A Phase 2 interventional study of Cannabidiol in Neurodevelopmental Disorders With Severe Self-injuries, sponsored by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris. Not yet recruiting at 2 sites in France. Open to participants aged 5 Years to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-04.
Sponsored by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
Self-injuries includes repetitive actions directed at oneself, such as biting, hitting, hitting one's head or limbs, slapping oneself, pulling one's hair, or hitting oneself in the eyes, which can lead to severe injury. They are commonly reported in many neurodevelopmental disorders associated with intellectual development disorders. Faced with the difficulty of treating these self-mutilations, it seems essential to be able to explore new therapeutic avenues. Today, in the rare disease reference centers of the Necker-Enfants malades hospital, neuropathic pain in children, especially those suffering from genetic diseases with skin expression such as primary erythermalgia, is successfully and safely treated with cannabidiol in the event of failure of conventional therapies. It seems essential to be able to confirm the effectiveness of cannabidiol in treating self-injuries in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and to help understand the mechanisms of action that underlie it. We hypothesize that the nociceptive system is involved in the occurrence of self-injuries and as a target of action of cannabidiol to treat it.
The objective of this project is to study the effect of cannabidiol in children with severe neurodevelopmental disorders who engage in significant self-injury, both on the frequency and severity of self-injury and on nonverbal expressions of pain. We expect a positive effect on both of these parameters, as well as a correlation between a reduction in nonverbal expressions of pain and a reduction in the frequency and severity of self-injury. If our expectations are confirmed, this would contribute to expanding the use of cannabidiol, verifying its tolerability in this patient population, and understanding the factors associated with a positive response to this unconventional treatment in order to clarify its indications.
The experimental treatment is the same for all participants. It consists of a cannabidiol (CBD) solution for oral administration: EPIDYOLEX® will be administered orally in two equal doses per day, 12 hours apart, preferably with breakfast and dinner.
352 studies on the registry are indexed under Neurodevelopmental Disorders; 141 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 21 is below the median of 88 across 217 interventional studies indexed under Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Browse Neurodevelopmental Disorders studies →Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris is the lead sponsor of 3,592 studies on the registry; 1,033 are open to participants now.
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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.
Severe self-injuries during the last 7 days defined by BPI-01, i.e.:
Exclusion Criteria:
- 1. Underweight corresponding to a below the IOTF 18.5 curve on the International Obesity Task Force's body mass index curves for girls and boys 2. to the active substance (cannabidiol) or to any of the (refined sesame oil, anhydrous ethanol, sucralose, strawberry flavor, benzyl alcohol); 3. Treatment with or consumption of cannabidiol in the 12 weeks prior to inclusion; 4. Consumption of cannabis in the 12 weeks prior to inclusion; 5. Usual treatment (excluding treatment of self-injuries) containing molecules interacting with cannabidiol (rifampicin, carbamazepine, enzalutamide, mitotane, St. John's wort, clobazam, valproate, stiripentol, phenytoin, lamotrigine, everolimus, theophylline, tizanidine, bupropion, efavirenz, diflunisal, propofol, fenofibrate, gemfibrozil, morphine, lorazepam, repaglinide, warfarin, sirolimus, tacrolimus, digoxin); 6. Elevated transaminases > 3N or total > 2N; 7. Known current heart failure; 8. Known current terminal renal failure ( \< 15 ml/min/1.73 m2); 9. Known current moderate or severe hepatic insufficiency ( B or C); 10. Known current epilepsy or history of epilepsy, even stabilized, requiring treatment currently or not, whatever the type; 11. Pregnancy or breastfeeding; 12. Inability of the patient or entourage to comply with the study protocol; 13. Patient currently participating in another interventional research (category 1 or 2), clinical trial or clinical investigation, or who are in the exclusion period following him/her participation in another study of this type, as defined in the protocol of that study.
14. Participant related to a person involved in the study at the site
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.
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
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.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
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.
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.
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.
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.
Relapsed and refractory
Relapsed: the illness came back after treatment had worked. Refractory: it did not respond to treatment, or stopped responding while still on it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Childbearing potential
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
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.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
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.
Excipients
The other ingredients in a medicine besides the active drug, such as fillers, colours or preservatives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Bilirubin
A yellow substance made when red blood cells are broken down, which the liver clears. A high level can mean a problem with the liver or the bile ducts.
