Motor Neurone Disease - Systematic Multi-Arm Adaptive Randomised Trial

Last updated: June 9, 2025
Sponsor: University of Edinburgh
Overall Status: Active - Recruiting

Phase

2/3

Condition

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Als)

Myasthenia Gravis (Chronic Weakness)

Treatment

Amantadine Hydrochloride Oral Solution

Placebo capsule

Placebo oral solution

Clinical Study ID

NCT04302870
AC18082
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

MND-SMART is investigating whether selected drugs can slow down the progression of motor neuron disease (MND) and improve survival.

The study is 'multi-arm' meaning more than one treatment will be tested at the same time. The trial started with 3 arms; drug 1 (memantine), drug 2 (trazodone) and placebo (dummy drug). A third drug, amantadine, was added in April 2023. A fourth drug, tacrolimus, was added in March 2025 in Edinburgh and across all sites in April 2025. The first two drugs, memantine and trazodone, were removed from the trial in September 2023 due to lack of benefit. The trial currently has 4 recruiting arms; amantadine, liquid placebo (matched to amantadine), tacrolimus, and tablet placebo (matched to tacrolimus). This allows the evaluation of each drug versus placebo. Participants will be randomly allocated between the treatment arms they are eligible for. Medicines being tested are already approved for use in other conditions.

MND-SMART has an 'adaptive' design. This means medicines being studied can change according to emerging results. Treatments shown to be ineffective can be dropped and new drugs can be added over the duration of the study. This will allow many treatments, over time, to be efficiently and definitively evaluated.

The medicines being tested have been selected following a rigorous process involving a systematic, unbiased, and comprehensive review of past clinical trials data, as well as information from pre-clinical research (studies in laboratories), for MND and other related neurodegenerative disorders. Drugs have been ranked for inclusion in MND-SMART by a group of independent MND experts according to set criteria. These include consideration of how the drugs work, their safety profiles, and the quality of previous studies.

New drugs will be selected for investigation in MND-SMART based on continuous review of constantly updated scientific evidence as well as findings from state-of-the-art human stem cell based drug discovery platforms. These can be added by substantial amendment to the protocol.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Participants will be considered eligible for randomisation if they fulfil all the core inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria as defined below. In addition, investigators must simultaneously check and ensure participants do not meet any of the drug specific exclusion criteria. If exclusion criteria are met for an arm, participants can still be considered for other arms and randomised accordingly to eligible arms.

Core inclusion criteria:

  • Confirmed diagnosis of MND. This includes the following subtypes: ALS by El EscorialCriteria (possible, probable, and definite) or Gold Coast Criteria, Primary LateralSclerosis, and Progressive Muscular Atrophy

  • Over 18

  • Women of childbearing potential according to CTFG guidelines must have a negativepregnancy test within 7 days prior to, or at, the baseline visit

  • Women of childbearing potential and fertile men must be using an appropriate methodof contraception to avoid any unlikely teratogenic effects of the selected drugsfrom time of consent, to 4 weeks after treatment inclusive

  • Willing and able to comply with the trial protocol and ability to understand andcomplete questionnaires

  • Written informed consent (in the case of limb dysfunction verbal consent can begiven in the presence of a witness who can sign)

Exclusion

Core Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD-MND) or any other significantpsychiatric disorder that prevents informed consent being given.

  • Alcoholism (current self-reported - at the investigator's discretion)

  • Active suicide ideation assessed using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale

  • On concurrent investigational devices and medication (including biological therapy)

  • Pregnancy or breast-feeding females

  • If ALT, ALP, bilirubin or GGT >3 times the upper limit of normal.

  • If creatinine clearance (creatinine clearance or eGFR) <35 ml/min.

  • If TSH <0.2mU/l (if possible to test free T4, then Serum free T4 >25pmol/l)

  • If corrected QT interval on 12 lead ECG >500 ms

  • Patient's diagnosed with ventricular arrhythmias, significant heart block (at theinvestigator's discretion)) or in the immediate recovery period after myocardialinfarction (< 6 weeks).

