • Known allergies to seltorexant, zolpidem, and suvorexant
  • Previous history of recurrent fainting, collapses, syncope, orthostatic hypotension, or vasovagal reactions
  • Prescription medications except for stable medical problems such as hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with stable medications for at least 1 month prior to screening
  • Participants who have ever been in treatment for substance use disorders (except smoking cessation) or are currently seeking treatment for substance use disorders. In addition, currently seeking or participating in a substance rehabilitation program should be excluded
  • Preplanned surgery or procedures that would interfere with the conduct of the study

Treatment and study plan

Suvorexant

Drug

Suvorexant will be administered orally as per assigned treatment sequence.

zolpidem

Drug

Zolpidem will be administered orally as per assigned treatment sequence.

Seltorexant

Drug

Seltorexant will be administered orally as per assigned treatment sequence.

Other names: JNJ-42847922

Placebo

Drug

Placebo will be administered orally as per assigned treatment sequence.

Primary outcomes

  1. Peak Maximum Effect (Emax) for Drug Liking (At this Moment) Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emax for drug liking VAS will be reported. Drug liking VAS is a bipolar scale designed to assess a participant's liking for a given study intervention at the time the question is being asked (that is, at this moment). It is scored as an integer ranging from 0 (strong disliking) to 100 (strong liking).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Overall Drug Liking VAS (Emax)

    Time frame: 12 hour and 24 hour post-dose

    Emax for overall drug liking VAS will be reported. Peak effect for overall drug liking based on bipolar VAS from 0 (strong disliking) to 100 (strong liking).

  2. Take Drug Again VAS (Emax)

    Time frame: 12 hour and 24 hour post-dose

    Emax for take drug again VAS will be reported. Peak effect for take drug again based on bipolar VAS from 0 (definitely no) to 100 (definitely so).

  3. Subjective Drug Value (Emax)

    Time frame: 12 hour and 24 hour post-dose

    Subjective drug value will be reported. The subjective drug value is a proxy measure of reinforcing efficacy that involves a series of independent, theoretical forced choices between drug administered and different monetary values.

  4. High VAS (Emax)

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    High VAS is one of the measures of positive effects that assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 millimeter (mm) unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm= definitely not) to 'extremely' (score of 100 = definitely so).

  5. Time to Peak Effect (TEmax) for Drug Liking (At this Moment) VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmax is defined as time to peak effect for drug liking (at this moment). Drug liking VAS is a bipolar scale designed to assess a participant's liking for a given study intervention at the time the question is being asked (that is, at this moment). It is scored as an integer ranging from 0 (strong disliking) to 100 (strong liking).

  6. Minimum Effect (Emin) for Drug Liking (At this Moment) VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emin is defined as minimum effect for drug liking (at this moment). Drug liking VAS is a bipolar scale designed to assess a participant's liking for a given study intervention at the time the question is being asked (that is, at this moment). It is scored as an integer ranging from 0 (strong disliking) to 100 (strong liking).

  7. Time to Minimum Effect (TEmin) for Drug Liking (At this Moment) VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmin is defined as time to minimum effect for drug liking (at this moment). Drug liking VAS is a bipolar scale designed to assess a participant's liking for a given study intervention at the time the question is being asked (that is, at this moment). It is scored as an integer ranging from 0 (strong disliking) to 100 (strong liking).

  8. Time-averaged Area Under the Effects Curve (TA_AUE) for Drug Liking (At This Moment) VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AUE is defined as time-averaged area under the effects curve for drug liking (at this moment). Drug liking VAS is a bipolar scale designed to assess a participant's liking for a given study intervention at the time the question is being asked (that is, at this moment). It is scored as an integer ranging from 0 (strong disliking) to 100 (strong liking).

  9. TEmax of High VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmax of high VAS will be reported. High VAS is one of the measures of positive effects that assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm= definitely not) to 'extremely' (score of 100 = definitely so).

  10. TA_AUE of High VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AUE of high VAS will be reported. High VAS is one of the measures of positive effects that assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm= definitely not) to 'extremely' (score of 100 = definitely so).

  11. Emax of Good Effect VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emax of good effect VAS will be reported. Good drug effects VAS is one of the measures of positive effects that assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm= definitely not) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm= definitely so).

  12. TEmax of Good Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmax of good effects VAS will be reported. Good drug effects VAS is one of the measures of positive effects that assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm= definitely not) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm= definitely so).

  13. TA_AUE of Good Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AUE of good effects VAS will be reported. Good drug effects VAS is one of the measures of positive effects that assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm= definitely not) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm= definitely so).

  14. Emax of Bad Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emax of bad effects VAS will be reported. Bad effects VAS measures the negative effects experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (0 mm = 'definitely not') to 'extremely' (100 mm = 'definitely so').

  15. TA_AUE of Bad Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AUE for bad effects VAS will be reported. Bad effects VAS measures the negative effects experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (0 mm = 'definitely not') to 'extremely' (100 mm = 'definitely so').

  16. TEmax of Bad Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmax of bad effects VAS will be reported. Bad effects VAS measures the negative effects experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (0 mm = 'definitely not') to 'extremely' (100 mm = 'definitely so').

  17. Emin of Drowsiness/Alertness VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emin of Drowsiness/Alertness VAS will be reported. Alertness/Drowsiness VAS measures the sedative effects. It is scored using a 100 mm bipolar VAS anchored in the center with a neutral anchor of 'neither drowsy nor alert' (score of 50 mm), on the left with 'very drowsy' (score of 0 mm) and on the right with 'very alert' (score of 100 mm).

