Clinical Trial Characterizing the Bioavailability of 1-Octanol in Adults With Ethanol-responsive Essential Tremor

Summary

OVERVIEW Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder affecting 0.4% of the general population and up to 14% of people 65 years and older. Response to medications such as beta blockers and primidone may be of benefit, but are often accompanied by intolerable side effects. Response to ethanol, on the other hand, has a roughly 80% chance of significant tremor reduction, though daily use of this as a treatment has potentially serious medical, social, and legal consequences. The leading hypothesis for ET pathophysiology is an unmasking of spontaneous oscillations originating in neurons of the inferior olive. Both ethanol and 1-octanol have been shown to reduce these spontaneous oscillations in an animal model of ET; however, 1-octanol does this at a dose much lower than that leading to intoxication, suggesting in may be useful in the treatment of essential tremor. Our initial studies with 1-octanol have shown it to be safe at dosages up to 64mg/kg without signs of intoxication, while at the same time showing benefit. OBJECTIVE We plan to evaluate the efficacy of different 1-octanol formulations in humans based on accelerometry and spirography. We will also evaluate drug and metabolite bioavailabilities using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection method from plasma and urine samples. STUDY POPULATION We will study adult subjects with ethanol-responsive Essential Tremor (ET). DESIGN This study is designed as a two-phase unblinded inpatient study of adults with ET receiving weight-adjusted oral dosages of 2 different formulations of 1-octanol in a crossover fashion. Phase I of the study is designed to develop an octanol detection assay using HPLC. Four subjects will receive daily escalating dosages (1-32 mg/kg) of a single 1-octanol formulation followed by a crossover trial of both formulations at a dosage of 64 mg/kg. Phase II will study 20 subjects receiving one of the two formulations at 64 mg/kg on inpatient day 1 followed by a 24 hour period of close monitoring. The second formulation will be given on day 3 and the patient will again undergo close monitoring for 24 hours. OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measures for the study will be efficacy based on tremor ratings from accelerometry and spirography. Secondary outcome measures will be the determination of bioavailability, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles of octanol #61864 and octanol #68751 and their metabolites.

Timeline

Start

2005-01

Primary completion

2009-09

Completion

2009-09

Publications

• Background Bikson M, Ghai RS, Baraban SC, Durand DM. Modulation of burst frequency, duration, and amplitude in the zero-Ca(2+) model of epileptiform activity. J Neurophysiol. 1999 Nov;82(5):2262-70. doi: 10.1152/jn.1999.82.5.2262.
• Background Busenbark KL, Nash J, Nash S, Hubble JP, Koller WC. Is essential tremor benign? Neurology. 1991 Dec;41(12):1982-3. doi: 10.1212/wnl.41.12.1982.
• Background Bushara KO, Goldstein SR, Grimes GJ Jr, Burstein AH, Hallett M. Pilot trial of 1-octanol in essential tremor. Neurology. 2004 Jan 13;62(1):122-4. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000101722.95137.19.
• Background Fahn S, Tolosa E, Marín C. Clinical rating scale for tremor. In: Jankovic J, Tolosa E, editors. Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1993. p. 225-34.
• Results Nahab FB, Wittevrongel L, Ippolito D, Toro C, Grimes GJ, Starling J, Potti G, Haubenberger D, Bowen D, Buchwald P, Dong C, Kalowitz D, Hallett M. An open-label, single-dose, crossover study of the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of two oral formulations of 1-octanol in patients with essential tremor. Neurotherapeutics. 2011 Oct;8(4):753-62. doi: 10.1007/s13311-011-0045-1.

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