A Phase 2 interventional study of MDMA in Cancer and Adjustment Disorders, sponsored by Sunstone Medical. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-04.
Sponsored by Sunstone Medical · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to assess feasibility, tolerability and preliminary effectiveness of MDMA-assisted therapy for adjustment disorder (AD) in 10 dyads of patients with cancer and a concerned significant other (CSO) (20 participants total).
Participants will undergo an 8-week treatment period which will include two doses of MDMA, two Preparatory Sessions and four Integrative Sessions of non-drug therapy.
This open-label single site concurrent mixed-method phase 2 pilot trial will assess the feasibility, tolerability and preliminary effectiveness of MDMA-assisted therapy for adjustment disorder (AD) in 10 dyads of patients with cancer and a concerned significant other (CSO) (20 participants total). The intervention will include two doses of MDMA, administered during the Treatment Period with manualized therapy. This 8-week Treatment Period includes two Preparatory Sessions and four Integrative Sessions of non-drug therapy.
10,818 studies on the registry are indexed under Neoplasms; 2,324 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 60 across 7,703 interventional studies indexed under Neoplasms.
Browse Neoplasms studies →Sunstone Medical is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Have a history of arrhythmia, other than premature atrial contractions (PACs) or occasional PVCs in the absence of ischemic heart disease, within 12 months of screening.
Participants with a history of atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia or any other arrhythmia associated with a bypass tract may be enrolled only if they have been successfully treated with ablation and have not had recurrent arrhythmia for at least one year off all antiarrhythmic drugs, and confirmed by a cardiologist.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
On an ECG, the QT interval is the time the heart’s lower chambers take to activate electrically and recover in each beat. QTc is that time adjusted for heart rate (QTcF by Fridericia’s formula, QTcB by Bazett’s). Some medicines lengthen it, and a long QTc can raise the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.
The study may name a correction formula and a limit in milliseconds, often around 450–480.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Postmenopausal
Periods have stopped for good: usually no period for 12 months in a row without another medical reason, sometimes confirmed by a blood test (FSH).
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis C tests
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
QT and QTc
On an ECG, the QT interval is the time the heart’s lower chambers take to activate electrically and recover in each beat. QTc is that time adjusted for heart rate (QTcF by Fridericia’s formula, QTcB by Bazett’s). Some medicines lengthen it, and a long QTc can raise the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.
The study may name a correction formula and a limit in milliseconds, often around 450–480.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive two doses of MDMA, administered during the Treatment Period with manualized therapy. This 8-week Treatment Period includes two Preparatory Sessions and four Integrative Sessions of non-drug therapy.
Drug: MDMA
On 2 separate treatment visits, participants will receive dosing of 100 mg MDMA HCl (\~84 mg MDMA) + 40 mg MDMA HCl (\~34 mg MDMA) supplement unless tolerability issues arise from the first dose or the participant declines
Also known as: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
To assess the effectiveness of the intervention on Adjustment Disorder and relationship functioning in patients with cancer and a CSO.
The study will assess participants scores on The Adjustment Disorder New Module - 20 items (ADNM-20) from baseline to the primary time point (Visit 10, week 8 ± 2 days).
Time frame: 8 weeks ± 2 days
To assess the effectiveness of the intervention on Adjustment Disorder and relationship functioning in patients with cancer and a CSO.
The study will assess participants scores on the Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-16) scores from baseline to the primary time point (Visit 10, week 8 ± 2 days).
Time frame: 8 weeks ± 2 days
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 1)
Cancer patient: Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 2)
Cancer Patient: Pain Interference Scale (PIS)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 3)
Cancer patient: Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 4)
Cancer patient: MAC scale
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 5)
Cancer patient and concerned significant other: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS A and D)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 6)
Cancer patient: Posttraumatic stress disorder CheckList-5 - Specific stressor (PCL-S)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 7)
Cancer patient and concerned significant other: Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 8)
Cancer patient and concerned significant other: Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 9)
Cancer patient: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being 12 (FACIT-sp)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 10)
Cancer patient: Demoralization scale II (DS-II)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 11)
Cancer patient: Life Attitude Profile - revised, Death acceptance subscale (LAP-R; SAHD)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 12)
Cancer patient: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 13)
Cancer patient: Family relationship Index (FRI)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 14)
Cancer patient and concerned significant other: Social Isolation Scale (SIS)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 15)
Cancer patient and concerned significant other: Everyday/illness-related disclosure (ELID)
Time frame: 24 weeks
To assess the effect on psychological distress, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), relationship functioning and health-related quality of life in both patients and their concerned significant other (scale 16)
Concerned significant other: CareGiver Oncology Quality of Life questionnaire (CarGOQoL)
Time frame: 24 weeks
Started Oct 2022 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Oct 2026, 48 months after the start.
Of 335 non-industry phase 2 interventional studies under Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 58 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 36 and three quarters within 99. This study's planned 48 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 514 studies reached it within 52 months; a quarter within 33 and three quarters within 92.
Neoplasms covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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Studies of the drug tested here: N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
Sunstone Medical