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JNJ-42165279

Phase 2

Autism Spectrum Disorder | Small molecule | Psychiatry |Johnson & Johnson|Last Updated: Apr 29, 2025

Success Probability

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Trial Design

RandomizedDouble-BlindPLACEBO_CONTROLLEDDMC
Total Trials1
Total Enrollment78

FDA Designations

No designations recorded

Clinical trial landscape

JNJ-42165279 · 8 trials · 5 indications

Phase 2 3Phase 1 5
NCT03664232A Study to Investigate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of JNJ-42165279 in Adolescent and Adult Participants With Autism Spectrum DisorderAutism Spectrum Disorder
COMPLETED78 Analytics
NCT02498392An Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability Study of JNJ-42165279 in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder With Anxious DistressDepressive Disorder
COMPLETED161 Analytics
NCT02432703A Safety and Efficacy Study of JNJ-42165279 in Participants With Social Anxiety DisorderPhobic Disorders
COMPLETED150 Analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
A Study to Investigate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of JNJ-42165279 in Adolescent and Adult Participants With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum DisorderUnlock trial analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
An Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability Study of JNJ-42165279 in Participants With Major Depressive Disorder With Anxious Distress
Depressive DisorderUnlock trial analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
A Safety and Efficacy Study of JNJ-42165279 in Participants With Social Anxiety Disorder
Phobic DisordersUnlock trial analytics

Study Endpoints

Primary Endpoints

Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Autism Behavior Inventory (ABI) Core Domain Score (Social Communication and Restrictive Behaviour)
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

ABI:62-item questionnaire to track outcomes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Each item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions: quality (how well person carries out particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score=severe symptoms/more frequency. ABI core domain score was from 2 domains: social communication (23 items; 3 sub-domains) and repetitive/restrictive behavior (RRB;15 items; 4 sub-domains). Domain and sub-domain scores: calculated as average of non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by number of non-missing items); scores ranged from 0 to 3, higher scores=more severe symptoms of ASD. ABI core domain score=sum of social communication and RRB domain scores divided by total number of items in these 2 domains. Negative changes in ABI core domain score=improvement.

Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Social Communication Domain Score
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

ABI was 62-item questionnaire completed on a web/mobile application or on paper. It tracks outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. The ABI social communication domain score consisted of 23 items; with 3 sub-domains. The domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). For both domains and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. Negative change in score indicates improvement.

Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Repetitive/Restrictive Behavior (RRB) Domain Score
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

ABI is 62-item questionnaire completed on a web/mobile application or on paper. It tracks outcomes in ASD. Each ABI item was answered on 1 of 2 possible dimensions, quality (how well a person carries out a particular behavior; 1 to 13 items) or frequency (how often a particular behavior occurs; 14 to 62 items). Each item was rated on scale of 0 (never) to 3 (very often) for frequency and 0 (without help) to 3 (not at all) for quality. Higher score indicated severe symptoms/more frequency. The ABI RRB domain score consisted of 15 items; with 3 sub-domains. The domain and sub-domain scores were calculated as the average of the non-missing items (ie, sum of all non-missing items divided by the number of non-missing items). For both domains and its sub-domains, scores ranged from 0 to 3 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms of ASD. Negative change in score indicates improvement.

Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2) Total T-Score
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85

SRS-2: 65-item scale measured extent of autistic social impairment and included 5 subscales: social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, and restricted interests and repetitive behavior. Each of 65 items had 4 responses: not true, sometimes true, often true, and almost always true. Scoring value for each item was 0 to 3. If a response to an item was missing, then pre-defined median value for item (0 or 1) was imputed. SRS-2 was not scored if 7 or more item responses were missed. Total raw score was sum of item response values. Each subscale was obtained by adding response values and converted total raw score to standardized T-score based on gender and rater (parent or caregiver). Total T-score was categorized: within normal limits (\<=59), mild (60 to 65), moderate (66 to 75) and severe (\>=76). For total score T-score, higher scores=more severe symptoms. SRS T-score had mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. Negative changes in T-scores=improvement.

