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RecruitingNCT06400121Updated Aug 10, 2026

Apimostinel + Automated Neurocognitive Training for Depression

A Phase 2 interventional study of Apimostinel Infusion, Intravenous and Cognitive Training in Depression, sponsored by Rebecca Price. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-10.

Sponsored by Rebecca Price · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Oct 2024; still recruiting 1 year 11 months later.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
150
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 60 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Apimostinel shows initial promise as a novel rapid-acting antidepressant medication with minimal side effects or safety concerns. Cognitive Training (CT) is a digital intervention that has shown promise in extending the durability of another similar drug (ketamine). This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy and safety of apimostinel (vs. placebo) for the acute treatment of depression, and will test the potential of CT to enhance and/or extend the durability of apimostinel's antidepressant effect.

02

Conditions studied

  • Depression

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03

In context

Depression

8,057 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,641 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 84 across 6,720 interventional studies indexed under Depression.

Browse Depression studies →

Lead sponsor

Rebecca Price is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 4 (80%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Participants of any gender are eligible
  2. Aged 18 to 60 years
  3. Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD)
  4. MADRS score ≥ 20 at screening
  5. Score >1SD above the normative mean on the Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI) "self" subscale *OR* \<1SD below the normative mean on the Rosenberg self-esteem scale
  6. Participants of childbearing potential with a negative serum pregnancy test prior to entry into the study and who are practicing an adequate method of birth control (eg oral or parenteral contraceptives, intrauterine device, barrier, abstinence) and who do not plan to become pregnant during the course of the study. Participants may be included without a negative serum pregnancy test if they are surgically sterile or at least 2 years post- menopausal. Participants who could impregnate a sexual partner should use an acceptable method of birth control during the study, from the day of dosing to 28 days following dose.
  7. Participants who could impregnate a partner and their sexual partner of childbearing potential should use an acceptable method of birth control during the study, from day of dosing to 28 days following dose.
  8. Clinical laboratory values \< 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) or deemed not clinically significant per the investigator
  9. Ability to understand the requirements of the study, provide written informed consent, abide by the study restrictions, and agree to return for the required assessments
  10. Based on the investigator's clinical judgment, participants with eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorders secondary to major depressive episodes are permitted.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Presence of lifetime bipolar, psychotic, or autism spectrum; or current problematic, moderate-to-severe substance use disorder
  2. Use of a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) within 28 days of infusion date
  3. Huntington's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, or a history of strokes or with one or more seizures without a clear and resolved etiology
  4. Currently hospitalized or residing in an in-patient facility during the study participation
  5. Acute suicidality or other psychiatric crises requiring treatment escalation, using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) as both an initial exclusion criteria (C-SSRS "Baseline/Screening" Version for past 1-month period) and as grounds for rescue/removal (C-SSRS "Since Last Visit" form). Participants with C-SSRS suicide ideation scores scored "yes" on items 4 (active suicidal ideation with some intent to act) and/or 5 (active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent) will be excluded from the study, and if enrolled, will be exited from the study and referred immediately to the nearest emergency mental health facility for additional thorough assessment and appropriate treatment referral.
  6. Changes made to treatment regimen within 28 days of drug infusion (Day 0)
  7. Reading level \<6th grade as per patient self-report
  8. Serious, unstable medical illnesses including respiratory [obstructive sleep apnea, or history of difficulty with airway management during previous anesthetics], cardiovascular [including ischemic heart disease and uncontrolled hypertension], and neurologic [including history of severe head injury diagnoses.
  9. Clinically significant abnormal findings of laboratory parameters [including urine toxicology screen for drugs of abuse], physical examination, or ECG.
  10. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled hypertension, as determined by the study physician's review of vitals collected during screening and any other relevant medical history/records.
  11. Patient has clinically significant renal dysfunction as assessed by the estimated glomerular filtration rate \<70 mL/min using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration -creatinine methodology.
  12. Patient has liver enzyme test results >2 times the upper limit of normal.
  13. Patient has resting heart rate (supine) \<60 or >100 bpm at the Screening Visit or Pre-Dose Baseline, in the absence of an etiology that, in the judgment of the investigator, is related to exceptionally good cardiovascular fitness.
  14. Patient has PR interval >250 msec at the Screening Visit or Pre-Dose Baseline
  15. Patients starting hormonal treatment (e.g., estrogen) in the 3 months prior to Screening.
  16. Patients taking medications with known activity at the NMDA or AMPA glutamate receptor [e.g., riluzole, amantadine, memantine, topiramate, dextromethorphan (including AuvelityTM), D-cycloserine, ketamine or esketamine], or the mu-opioid receptor.
  17. Patients taking any of the following medications: St John's Wort, theophylline, tramadol, metrizamide.
  18. Patients who have received ECT in the past 6 months prior to Screening.
  19. Patients currently receiving treatment with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) or repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS).
  20. Participation in any clinical trial of an investigational product or device within 30 days of enrollment in this trial
  21. Positive screen for unreported drugs of abuse, including: cocaine, PCP, opioid or other agent that in the opinion of the investigator is being abused. Positive marijuana screen is not exclusionary if use is consistent with clinical diagnostic interview findings and is seen in the absence of a moderate-to-severe substance use disorder.
  22. Participants or sexual partners of participants who are currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the course of the study
  23. Participants who are breastfeeding
  24. History of allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance to apimostinel, zelquistinel, NMDAR ligands including ketamine,dextromethorphan, memantine, methadone, dextropropoxyphene, or ketobemidone.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
150 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Apimostinel + Cognitive Training

