drugset / Trial / NCT04754061
PSilocybin for psYCHological and Existential Distress in PALliative Care (PSYCHED-PAL)
Phase 1/2
Active not recruiting
20 enrolled
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Bruyère Health Research Institute. · collabCHU de Quebec-Universite Laval · collabCentre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke · collabJewish General Hospital · collabKingston Health Sciences Centre · collabSt. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton · collabThe Ottawa Hospital · collabWilliam Osler Health System · collab
NaSingle-groupOpen-labelTreatment
Summary
The goal of this multi-centre phase I/II open-label, single-arm study is to determine the safety, feasibility, therapeutic dose, and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin microdosing to treat psychological distress among patients with advanced illness. Forty patients will receive psilocybin drug product (1-3mg per day, Mon-Fri) for 4 weeks to be administered via oral capsules by the participant. Feasibility (recruitment rate, rate of intervention and follow-up completion), safety (rate of adverse events), dosing, and preliminary efficacy (depression, anxiety, overall well-being, and global impression of change) will be measured.
Timeline
- Start
- 2024-01-08
- Primary completion
- 2026-10-01
- Completion
- 2027-01-01
Publications
- Background Steis MR, Evans L, Hirschman KB, Hanlon A, Fick DM, Flanagan N, Inouye SK. Screening for delirium using family caregivers: convergent validity of the Family Confusion Assessment Method and interviewer-rated Confusion Assessment Method. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Nov;60(11):2121-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.04200.x. Epub 2012 Oct 5.
- Background Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983 Jun;67(6):361-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x.
- Background Mitchell AJ, Meader N, Symonds P. Diagnostic validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in cancer and palliative settings: a meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2010 Nov;126(3):335-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.01.067. Epub 2010 Mar 5.
- Background Kamper SJ, Maher CG, Mackay G. Global rating of change scales: a review of strengths and weaknesses and considerations for design. J Man Manip Ther. 2009;17(3):163-70. doi: 10.1179/jmt.2009.17.3.163.
- Background Watanabe SM, Nekolaichuk C, Beaumont C, Johnson L, Myers J, Strasser F. A multicenter study comparing two numerical versions of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System in palliative care patients. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2011 Feb;41(2):456-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.04.020. Epub 2010 Sep 15.
- Background Galiana L, Rudilla D, Oliver A, Barreto P. The Short Demoralization Scale (SDS): A new tool to appraise demoralization in palliative care patients. Palliat Support Care. 2017 Oct;15(5):516-523. doi: 10.1017/S1478951516000973. Epub 2017 Jan 9.
- Background Templer DI. The construction and validation of a Death Anxiety Scale. J Gen Psychol. 1970 Apr;82(2d Half):165-77. doi: 10.1080/00221309.1970.9920634. No abstract available.
- Background Skevington SM, Lotfy M, O'Connell KA; WHOQOL Group. The World Health Organization's WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. A report from the WHOQOL group. Qual Life Res. 2004 Mar;13(2):299-310. doi: 10.1023/B:QURE.0000018486.91360.00.
- Background World Health Organization Division of Mental Health. WHOQOL-BREF : introduction, administration, scoring and generic version of the assessment : field trial version, December 1996. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1996
- Background Durst AV, Spencer B, Bula C, Fustinoni S, Mazzocato C, Rochat E, Rubli Truchard E, Monod S, Jox RJ. Wish to Die in Older Patients: Development and Validation of Two Assessment Instruments. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jun;68(6):1202-1209. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16392. Epub 2020 Feb 29.
- Background National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List for Patients. Version 2, dated March 11th, 2020. https://www.nccn.org/about/permissions/thermometer.aspx
- Background Anderson F, Downing GM, Hill J, Casorso L, Lerch N. Palliative performance scale (PPS): a new tool. J Palliat Care. 1996 Spring;12(1):5-11.
- Background Inouye SK, van Dyck CH, Alessi CA, Balkin S, Siegal AP, Horwitz RI. Clarifying confusion: the confusion assessment method. A new method for detection of delirium. Ann Intern Med. 1990 Dec 15;113(12):941-8. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-113-12-941.
- Background Griffiths RR, Johnson MW, Carducci MA, Umbricht A, Richards WA, Richards BD, Cosimano MP, Klinedinst MA. Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial. J Psychopharmacol. 2016 Dec;30(12):1181-1197. doi: 10.1177/0269881116675513.
- Background Ross S, Bossis A, Guss J, Agin-Liebes G, Malone T, Cohen B, Mennenga SE, Belser A, Kalliontzi K, Babb J, Su Z, Corby P, Schmidt BL. Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial. J Psychopharmacol. 2016 Dec;30(12):1165-1180. doi: 10.1177/0269881116675512.
- Downar J, Lapenskie J, Anderson K, Parsons G, Polskaia N, Lalumiere G, Lawlor P. PSilocybin for psYCHological and existential distress in PALliative care (PSYCHED-PAL): A single arm unblinded clinical trial. Palliat Med. 2026 Apr;40(4):514-523. doi: 10.1177/02692163261416269. Epub 2026 Jan 30.
Drugs
| Evaluation | Drug | Modality | Dose | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Psilocybin | Other / unclassified | 3 mg | Oral |