Double-blind Treatment Period: Change From Baseline in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17) Total Score at Week 6 (eITT Population)
Baseline and Week 6

HDRS17 is clinician-administered rating scale designed to assess severity of symptoms in participants diagnosed with depression. Each of 17 items is rated by clinician on either 3-point (0-2) or 5-point (0-4) scale with rating of 0: absent, 1: doubtful to mild, 2: mild to moderate, 3: moderate to severe, and 4: very severe. A total score (0 to 52) was calculated by adding scores of all 17 items. For each item as well as total score, higher score represents more severe condition.

Double-blind Treatment Period: Change From Baseline in HDRS17 Total Score at Week 6 (fITT Population)
Baseline and Week 6

HDRS17 is a clinician-administered rating scale designed to assess severity of symptoms in participants diagnosed with depression. Each of the 17 items is rated by clinician on either a 3-point (0 to 2) or a 5-point (0 to 4) scale which used a rating of 0: absent, 1: doubtful to mild, 2: mild to moderate, 3: moderate to severe, and 4: very severe. HDRS17 total score is calculated as sum of 17 item scores and ranges from 0 to 52. For each item as well as the total score, higher scores indicate greater severity of depression.

Change From Baseline in Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) Total Score
Baseline and Week 12

The LSAS is a 24-item, semi-structured interview on the severity of Social Anxiety Disorder. The LSAS separately assesses fear and avoidance of 24 social situations. The scale is divided into 2 subscales, 13 situations concerning performance anxiety, and 11 situations pertaining to social situations. The 24 items are first rated on a Likert Scale from 0 to 3 on fear felt during the situations (0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3= severe), and then the same items are rated regarding avoidance of the situation (0=never, 1=occasionally, 2=often, 3=usually) with higher scores indicating greater social anxiety. The LSAS fear/anxiety and avoidance subscale was calculated by summing the 24 fear/anxiety and avoidance item scores of the LSAS, and ranges from 0 to 72. Combining the total scores for the Fear and Avoidance sections provides an overall score with a maximum of 144 points and a minimum of 0 points. Higher scores indicated higher probability of social anxiety disorder (SAD).

Part 1: Number of Participants with Adverse Events (AEs) as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability
Screening up to Day 4

An adverse event (AE) is any untoward medical occurrence in a participant who received study drug without regard to possibility of causal relationship.

Part 2: Number of Participants with Adverse Events (AEs) as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability
Day -1 up to approximately 28 days

An adverse event (AE) is any untoward medical occurrence in a participant who received study drug without regard to possibility of causal relationship.

Part 1: Plasma Concentration of JNJ-42165279
Up to Day 4

Plasma concentration of JNJ-42165279 will be reported.

Part 2: Plasma Concentration of JNJ-42165279
Up to Day 14

Plasma concentration of JNJ-42165279 will be reported.

Part A: Compartmental Model of the Volume of Distribution of 11C-MK-3168 in Brain by Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Day 1

Uptake, distribution, and clearance of 11C-MK-3168 in the brain and plasma of healthy male participants will be evaluated by PET scan and arterial sampling.

Part B: Dose Dependent Occupancy of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) After Single Dose of JNJ-42165279
Up to 5 weeks

Occupancy of the FAAH in brain by JNJ-42165279 will be evaluated by comparing the distribution volume of 11C-MK-3168 after single dose JNJ-42165279 to the distribution volume at baseline.

Part C: Dose and Time Dependent Occupancy of FAAH After Repeat Dose of JNJ-42165279
Upto 5 weeks

Occupancy of FAAH in brain by JNJ-42165279 at steady state will be evaluated by comparing the distribution volume of 11C-MK-3168 at Tmax after single dose JNJ-42165279 and then at trough after dosing for seven days with JNJ-42165279 to the distribution volume prior to treatment.

Maximum Observed Plasma Concentration (Cmax) of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

The Cmax is defined as maximum observed analyte concentration.

Time to Reach Maximum Observed Plasma Concentration (Tmax) of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

The Tmax is defined as actual sampling time to reach maximum observed analyte concentration.

Area Under the Plasma Concentration-Time Curve From Time Zero to Time at Last Observed Quantifiable Concentration (AUCt) of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

AUCt is area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration.

