Acadia Hospital’s clinical trials program is expanding from Alzheimer’s disease research into general psychiatry. Northern Light Clinical Research Center and Clifford Singer, MD, DFAPA are conducting a clinical trial for patients with OCD.   They agreed to do this study because of the clinical needs of this patient population and their familiarity with the study drug.  Acadia Hospital is the only site in Maine recruiting for the trial, so they will have a state-wide reach. The study drug is trorilozole, which reduces glutamate hyperexcitability and may have anti-anxiety and neuroprotective effects.   They have been involved with this drug in Alzheimer’s disease trials and find that it is well tolerated.

The IRB-approved OCD trial is funded by Biohaven (New Haven, CT) and is listed on www.clinicaltrials.gov.  Potential subjects (age 18-65) must have a primary diagnosis of OCD with moderately severe symptoms (Y-BOCS at least 22) despite treatment with SSRI or SNRI. This is both a 10-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a 48-week open label extension augmentation of the SSRI/SNRI. This means that everyone receives study drug for at least 48 weeks. There are certain psychiatric or medical co-morbid conditions which are exclusionary. Subjects receive a modest stipend for participation. Please write to Cindy Whited (cwhited@northernlight.org)  with questions or contact Dr. Singer directly to refer a patient for screening.