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Trial registered on ANZCTR
Registration number
ACTRN12621000436875
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
19/02/2021
Date registered
16/04/2021
Date last updated
3/04/2023
Date data sharing statement initially provided
16/04/2021
Date results provided
3/04/2023
Type of registration
Prospectively registered
Titles & IDs
Public title
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of repeated microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in healthy volunteers
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Scientific title
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to study the effects of repeated microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on creativity and brain activity in healthy adult males.
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Secondary ID [1]
303516
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Nil
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Universal Trial Number (UTN)
U1111-1221-5135
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Trial acronym
MDLSD
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Linked study record
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Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Major depressive disorder
320837
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Condition category
Condition code
Mental Health
318662
318662
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0
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Depression
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Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
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Description of intervention(s) / exposure
10 mcg Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
Dissolved in water in 1 ml oral syringes.
One dose taken every three days. Repeated 14 times for a 41 day regimen.
Adherence will be monitored by participants sending video recordings of each dose administration to the study team
Mid Study Amendment: Participants are offered entry into a titration protocol if the received dose is not being well tolerated.The titration protocol is started at 5 mcg and increased at +1 mcg per dose until either a maximum of 10 mcg is reached or less if that is the maximum dose acceptably tolerated by that participant.
Mid Study Amendment 2: In the event that a participant has to self-isolate due to the pandemic, as an alternative to withdrawal, the treatment regimen may be paused for up to ten days for that participant.
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Intervention code [1]
319799
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Treatment: Drugs
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Comparator / control treatment
Water in 1 ml oral syringes
One dose taken every three days. Repeated 14 times for a 41 day regimen.
Adherence will be monitored by participants sending video recordings of each dose administration to the study team
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Control group
Placebo
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Outcomes
Primary outcome [1]
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Creative thinking as assessed with the Alternate Uses Test
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Assessment method [1]
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Timepoint [1]
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Baseline, Day 1 (3 hours post first administration) and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Primary outcome [2]
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Open-mindedness as assessed with the Big Five Inventory-2 (Openness subscale)
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Assessment method [2]
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Timepoint [2]
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Baseline and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Primary outcome [3]
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Convergent thinking as assessed with the Remote Associates Task
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Assessment method [3]
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Timepoint [3]
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Baseline, Day 1 (3 hours post first administration) and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [1]
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EEG - mismatch negativity
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Assessment method [1]
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Timepoint [1]
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Baseline, Day 1 (2 hours post first administration) and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [2]
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EEG - long-term potentiation
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Assessment method [2]
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Timepoint [2]
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Baseline, Day 1 (2 hours post first administration) and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [3]
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Openness to experience as assessed with the Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale
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Assessment method [3]
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Timepoint [3]
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Baseline and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [4]
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Creativity as assessed with the Consensual Assessment Technique
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Assessment method [4]
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Timepoint [4]
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Baseline, Day 1 (3 hours post first administration) and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [5]
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Daily mood questionnaire. VAS scales completed on mobile phone.
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Assessment method [5]
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Timepoint [5]
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Day 1 through 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [6]
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Concentration of LSD in blood plasma
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Assessment method [6]
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Timepoint [6]
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Day 1 of regimen
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Secondary outcome [7]
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Profile of Mood States
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Assessment method [7]
392106
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Timepoint [7]
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Day 1 of regimen
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Secondary outcome [8]
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Heart rate measured with blood pressure monitor
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Assessment method [8]
392107
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Timepoint [8]
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Baseline, Day 1 and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [9]
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Blood pressure measured with blood pressure monitor
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Assessment method [9]
392108
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Timepoint [9]
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Baseline, Day 1 and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [10]
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Depression as measured with the DASS42
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Assessment method [10]
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Timepoint [10]
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Baseline and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [11]
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Acute drug effects as measured with Visial Analog Scales
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Assessment method [11]
393047
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Timepoint [11]
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Day 1
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Secondary outcome [12]
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Stress as measured with the DASS42
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Assessment method [12]
394133
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Timepoint [12]
394133
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Baseline and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Secondary outcome [13]
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Anxiety as measured with the DASS42
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Assessment method [13]
394134
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Timepoint [13]
394134
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Baseline and Day 43 (2 days after last administration)
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Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
• Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the trial.
• Males aged 25-60 years inclusive.
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Minimum age
25
Years
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Maximum age
60
Years
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Sex
Males
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Can healthy volunteers participate?
Yes
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Key exclusion criteria
• Current use of any prescribed psychotropic medication.
• Significant renal or hepatic impairment as judged by study clinicians.
• Cardiovascular conditions including abnormal heart rate or blood pressure to be checked at screening. A threshold of exceeding 160 mmHg (systolic) and 90 mmHg (diastolic), averaged across four assessments taken on the screening day will be used.
• Any unstable medical or neurologic condition.
