Ecopipam Treatment of Tourette Syndrome

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects must have TS based on the clinician-administered DCI for TS.
• Subjects must exhibit both motor and vocal tics.
• Subjects must have exhibited tics for >5 years.
• Subjects must have a minimum score of 20 at both Screening and Baseline (just prior to the first treatment) on the YGTSS.
• Subjects must be age ≥ 18 years.
• Women must be postmenopausal (> 12 months without menses) or surgically sterile (ie, by hysterectomy and/or bilateral oophorectomy) or must be using effective contraception (ie, oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, double barrier method of condom and spermicide) and agree to continue use of contraception for the duration of their participation in the study. Women of childbearing potential must agree to use contraception for 30 days after their last dose of study drug.
• Sexually active male subjects must use a barrier method of contraception during the study and agree to continue the use of male contraception for at least 30 days after the last dose of study drug.
• Subject must execute a written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects who have unstable medical illness or clinically significant abnormalities on laboratory tests, or ECG at Screening.
• Subjects with a major depressive episode in the past 2 years
• Subjects with a history of attempted suicide
• Subjects with clinically significant suicidality (score of ≥ 2 on Item 3 for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D])
• Subjects with a first-degree relative with a major depressive episode that resulted in any psychiatric hospitalization, attempted or completed suicide
• Subjects with a history of seizures.
• Subjects with a myocardial infarction within 6 months.
• Women of childbearing potential who are currently pregnant or lactating.
• Subjects who have a need for medication (other than ecopipam) with possible effects on TS symptoms (ie, lithium, naltrexone, methylphenidate, or psychostimulants), unfavorable interactions with ecopipam (ie, dopamine agonists [including bupropion]), or monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
• Subjects with a lifetime history of bipolar disorder type I or II, dementia, schizophrenia, or any psychotic disorder determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis-I Disorders (SCID).
• Subjects with current or recent (past 3 months) DSM-IV substance abuse or dependence (with the exception of nicotine).
• Subjects with positive urine drug screen (cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), benzodiazepines, barbiturates, phencyclidine (PCP), opiates) at Screening. Subjects with urine positive only for benzodiazepines and/or marijuana (ie, a user but not an abuser as based on DSM-IV criteria) may be eligible.
• Subjects who have had previous treatment with ecopipam.

• Subjects who have had treatment with:

  • investigational medication or depot neuroleptics within 3 months
  • fluoxetine within 6 weeks
  • other psychotropics with possible effects on TS symptoms (ie, lithium, or naltrexone) within 2 weeks prior to Screening.
  • oral neuroleptics within 2 weeks
  • selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors unless the dosage has been stable for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to study start