Testing Cannabidiol against a placebo for bipolar disorder
Official title: Cannabidiol for Bipolar Depression (CBD-BD)
Cannabidiol Adjunctive Therapy for Acute Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial
Interventions
Cannabidiol
Cannabinoid
Placebo
Inactive substance
Canadian Sites (6)
UBC Mood Disorders Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
St. Joseph's Healthcare
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Providence Care Hospital
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Douglas Mental Health University Institute
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for25 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Males or females aged 19 to 70 years (inclusive).
- +All patients must be taking either a mood stabilizer (i.e. lithium or valproate; lamotrigine monotherapy as a mood stabilizer is acceptable for BD II patients only and not for BD I) OR an atypical antipsychotic OR a combination of these (two mood stabilizers or a mood stabilizer plus an atypical antipsychotic), at therapeutic doses. Medications and therapeutic doses are: lithium, serum level 0.6-1.2 mEq/L; divalproex/sodium valproate, serum level 350-700 uM/L(45-125 mcg/ml); risperidone 2-6 mg/day; olanzapine 5-30 mg/day; quetiapine IR or XR 300-900 mg/day; aripiprazole 10-30 mg/day; cariprazine 1.5-6 mg/day; and ziprasidone 80-160 mg/day. Combinations of these medications as outlined above, or the combination of any of them with lamotrigine 100-400 mg daily, or the combination of a mood stabilizer plus asenapine 5-20 mg/day are also permitted.
- +All participants are required to agree to practice highly effective methods of contraception (i.e. hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine device or system, vasectomy and tubal ligation, or double barrier methods of contraception) OR agree to completely abstain from heterosexual intercourse. Females who do not have childbearing potential are required to be postmenopausal for at least 1 year before the screening visitScreeningThe checks done before joining, to see whether a study fits.Read more → (confirmed by an FSH test) OR surgically sterile.
- +DSM-5 diagnosis of BD I or BD II, AND a current major depressive episode confirmed by MINI 7.0.2 .
- +Have received a minimum of 6-weeks treatment at adequate doses for treatment of current depressive episode with at least one CANMAT recommended first-line treatment for bipolar I disorder (i.e. lithium, lamotrigine, lurasidone, or quetiapine either as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy), or at least one first or second-line treatment for bipolar II depression (i.e. quetiapine, lithium, lamotrigine, sertraline, or venlafaxine as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy, or bupropion adjunctive therapy).
- +A MADRS score of ≥ 20 and a YMRS score of ≤ 12 (these cut off scores are standard in bipolar depression RCTs).
- +Inpatient or outpatient status.
- +The capability of understanding, consenting to and complying with study requirements.
- +All concomitant medication must be at a stable dose for two weeks prior to the randomizationRandomisedWhich group you go into is decided by chance, not by you or your doctor.Read more → visit.
Exclusion
- −Current depressive episode greater than 12 months.
- −A history of rapid cycling, defined as ≥ 4 mood episodes in the preceding 12 months.
- −Current unstable or inadequately treated medical illness with the exception of current depression.
- −Recently started taking a CANMAT-recommended treatment for the management of acute bipolar depressive episode, but has not had a trial for a minimum of 6 weeks with adequate doses.
- −Recently (i.e. within the past 8 weeks) began structured psychotherapy (i.e. cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, family-focused therapy, or interpersonal and social rhythm therapy).
- −Recently (i.e. within the past 8 weeks) started taking a stimulant medication. Concomitant treatment with stimulant medication is acceptable provided that the dose has been stable for a minimum of 8 weeks and is taken as prescribed by a physician.
- −Current use of clozapine, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and first-generation antipsychotics.
- −A history of non-response or intolerance to CBD.
- −Current or past month daily use of CBD, or any product or drug that contains CBD. Occasional users will be included if they agree to refrain from using during the trial.
- −A history of non-response to electroconvulsive therapy for the current depressive episode.
- −A current diagnosis of other primary psychiatric disorders as assessed by a study investigatorPrincipal investigatorThe doctor or researcher responsible for running the study at a site.Read more → to be primary and causing greater impairment than BD.
- −A lifetime history of a primary psychotic disorder (e.g. schizoaffective disorder, bipolar subtype) according to DSM-5 criteria.
- −Significant active suicidal ideation (as evidenced by MADRS suicide item ≥ 4).
- −Liver function tests (AST and ALT) three times the upper limit of normal.
- −Pregnancy or lactation.
- −Patients who have met the DSM-5 criteria for a substance use disorder (except for nicotine or caffeine) within the past 6 months.
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
Phase 3Phase 3A large study comparing a treatment against the current standard.Read more → — a large study comparing this against the current standard, usually across many hospitals.
What is being given or done in this study: Cannabidiol, PlaceboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more →.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
- armsInterventionsModule.interventions[].name
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
There are 2 groups in this study.
From the trial registry
Built from this field:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 19 years to 70 years.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 360 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around December 2030.
The main measurement is taken over: 6 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Improvement in depressive symptoms in bipolar patients treated with Cannabidiol vs PlaceboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → adjunctive therapy — measured over 6 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT05867849 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About CannabidiolDrug
Cannabinoid
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About PlaceboOther
Inactive substance
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a other is here: An intervention the registry did not place in another category.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: an age range of 19 years to 70 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
Yes. This study includes a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists an age range of 19 years to 70 years.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: 6 weeks.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2030-12.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 360 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists 5 locations, including: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a lifelong condition characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and (hypo)mania. Periods of chronic and recurring depressive episodes are more common and can be severely disabling. Effective treatments exist; however, a significant portion of bipolar depressed patients do not respond to or have difficulty tolerating many of these interventions and thus look beyond established treatments to achieve symptom relief. Cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical from the Cannabis sativa plant, has shown to have some beneficial effects on mood symptoms in a few small studies which assessed its effects in other mental and physical health conditions, but no large studies have been conducted to assess its safety and efficacy in bipolar depression. Additionally, several clinical studies have shown CBD to be safe and tolerable. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of cannabidiol in patients with bipolar depression (BD I or BD II) who have not responded to adequate trials with at least one first-line treatment for bipolar depression in comparison to those who will be treated with placebo. Placebo is an inactive substance that looks identical to the study medication but contains no therapeutic ingredient. This study is a randomized (like the flip of a coin), double-blind (you and the study team will not know which treatment arm you receive) study in which participants will receive either CBD or placebo added to their current treatment. Participants will have 5 clinical appointments and a phone appointment over a period of 10 weeks.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.