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NCT Number: NCT04601038

Trial of CORT108297 to Attenuate the Effects of Acute Stress in the Allocortex (CORT-X)

CORT-X will examine if mitigation of stress-mediated pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a feasible target for intervention in individuals at risk for this disease. This single-site (Baltimore, Maryland) phase II clinical trial is a 2-week, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study of the effects of the selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, CORT108297, on cognitive test performance in 26 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and in 26 cognitively normal individuals with an increased risk for AD due to family history, genetics, and/or subjective memory complaints. All subjects will participate in a brief stressor (public speaking and mental arithmetic) and provide saliva samples so investigators can measure stress hormone response. Then, following 2 weeks of treatment with placebo or CORT108297, in counterbalanced order, participants will complete cognitive tests assessing memory and executive function. All study participants will receive CORT108297 and placebo over the course of this 10-week trial that requires 6 in-person study visits. The primary aims will compare the effects of CORT108297 to placebo on cognitive test performance in individuals with MCI due to AD and in individuals at risk for AD, and describe the side effects of CORT108297 in study participants. Secondary aims will identify subject characteristics that predict positive response to study drug.

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Key information

Age range

55 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Nick Bienko, MA

CONTACT

[email protected]

410-550-2036

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Individuals must meet criteria for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease according to National Institute on Aging (NIA)/Alzheimer's Association recommendations OR be cognitively normal based on clinical and cognitive assessment in the Enrollment Visit and have at least one of the following risk factors for AD:

  • Known to have at least 1 apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele;
  • Subjective cognitive concerns with a T score < 40 on the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire Satisfaction Scale;
  • A first-degree relative with dementia.

Inclusion criteria

for all subjects:

  • At least 55 years of age;
  • Body mass index >17 and <30;
  • Post-menopausal (if female)
  • Non-smoker;
  • Availability of a study partner who has frequent contact with the subject (10+ hours/week in person and by telephone), and is able to provide an independent evaluation of functioning;
  • Fluent English speaker;
  • Good general health with no disease expected to interfere with the study;
  • Willing and able to participate for the duration of the study.

Exclusion criteria

for all subjects:

  • Participation in a therapeutic clinical trial at any time during the study;
  • Abnormal corrected QT interval using Bazett's formula (QTcB; defined as > 450 ms for men and > 470 ms for women) as determined on ECG;
  • Any significant neurologic disease other than suspected incipient Alzheimer's disease, such as Parkinson's disease, multi-infarct dementia, Huntington's disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor, progressive supranuclear palsy, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, or history of significant head trauma followed by persistent neurologic deficits or known structural brain abnormalities, including lacunes in critical memory structures including the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex;
  • Bipolar disorder within the past 1 year;
  • History of alcohol or drug dependence;
  • Any significant systemic illness or unstable medical condition, which could lead to difficulty complying with the protocol;
  • General surgery within the last 3 months;
  • Sensory impairment (poor vision or hearing) significant enough to interfere with ability to provide valid cognitive test data;
  • Treatment within the last six months with neuroleptics, sedative hypnotics, or glucocorticoids;
  • Treatment within the last six months with medications metabolized by the CYP2C9 or CYP2C19 enzymes, most notably clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors;
  • Concurrent use of a CYP3A inhibitor, including grapefruit juice, and St. John's Wort;
  • Exceptions to these guidelines may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the PI.

Treatment and study plan

CORT108297

Drug

120mg of a selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, taken as 2 tablets daily for 2 weeks

Placebo

Drug

Placebo taken as 2 tablets daily for 2 weeks

Primary outcomes

  1. Memory as assessed by pattern separation task performance after 2 weeks of treatment with CORT108297

    Time frame: After 2 weeks of treatment

    Percent of correct responses to the "lure" items on the pattern separation task, with 100% indicating a perfect score

  2. Memory as assessed by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Edition (HVLT-R) after 2 weeks of treatment with CORT108297

    Time frame: After 2 weeks of treatment

    Total number of words recalled in trials 1, 2, 3, and the delayed recall trial of the HVLT-R, with scores ranging from 0 (no words recalled) to 48 (all 12 words recalled after each of the trials)

  3. Executive functioning as assessed by the Trail Making Test (TMT), part B after 2 weeks of treatment with CORT108297

    Time frame: After 2 weeks of treatment

    Number of seconds required to complete part B of the TMT, with lower scores indicating better performance

  4. Executive functioning as assessed by the Digit Span Task (digit span backwards) after 2 weeks of treatment with CORT108297

    Time frame: After 2 weeks of treatment

    Total number of correct responses on the backwards trials of the Digit Span Task, with scores ranging from 0 (no trials correct) to 14 (perfect score)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Cynthia A Munro, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

410-550-6271

Nicholas Bienko, MS

CONTACT

[email protected]

410-550-2036

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Collaborators

  • Private Philanthropic Funds

Registry information

Official study title

Phase II Trial of CORT108297 to Attenuate the Effects of Acute Stress in the Allocortex (CORT-X)

Acronym: CORT-X

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Oct 23, 2020
Registry last updated
Jul 13, 2026

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

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

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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