• Current or past history schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, or bipolar I or II disorder as assessed by the Standard MINI
• Imminent risk of suicide as determined by The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
• Lifetime presence of major depressive disorder as assessed by the MINI.
• Current diagnosis of PTSD, anxiety and panic disorders, OCD, dysthymic disorder, anorexia, and bulimia
• Body-weight <50kg or > 120kg
• Substance dependence in the previous 3 months as assessed with a New Zealand modified version of the NM-ASSIST
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Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
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Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
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Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
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Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
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Masking / blinding
Blinded (masking used)
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Who is / are masked / blinded?
The people receiving the treatment/s
The people administering the treatment/s
The people assessing the outcomes
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Intervention assignment
Parallel
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Other design features
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Phase
Phase 1
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Type of endpoint/s
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Statistical methods / analysis
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Recruitment
Recruitment status
Completed
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Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
1/05/2021
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Actual
19/04/2021
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Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
16/04/2022
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Actual
1/03/2022
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Date of last data collection
Anticipated
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Actual
26/04/2022
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Sample size
Target
80
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Accrual to date
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Final
80
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Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1]
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New Zealand
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State/province [1]
23481
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Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1]
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Government body
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Name [1]
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Health Research Council of New Zealand
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Address [1]
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Health Research Council of New Zealand
PO Box 5541,
Victoria Street West,
Auckland 1142
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Country [1]
307929
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New Zealand
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Primary sponsor type
University
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Name
The University of Auckland
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Address
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
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Country
New Zealand
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Secondary sponsor category [1]
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None
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Name [1]
308654
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Address [1]
308654
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Country [1]
308654
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Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
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Ethics committee name [1]
307930
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HDEC Southern
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Ethics committee address [1]
307930
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Health and Disability Ethics Committees Ministry of Health 133 Molesworth Street PO Box 5013 Wellington 6011
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Ethics committee country [1]
307930
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New Zealand
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Date submitted for ethics approval [1]
307930
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Approval date [1]
307930
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19/11/2019
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Ethics approval number [1]
307930
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Summary
Brief summary
“Microdosing” refers to repeated administration of psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin in doses below the threshold for overtly altering perception. There is a growing microdosing subculture and grey literature suggesting that this practice can enhance creativity and productivity, improve mood and favourably modify personality traits. These claimed effects are similar to those observed in clinical studies, in which participants receive much larger, perception-altering doses of LSD or psilocybin. However, there are as yet no controlled, scientific studies of the psychological or physiological effects of repeated psychedelic home-self-administered microdosing. Given the powerful nature of placebo and expectancy effects on self-reports, controlled trials are required to objectively evaluate the effects of microdoses of psychedelic drugs in humans. In this study, we will conduct a randomised controlled trial of repeated microdoses of LSD under schedules similar to those suggested in the grey literature. 80 healthy volunteers will be randomised to receive repeated doses of either inactive placebo or LSD (10 µg oral) under double-blind conditions in a parallel groups design. A variety of physiological and psychological measures will be recorded at baseline and after completion of each of a six-week dosing regimen. Measures will include a validated personality scale and tests of creativity. Electroencephalography will be used to directly measure brain function in each participant before and after treatment. Our results will enable a rigorous evaluation of the purported benefits of psychedelic microdosing and will be relevant to the question of whether microdosing may be a viable alternative treatment regimen for depression, where full psychedelic doses are currently being investigated in clinical trials.
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Trial website
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Trial related presentations / publications
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Public notes
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Contacts
Principal investigator
Name
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A/Prof Suresh Muthukumaraswamy
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Address
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School of Pharmacy
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
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New Zealand
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Phone
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+64 09 3737599
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Fax
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Email
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[email protected]
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Contact person for public queries
Name
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Suresh Muthukumaraswamy
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Address
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School of Pharmacy
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
108963
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New Zealand
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Phone
108963
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+64 09 3737599
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Fax
108963
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Email
108963
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[email protected]
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Contact person for scientific queries
Name
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Suresh Muthukumaraswamy
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Address
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School of Pharmacy
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
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Country
108964
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New Zealand
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Phone
108964
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+64 09 3737599
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Fax
108964
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Email
108964
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[email protected]
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Data sharing statement
Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?
Yes
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What data in particular will be shared?
Individual participant data underlying published results only, etc.
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When will data be available (start and end dates)?
Immediately following publication, no end date;
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Available to whom?
Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal
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Available for what types of analyses?
Any purpose
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How or where can data be obtained?
access subject to approvals by Principal Investigator (
[email protected]
)
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What supporting documents are/will be available?
No Supporting Document Provided
Doc. No.
Type
Citation
Link
Email
Other Details
Attachment
10762
Study protocol
[email protected]
10763
Informed consent form
[email protected]
Results publications and other study-related documents
Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.
Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.
Download to PDF