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RecruitingNCT06617312CytisiniclineUpdated Dec 3, 2025

Examining the Effects of Cytisinicline on Neural Substrates of Cigarette Cue-reactivity

A Phase 2 interventional study of Cytisinicline and Placebo Oral Capsule in Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Use Disorder, sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-03.

Sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Dec 2024; still recruiting 1 year 10 months later.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
64
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study will randomize 64 non-treatment seeking individuals who smoke cigarettes daily in a double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study testing the effects of cytisinicline on the neural substrates of cigarette cue reactivity.

Read the detailed description

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of cytisinicline on neural substrates of cigarette cue-reactivity. We will randomize 64 adults who smoke cigarettes daily (N=32 cytisinicline, N=32 placebo; 50% female) into a double-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory study of cytisinicline. Specifically, participants will complete a 2- to 3-week outpatient protocol that includes taking cytisinicline (3 mg, 3 times daily) or matched placebo (0 mg, 3 times daily) and completing a brief daily diary assessment of cigarette use and craving. Following 2- to 3-weeks of cytisinicline (or placebo) treatment, participants will complete a cigarette cue-exposure task during fMRI. Total study participation will be approximately 4 weeks.

02

Conditions studied

  • Smoking Cessation
  • Tobacco Use Disorder

Keywords

  • smoking cesstion
  • tobacco use disorder
  • cigarette smoking
  • fMRI
  • cytisinicline
03

In context

Smoking Cessation

304 studies on the registry are indexed under Smoking Cessation; 139 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 64 is below the median of 154 across 285 interventional studies indexed under Smoking Cessation.

Browse Smoking Cessation studies →

Lead sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles is the lead sponsor of 1,142 studies on the registry; 192 are open to participants now.

Of its 91 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 66 (73%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. be between the ages of 18 and 65 and provide informed consent;
  2. smoke 5 or more combustible cigarettes per day;
  3. not seeking treatment for smoking;

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. current use of other smoking cessation aid (bupropion, varenicline, nortriptyline, NRT);
  2. more than 3 months of smoking abstinence in past year;
  3. use of non-cigarette tobacco product (pipe tobacco, cigars, smokeless tobacco, hookah) or electronic cigarettes more than 5 times in the 28-days prior to enrollment;
  4. current use of psychoactive drug (excluding cannabis), as determined by urine toxicology;
  5. current (past 12-month) DSM-5 diagnosis of substance use disorder for any substances other than tobacco and mild cannabis or mild-to-moderate alcohol use disorders;
  6. lifetime history of psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, or major depression with suicidal ideation;
  7. current suicidal ideation or lifetime history of suicide attempt;
  8. serious medical illness within past 3 months, including recent history of acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stroke, cerebrovascular incident, or hospitalization for congestive heart failure;
  9. medical condition that may interfere with safe study participation;
  10. renal impairment defined as a creatinine clearance (CrCl) greater than 60 mL/min (estimated with the Cockroft-Gault equation);
  11. exceed Grade 2 laboratory abnormalities, based on FDA Guidance Document "Toxicity Grading Scale for Healthy Adult and Adolescent Volunteers Enrolled in Preventive Vaccine Clinical Trials";
  12. uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure ≥160/100 mmHg);
  13. abnormal electrocardiogram;
  14. non-removable ferromagnetic object in body;
  15. claustrophobia;
  16. serious head injury or period of unconsciousness (more than 30 minutes);
  17. more than 250lbs;
  18. Be pregnant, nursing, or planning to become pregnant while taking part in the study; and must agree to one of the following methods of birth control (if female), unless she or partner are surgically sterile:

    • Oral contraceptives
    • Contraceptive sponge
    • Patch
    • Double barrier
    • Intrauterine contraceptive device
    • Etonogestrel implant
    • Medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection
    • Hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring
    • Complete abstinence from sexual intercourse;
  19. have experienced adverse effects to varenicline;
  20. have an intense fear of needles or have had an adverse reaction to needle puncture.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator)
Enrollment
64 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cytisinicline

    3mg cytisinicline oral capsule 3 times daily for 2-to-3 weeks

    Drug: Cytisinicline

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    matched to experimental drug

    Drug: Placebo Oral Capsule

Interventions

  • DrugCytisinicline

    Targets α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

  • DrugPlacebo Oral Capsule

    Matched to active drug, cytisinicline

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activation to cigarette cues during fMRI task

    Participants will complete a cigarette cue-exposure task during fMRI. In this paradigm, participants are exposed to videotaped cues of smoking and control, non-cigarette related, content. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activation to cigarette (vs. non-cigarette control ) cues will be calculated.

    Time frame: From enrollment to end of treatment at 2-to-3 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. In-scanner cigarette cue-induced subjective craving

    In-scanner cigarette cue-induced subjective craving ratings will be obtained following each cue exposure during the fMRI task.

    Time frame: From enrollment to end of treatment at 2-to-3 weeks

  2. Subjective cigarette craving during outpatient period

    Subjective cigarette craving, as assessed via daily diary self-report assessments, during the outpatient medication period

    Time frame: From enrollment to end of treatment at 2-to-3 weeks

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • University of California Los Angeles
    Los Angeles, California 90049, United States
    Recruiting
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 3, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06617312
Lead sponsor
University of California, Los Angeles
Responsible party
Lara Ray, PhD (Professor, University of California, Los Angeles) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 27, 2024
Start date
Dec 5, 2024
Primary completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 3, 2025

Study contacts

Dylan E Kirsch, PhD
Contact
dylankirsch@psych.ucla.edu
(310) 206-6756

Oversight

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

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