Area Under the Plasma Concentration-Time Curve From Time Zero to Infinite Time (AUC[0-infinity])of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

The AUC(0-infinity) is area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinite time, calculated as the sum of Area under Curve (AUC) last and C(last)/lambda(z), in which C(last) is the last observed quantifiable concentration.

Terminal Rate Constant (Lambda[z]) of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

Lambda(z) is defined as terminal rate-constant which reflect the speed of drug elimination in vivo (within the living), and is estimated by log-linear regression analysis of the terminal phase of the plasma concentration versus time curve for at least 3 points.

Elimination Half-Life Period (T1/2) of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

The Elimination Half-Life Period (T1/2) is the time measured for the plasma concentration to decrease by 1 half to its original concentration. It is associated with the terminal rate-constant (lambda\[z\]) of the semi logarithmic drug concentration-time curve, and is calculated as 0.693/lambda(z).

Relative Bioavailability (Frel) of JNJ-42165279
Day 1 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 2 (24, 36 hours), Day 3, Day 4, Day 8 (Pre-dose and post-dose 0.25, 0.50, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, hours), Day 9 (24, 36 hours), Day 10, and Day 11

Relative bioavailability is the percentage of the administered dose that is systemically available.

Plasma concentrations of JNJ-42165279
2 weeks
Urine concentrations of JNJ-42165279
2 weeks
Concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of JNJ-42165279
2 weeks
The number of participants with adserve events as a measure of safety and tolerability
Approximately 8 weeks
Brain activity patterns in the amygdala (almond-shaped part of the brain associated with motivation and emotional behavior)
Day 4

BOLD-fMRI percent signal changes during an Emotional Face Processing task.

Secondary Endpoints

Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Mood and Anxiety Domain Score
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85
Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Challenging Behavior Domain Score
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85
Change From Baseline to Day 85 in the ABI Self-Regulation Domain Score
Baseline (Day 1) to Day 85
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Study Design & Arms

AllocationRANDOMIZED
MaskingDOUBLE
ModelPARALLEL
PurposeTREATMENT

Treatment Arms

ArmTypeDescription
JNJ-42165279EXPERIMENTALParticipants will self-administer 25 milligram (mg) JNJ-42165279 tablets orally twice daily for 12 weeks.
PlaceboPLACEBO_COMPARATORParticipants will self-administer matching placebo tablets orally twice daily for 12 weeks.
Responders-PlaceboPLACEBO_COMPARATORParticipants who responded in the placebo lead-in period will be administered with Matching Placebo orally.
Responders-JNJ-42165279EXPERIMENTALParticipants who responded in the placebo lead-in period will be administered with JNJ-42165279 orally at a dose of 25 milligrams (mg) tablets once daily for 6 weeks.
Non Responders-PlaceboPLACEBO_COMPARATORParticipants who did not respond in the placebo lead-in period will be administered with Matching Placebo orally.
Non Responders-JNJ-42165279EXPERIMENTALParticipants who did not respond in the placebo lead-in period will be administered with JNJ-42165279 orally at a dose of 25 mg tablets once daily for 6 weeks.
Part 1: Single Dose PartEXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive a single oral dose of 25 mg JNJ-42165279 or placebo tablet under fasted condition in the morning on Day 1.
Part 2: Multiple Dose PartEXPERIMENTALAfter a washout period of at least 10 days, same participants from Part 1 will receive multiple daily dosing of 25 mg JNJ-42165279 or placebo tablet for 10 days.
Part AEXPERIMENTAL3 to 5 participants will undergo Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/computed tomography scan after administration of 11C-MK-3168 on Day 1.
Part BEXPERIMENTAL3 to 12 participants will undergo PET scan after administration of 11C-MK-3168 on Day 1. Participants will receive 2 single doses of JNJ-42165279: 100 mg on Days 1 and up to 250 mg on Day 8. Participants will undergo PET scans after 1 hour of each administration of JNJ-42165279 on Days 1 and 8, with 11C-MK-3168 administration.
Part CEXPERIMENTAL4 to 8 participants will undergo PET scan after administration of 11C-MK-3168 on Day 1. Participants will receive once daily dose of JNJ-42165279 (up to 100 mg) from Day 1 to Day 7. Participants will undergo PET scans after 24 hour of administration of JNJ-42165279 on Days 1 and 7, with 11C-MK-3168 administration.
Period 1EXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive a single 30-mg dose of JNJ-42165279 on Day 1.
Period 2EXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive itraconazole 200 mg once a day from Day 4 to Day 10. A single oral 30-mg dose of JNJ-42165279 will be administered on Day 8 along with the dose of 200 mg itraconazole.
Cohort A (Part 1)EXPERIMENTALHealthy male participants, 18 to 55 years of age.
Cohort B (Part 1)EXPERIMENTALHealthy male participants, 18 to 55 years of age.
Cohort C (Part 2)EXPERIMENTALHealthy female participants of nonchildbearing potential (surgically sterile or postmenopausal), 18 to 58 years of age.
Cohort D (Part 2)EXPERIMENTALHealthy elderly male or female participants, from 65 to 85 years of age.
JNJ-42165279 (100 mg)EXPERIMENTAL -