Criteria often allow more for people with Gilbert’s syndrome, a harmless inherited condition that raises bilirubin.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Child-Pugh class
A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.
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.
Multicentre phase II study evaluating the efficacy of CANNABIDIOL (EPIDYOLEX®) in reducing self-injuries and non-verbal expressions of pain in children and adolescents with severe neurodevelopmental disorders. The experimental treatment is the same for all participants will last 63 days.
Drug: Cannabidiol
EPIDYOLEX® will be administered orally in two equivalent doses taken 12 hours apart each day. It will be started at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day and gradually increased to 25 mg/kg/day over a titration period of 28 days. The target dose of 25 mg/kg/day will be maintained for 35 days.
Also known as: Epidyolex®
Efficacy of cannabidiol
Efficacy is evaluate by reducing the frequency of self-injuries. Cannabidiol will be considered effective at V8 Day 63 in clinically significant reductions in the frequency of self-injuries if the frequency score on the 'Self-injurious behaviour subdomain of the BPI-01 is reduced by 30% or more at the V8 Day 63 visit compared to the V2 Day 0 visit.
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol
Cannabidiol will be considered effective at Visit6 Day29 in clinically significant reduction in the frequency of self-injuries if the frequency score in the 'Self-injurious behaviour' sub-domain of the BPI-01 is reduced by 30% or more at the Visit6 Day29 visit compared with the Visit2 Day 0 visit.
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / severity of self-injuries
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day29. For this criteria: severity score in the 'Self-injurious behaviour' sub-domain of BPI-01
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / severity of self-injuries
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63. For this criteria: severity score in the 'Self-injurious behaviour' sub-domain of BPI-01
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / severity of Stereotyped behaviour
The efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day0 and visits V6 Day29. For this criteria: severity score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Stereotyped behaviour
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / severity of Stereotyped behaviour
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63. For this criteria: severity score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Stereotyped behaviour
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / frequency of Stereotyped behaviour
The efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day 29. For this criteria: frequency score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Stereotyped behaviour
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / frequency of Stereotyped behaviour
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63. For this criteria: frequency score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Stereotyped behaviour
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / severity of Aggressive/destructive behaviour
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day 29. For this criteria: severity score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Aggressive/destructive behaviour'
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / severity of Aggressive/destructive behaviour
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63. For this criteria: severity score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Aggressive/destructive behaviour'
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / frequency of Aggressive/destructive behaviour
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day 29. For this criteria: frequency score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Aggressive/destructive behaviour'
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / frequency of Aggressive/destructive behaviour
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63. For this criteria: frequency score for the BPI-01 sub-domain 'Aggressive/destructive behaviour'
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / the frequency of non-verbal expressions of pain
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day 29 in GED-DI score
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / the frequency of non-verbal expressions of pain
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63 in GED-DI score
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / quality of life
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day 29 in QI-Disability score
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / quality of life
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63 in QI-Disability score
Time frame: Day 63
Efficacy of cannabidiol / stress related to the child experienced by the parents.
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V6 Day 29 in Parental Stress Scale (PSS) score
Time frame: Day 29
Efficacy of cannabidiol / stress related to the child experienced by the parents.
the efficacy of the treatment will be assessed by the percentage change in percentage scores between visit V2 Day 0 and visits V8 Day 63 in Parental Stress Scale (PSS) score
Time frame: Day 63
Safety of EPIDYOLEX®
serious and non-serious clinical and biological adverse events
Time frame: Day 81
Correlation between the evolution of the frequency of self-injuries and the evolution of the frequency of non-verbal expressions of pain
Correlation between the evolution of the frequency of self-injuries (frequency score in the BPI-01 subdomain 'Self-injurious behaviour') and the evolution of the frequency of non-verbal expressions of pain (GED-DI score)
Time frame: Day 29
Correlation between the evolution of the frequency of self-injuries and the evolution of the frequency of non-verbal expressions of pain
Correlation between the evolution of the frequency of self-injuries (frequency score in the BPI-01 subdomain 'Self-injurious behaviour') and the evolution of the frequency of non-verbal expressions of pain (GED-DI score)
Time frame: Day 63
Plan to share: No
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Studies of the drug tested here: Cannabidiol
Neurodevelopmental Disorders →
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