  18. TEmin of Drowsiness/Alertness VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmin of Drowsiness/Alertness VAS will be reported. Alertness/Drowsiness VAS measures the sedative effects. It is scored using a 100 mm bipolar VAS anchored in the center with a neutral anchor of 'neither drowsy nor alert' (score of 50 mm), on the left with 'very drowsy' (score of 0 mm) and on the right with 'very alert' (score of 100 mm).

  19. Time-averaged Area Over the Effect Time Curve (TA_AOE) of Drowsiness/Alertness VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AOE is defined as time-averaged area over the effect time curve. Alertness/Drowsiness VAS measures the sedative effects. It is scored using a 100 mm bipolar VAS anchored in the center with a neutral anchor of 'neither drowsy nor alert' (score of 50 mm), on the left with 'very drowsy' (score of 0 mm) and on the right with 'very alert' (score of 100 mm).

  20. Emin of Relaxation/Agitation VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emin of relaxation/agitation VAS will be reported. Agitation/Relaxation VAS assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm).

  21. TEmin of Relaxation/Agitation VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmin of relaxation/agitation VAS will be reported. Agitation/Relaxation VAS assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm).

  22. TA_AOE of Relaxation/Agitation VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hours post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AOE of relaxation/agitation VAS will be reported. Agitation/Relaxation VAS assesses the effect experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm).

  23. TEmax of Dizziness VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmax of dizziness VAS will be reported. Dizziness VAS assesses the effect of dizziness by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm).

  24. Emax of Dizziness VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emax of dizziness VAS will be reported. Dizziness VAS assesses the effect of dizziness by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm).

  25. TA_AUE of Dizziness VAS

    Time frame: Pre-dose up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AUE of dizziness VAS will be reported. Dizziness VAS assesses the effect of dizziness by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (score of 0 mm) to 'extremely' (score of 100 mm).

  26. Emax of Any Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emax of any effects VAS will be reported. Any drug effects VAS measures other subjective effects experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (0 mm = 'definitely not') to 'extremely' (100 mm = 'definitely so').

  27. TEmax of Any Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TEmax of any effects VAS will be reported. Any drug effects VAS measures other subjective effects experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (0 mm = 'definitely not') to 'extremely' (100 mm = 'definitely so').

  28. TA_AUE of Any Effects VAS

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AUE of any effects VAS will be reported. Any drug effects VAS measures other subjective effects experienced by the participant on a 100 mm unipolar VAS, where responses are unidirectional and range from a response of 'none' (0 mm = 'definitely not') to 'extremely' (100 mm = 'definitely so').

  29. Drug Similarity VAS

    Time frame: 24 hour post-dose

    Drug similarity VAS will be reported. The Drug Similarity unipolar VAS items provide an estimate of the drug class with which drug users identify the test drug. It is a unipolar scale ranging from 0 (not at all similar) to 100 points ( very similar).

  30. Percentage of Participants with Adverse Events (AEs)

    Time frame: Up to Week 20

    An AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant administered a pharmaceutical (investigational or non-investigational) product. An AE does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the intervention.

  31. Percentage of Participants with Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)

    Time frame: Up to Week 20

    An SAE is defined as any untoward medical occurrence that: results in death, is life-threatening, requires in patient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity, leads to a congenital anomaly/birth defect in the offspring of a participant, or is an important medical event.

  32. Percentage of Participants with Abnormalities in Clinical Laboratory Parameters

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Percentage of participants with abnormalities in clinical laboratory parameters (included hematology, clinical chemistry, and routine urinalysis) will be reported.

  33. Percentage of Participants with Abnormalities in Vital Signs

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Percentage of participants with abnormalities in vital signs (included temperature, pulse/heart rate, blood pressure [diastolic and systolic]) will be reported.

  34. Emin of Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (MOAA/S) of Composite and Sum Score

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    Emin of MOAA/S of composite and sum score will be reported. The MOAA/S is an observer-rated measure of alertness/sedation that is used widely in clinical research. The MOAA/S scores range from 5 (not sedated) to 0 (unarousable). The observer's assessment of alertness/sedation scale (OAA/S) was developed to measure the level of alertness in participants who are sedated. The OAA/S is a reliable validated measure and was shown to be sensitive to different levels of sedation and is composed of 4 assessment categories that include responsiveness, speech, facial expression, and eyes. The MOAA/S includes only the Responsiveness assessment category.

  35. TA_AOE of MOAA/S of composite and sum score

    Time frame: Up to 24 hour post-dose (up to Day 2)

    TA_AOE of MOAA/S of composite and sum score will be reported. The MOAA/S is an observer-rated measure of alertness/sedation that is used widely in clinical research. The MOAA/S scores range from 5 (not sedated) to 0 (unarousable). The observer's assessment of alertness/sedation scale (OAA/S) was developed to measure the level of alertness in participants who are sedated. The OAA/S is a reliable validated measure and was shown to be sensitive to different levels of sedation and is composed of 4 assessment categories that include responsiveness, speech, facial expression, and eyes. The MOAA/S includes only the Responsiveness assessment category.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

A Single-Dose, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Crossover Study to Determine the Abuse Potential of Single Oral Dose of Seltorexant Compared To Suvorexant and Zolpidem

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Nov 3, 2021
Registry last updated
Apr 27, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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