  • Patients who the PI considers will not be able to comply with the study protocol.

Amantadine Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients in the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

  • Patients with history of proven peptic ulcer confirmed on endoscopy

  • Patients with active epilepsy

  • Already taking the IMP in this comparison

  • Known hypersensitivity, including hereditary fructose intolerance, or adversereaction to the active substances and their excipients (as per SPCs for thiscomparison) or any past medical history contraindicating use of the IMP in thiscomparison

Tacrolimus Exclusion Criteria:

  • Poorly controlled hypertension (Systolic BP>180 mmHg or Diastolic BP>100mmHg)

  • Poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c>6.4% or 48mmol/mol)

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or history of QT prolongation (including familyhistory), congestive heart failure, bradyarrhythmias, and electrolyte abnormalities

  • History of bleeding disorders or significant haematological or immune diseasesincluding, congenital or acquired immune deficiency, anaemia (Hb<130g/L for malesand Hb<120 g/L in females) and thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150 × 109/L), useof other biological agents and immunosuppressant medications including oral/IVsteroids

  • Active or chronic infection (at PI discretion)

  • History of Hepatitis B or C

  • History of lymphoma and active malignancy

  • Risk of dehydration due to reduced oral intake and lack of parenteral route

  • Patient's contraindicated to tacrolimus according to SPC section 4.3

  • Use of concomitant medications that interacts with tacrolimus according to the SPC,including but not limited to strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (i.e. azoles, proteaseinhibitors) or CYP3A4 inducers (rifampicin, phenytoin, carbamazepine), barbiturates,macrolides, digoxin, statins, PPI inhibitors, ergotamine, tricyclic antidepressants,herbal supplements (St. John's wort, extracts of Schisandra sphenanthera)

  • Inability to swallow capsules

  • Already taking the IMP in this comparison

  • Known hypersensitivity, including lactose and gelatin intolerance, or adversereaction to the active substances and their excipients (as per SPCs for thiscomparison) or any past medical history contraindicating use of the IMP in thiscomparison

  • Receipt of a live attenuated vaccine within four weeks prior to receipt oftacrolimus. These include, but are not limited to live influenza vaccine (FluenzTetra), Shingles (varicella zoster virus) Zostavax, Varicella (Varilrix, Varilvax),Oral typhoid (Ty21a), and yellow fever vaccines.

Study Design

Total Participants: 1150
Treatment Group(s): 6
Primary Treatment: Amantadine Hydrochloride Oral Solution
Phase: 2/3
Study Start date:
February 27, 2020
Estimated Completion Date:
December 31, 2030

Study Description

For further information, please visit: https://mnd-smart.org/

Connect with a study center

  • Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Craigavon Area Hospital

    Portadown, County Armagh BT63 5QQ
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

    Aberdeen,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

    Birmingham, B15 2TH
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

    Brighton,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

    Bury Saint Edmunds, IP33 2QZ
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board

    Cardiff, CF14 4XW
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Clinical Research Centre , Ninewells Hospital

    Dundee,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic

    Edinburgh, EH16 4SB
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

    Exeter,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Clinical Research Facility

    Glasgow,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • NHS Highland Clinical Research Facility, Raigmore Hospital

    Inverness,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

    Ipswich, CO4 5JL
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

    London,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Royal London Hospital

    London, E1 1FR
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    London, SW17 0QT
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE7 7DN
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Norwich, NR4 7UY
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • University Hospitals of Dorset NHS Trust

    Poole,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Clinical Research Facility Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

    Salford,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Sheffield,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

  • Clinical Research Facility University Hospital Southampton

    Southampton,
    United Kingdom

    Active - Recruiting

Not the study for you?

Let us help you find the best match. Sign up as a volunteer and receive email notifications when clinical trials are posted in the medical category of interest to you.