A Proof of Concept Study of Intravenous Sodium Nitroprusside in Adults With Symptomatic Schizophrenia

Inclusion Criteria

Each subject must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for this study:

• Males or Females aged 18-65 years inclusive.
• Primary diagnosis of Schizophrenia established by a structured psychiatric evaluation (SCID) based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Forth Edition (DSM-IV-TR) criteria.
• Written informed consent in compliance with 21 CFR part 50 and in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Guidelines.
• A Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) (Kay et al., 1994) total score ≥ 70 with a score of > 4 on two or more of the following PANSS items: delusions, conceptual disorganization, hallucinatory behavior, suspiciousness, and unusual thought content.
• A score of ≥4 on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) (Guy, 1976).
• Confirmation of both diagnosis and severity of psychosis symptoms by an independent MGH SAFER interview.
• Must have ongoing antipsychotic treatment for at least 8 weeks, with a stable dose for at least 4 weeks. Subjects who have failed to achieve clinically-recognized symptom reduction to at least 1 marketed antipsychotic agent, given at a Physician Desk Reference (PDR)-defined therapeutic dose for ≥ 8 weeks during the past 12 months, as assessed by the MGH FAST, will be eligible
• Understands and is able, willing, and (in the opinion of the investigator) likely to fully comply with the study procedures and restrictions.

Exclusion Criteria

Subjects who meet any of the following criteria will be excluded from the study:

• Subjects with a history of renal insufficiency, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias or history of myocardial infarction.
• Subjects with a history of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension defined as sitting to standing systolic blood pressure < 90mmHg or diastolic blood pressure < 60mm Hg with any of the following symptoms: lightheaded or dizzy upon standing, blurry vision, weakness, fainting (syncope), confusion, or nausea.
• Subjects with any clinically significant abnormalities as determined by medical history, physical exam, clinical and lab evaluation suggestive of an underlying disease state that may, in the opinion of the investigator, confound the results of study, increase risk to the subject, or lead to difficulty complying with the protocol.
• Subjects on chlorpromazine, PDE-5 inhibitors, nitrites and any medication with CNS effects with the exception of antipsychotic drugs (other than chlorpromazine) anticholinergics, b-adrenergic antagonists, amantadine, biperiden, diphenhydramine, lorazepam, zolpidem, and temazepam.
• Medications which in the opinion of the PI, and in conjunction with the medical monitor, may be expected to significantly interfere with the metabolism or excretion of sodium nitroprusside, and/or may be associated with a significant drug interaction with sodium nitroprusside that may pose a significant risk to subjects' health and/or confound the study data.
• Pregnant or breast-feeding patients. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test performed at screening visit prior to randomization and prior to baseline at visits 3 and 6. Women enrolled in this trial must use adequate birth control.
• Subjects with a current (within the last 3 months) DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of alcohol or substance use disorder or dependence (excluding nicotine) as established by the clinical assessment (SCID) at the screening visit will be excluded.
• Has tested positive for any of the following: cannabis, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates methadone, methamphetamine and phencyclidine at the screening or baseline visits. If positive, the urine drug toxicology screen may be repeated once based on investigator judgment, but due to safety concerns, the result must be negative for the subject to continue in the study.
• Subjects at imminent risk of suicide or injury to self or others, as per the opinion