Interventions

NameTypeDescription
JNJ-42165279DRUGParticipants will receive 25 mg JNJ-42165279 orally twice daily for 12 weeks.
PlaceboDRUGParticipants will receive a matching placebo orally twice daily for 12 weeks.
11C-MK-3168DRUGParticipants will receive 11C-MK-3168 in the target range of 185 to 370 megabecquerel (MBq) intravenously (into a vein) before every positron emission tomography scan in Parts A, B, and C.
ItraconazoleDRUGParticipants will receive itraconazole 200 mg (2 capsules) once a day orally on Days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 (Period 2).
JNJ-42165279 50 mgDRUGJNJ-42165279 50 mg orally administered once daily for 10 days.
JNJ-42165279 100 mgDRUGJNJ-42165279 100 mg orally administered once daily for 10 days.
JNJ-42165279 30 mgDRUGJNJ-42165279 30 mg orally administered once daily for 10 days.
JNJ-42165279 (100 mg)DRUGJNJ-42165279 (100 mg/day) will be orally administered once daily for 4 consecutive days.
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Eligibility Criteria

Age Range13 Years to 35 Years
SexALL
Healthy VolunteersNo
Study Sites9

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria and made or confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2) (minimum score of 8 \[autism spectrum\]) *...

Countries:United StatesMoldovaRussiaSpainUkraineUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaBelgium
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Frequently asked questions about JNJ-42165279

What is JNJ-42165279 used for?

JNJ-42165279 is an investigational small molecule being studied for psychiatric conditions, including social anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder with anxious distress, and autism spectrum disorder. It has been evaluated in Phase 2 clinical trials for these indications, as well as in a Phase 1 study in healthy participants.

Who makes JNJ-42165279?

JNJ-42165279 is being developed by Johnson & Johnson, a company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker JNJ. The company has sponsored clinical trials of the drug across multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and several European nations.

What phase is JNJ-42165279 in?

JNJ-42165279 has completed Phase 2 clinical trials for social anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder with anxious distress, and autism spectrum disorder. It has also completed a Phase 1 study in healthy Japanese male participants. The drug remains investigational and is not approved by regulatory authorities.

What clinical trials has JNJ-42165279 been in?

JNJ-42165279 has been studied in several completed trials. NCT02432703 evaluated its safety and efficacy in social anxiety disorder. NCT02498392 assessed its efficacy in major depressive disorder with anxious distress. NCT03564379 investigated its safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy Japanese males. NCT03664232 examined its efficacy in autism spectrum disorder.

Is JNJ-42165279 the same as any other drug?

JNJ-42165279 is the sole name provided for this investigational compound. No alternative names have been associated with it in the clinical trial records. The drug is identified by this unique designation across all its studies.

What is the mechanism of action of JNJ-42165279?

The specific molecular target of JNJ-42165279 has not been disclosed in the available clinical trial information. The drug is classified as a small molecule and is being investigated for its effects on psychiatric disorders, but its precise mechanism of action is not publicly detailed.