    Drug: Apimostinel Infusion, Intravenous · Behavioral: Cognitive Training

  • Sham comparator
    Apimostinel + Sham Training

    Drug: Apimostinel Infusion, Intravenous · Behavioral: Sham Training

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo + Cognitive Training

    Behavioral: Cognitive Training · Drug: Isotonic Solution, Intravenous

Interventions

  • DrugApimostinel Infusion, Intravenous

    Single injection of Apimostinel (10mg)

  • BehavioralCognitive Training

    8 sessions of digital active training

  • BehavioralSham Training

    8 sessions of digital sham training

  • DrugIsotonic Solution, Intravenous

    Single injection of placebo

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

    interviewer-rated depression severity, comparing both apimostinel arms (collapsing active and sham CT arms) to placebo+CT arm; range 0-60; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 5 days post infusion

  2. Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

    interviewer-rated depression severity, comparing apimostinel+CT to placebo+CT arm; range 0-60; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 45 days post infusion

Secondary outcomes

  1. Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms

    Self-reported depression (range: 0-27; higher scores = worse outcome)

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 45 days post infusion

  2. Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms

    Self-reported depression (range: 0-27; higher scores = worse outcome)

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 6 months post infusion

  3. Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)

    interviewer-rated depression severity; range 0-60; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 6 months post infusion

Other outcomes

  1. Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS)

    Dissociative side effects; range=0-92; higher score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline through 120 min post infusion

  2. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale--4 item psychosis subscale (BPRS+)

    Psychotomimetic side effects; range=4-28; higher score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline through 120 min post infusion

  3. Time to onset of effect on MADRS

    Defined as the first time the MADRS score is statistically significantly different from placebo group

    Time frame: Assessed at each study visit from Day 1 to Month 6

  4. Duration of effect on MADRS

    Defined as the last time the MADRS score is statistically significantly different from placebo group

    Time frame: Assessed at each study visit from Day 1 to Month 6

  5. Response rate

    Proportion of subjects achieving response (≥ 50% reduction from the baseline MADRS score)

    Time frame: Assessed at each study visit from Day 1 to Month 6

  6. Remission rate

    Proportion of subjects achieving remission (MADRS score ≤ 9)

    Time frame: Assessed at each study visit from Day 1 to Month 6

  7. Maximum decrease in MADRS

    Defined as the mean maximum decrease from baseline in the MADRS at any study timepoint

    Time frame: Assessed at each study visit from Day 1 to Month 6

  8. Time to maximum decrease in MADRS

    Defined as the mean time (in days) at which a participant's maximum decrease from baseline in the MADRS is observed

    Time frame: Assessed at each study visit from Day 1 to Month 6

  9. Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale--Suicidal Behavior

    composite measure of # unique occurrences of any suicidal behavior including: suicide attempts, hospitalization for suicidality, suicide behaviors, or completed suicide

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 6 months post infusion

  10. Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale--Intensity of Most Severe Ideation

    suicidal ideation/thoughts; range 0-5; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline/screening through 6 months post infusion

  11. Sedation Scale

    sedation scale; range 0-4; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline through 120 min post infusion

  12. Implicit Association Test

    performance-based "target engagement" measure of implicit self-associations; range = -inf-inf; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline through 5 days post infusion

  13. Implicit Association Test

    performance-based "target engagement" measure of implicit self-associations; range = -inf-inf; high score=worse outcome

    Time frame: Trajectories from baseline through 45 days post infusion

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 10, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06400121
Lead sponsor
Rebecca Price
Collaborators
Syndeio Biosciences, Inc
Responsible party
Rebecca Price (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
May 6, 2024
Start date
Oct 28, 2024
Primary completion
Mar 1, 2029 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 1, 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 10, 2026

Study contacts

Rebecca B Price, PhD
Contact
canlab@pitt.edu
4123832150
Crystal Spotts, M.Ed.
Contact
spottscr@upmc.edu
412-246-5764
Rebecca B Price, PhD
principal investigator · University of Pittsburgh

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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