Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2 / Phase 3INTERVENTIONAL

MitoQ for Early-phase Schizophrenia-spectrum Disorder and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Q: Who can participate in NCT06191965?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

Q: How do I contact the trial site for NCT06191965?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Q: Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Q: Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of MitoQ as Adjunctive Treatment for Patients With Early-phase Schizophrenia-spectrum Disorder and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

MitoQ for Early-phase Schizophrenia-spectrum Disorder and Mitochondrial Dysfunction (NCT06191965) is a Phase 2 / Phase 3 interventional studying Schizophrenia and Related Disorders and Mitochondrial Alteration, sponsored by Mclean Hospital. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

The goal of this double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial is to test the effect of 12 weeks of orally administered MitoQ (mitoquinol mesylate) supplementation on cognition in 50 people with early phase schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (E-SSD) who have mitochondrial dysfunction (called high risk, or HR). Cognitive impairments in SSD can cause significant disability. Yet, there are no effective treatments for cognitive impairments in SSD. It has been shown that alterations in a certain type of brain cell (parvalbumin interneurons, or PVI) underlie cognitive deficits in SSD. These PVI, which fire at a fast rate, utilize high amounts of energy from the mitochondria and are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress. MitoQ is an antioxidant. Research has shown that, in mice, MitoQ can reduce oxidative stress in the mitochondria. The main question that this clinical trial aims to answer is: • Does MitoQ supplementation, compared to placebo, improve cognition in HR patients? Secondary questions that this clinical trial aims to answer are the following: Does MitoQ supplementation, compared to placebo: * Improve positive and negative symptoms of SSD in HR patients? * Improve functioning in HR patients? * Improve/normalize blood markers of mitochondrial dysfunction in HR patients? The investigators will enroll 100 individuals with E-SSD. These enrolled participants will participate in an initial screening visit to determine if they qualify for the actual clinical trial. At the screening visit, the investigators will ask about psychiatric history to determine diagnosis; ask about medical history; do a physical exam; collect blood and urine samples; do a pregnancy test; and ask participants to bring in their current medications in their original packaging so it is known what they are taking. After the screening visit, the investigators will invite 50 HR patients (identified with a blood test) to continue with the clinical trial. Participants who qualify for the clinical trial will be asked to: * Take a supplement (MitoQ or placebo) once per day for 12 weeks in addition to their usual medications. * Come in for a study visit every 4 weeks over the 16-week study period. At these study visits, the investigators will do a physical exam; ask about symptoms and side effects; take blood and urine samples; and ask questions about general health and well-being, quality of life, mental health, emotional health, and mood. At visits 1 (baseline) and 4 (12 weeks), participants will also take a cognitive assessment.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Schizophrenia and Related Disorders and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 100 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Schizophrenia and Related Disorders subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Male or female aged 18 to 35 years old - Patients who have been diagnosed with one of the following schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: schizophreniform disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, unspecified psychosis. - Less than five years in treatment for psychosis (note that the duration of psychosis may be longer than 5 years, but this is more difficult to ascertain and therefore less reliable as an inclusion criterion). - PANSS score \< 75 - Ability to provide willing to sign a consent form. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Meeting DSM-5 criteria for any substance use disorder diagnosis in the past 6 months will be exclusionary EXCEPT tobacco and mild/moderate cannabis use disorder, which will be included - Any acute medical condition requiring actively changing treatment (e.g., autoimmune disorders, acute infections, HIV/AIDS, cancer, renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, or abnormal thyroid findings). Individuals with chronic medical conditions that are stable will not be excluded (e.g., person with hypothyroidism who is taking thyroid hormone replacement and has TSH levels within the normal range; person with well-managed diabetes; etc.) - Epilepsy or another seizure disorder - Intellectual disability (e.g., history of IQ \< 70). - Under legal guardianship - Not English speaking. The questionnaires, instruments, cognitive assessments used in this research study have not been translated, validated, or studied extensively in non-English-speaking individuals. For this reason, we will not enroll individuals who do not speak English to maintain validity in the study. - MitoQ allergy - Treatment with antioxidants: omega3 (fish oil), Vitamin E, Vitamin C, multivitamins, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) within the last 14 days. If the treatment is taken without prescription, we will ask the patient to stop using it for at least 14 days to become eligible for the present study. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female aged 18 to 35 years old * Patients who have been diagnosed with one of the following schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: schizophreniform disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, unspecified psychosis. * Less than five years in treatment for psychosis (note that the duration of psychosis may be longer than 5 years, but this is more difficult to ascertain and therefore less reliable as an inclusion criterion). * PANSS score \< 75 * Ability to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Meeting DSM-5 criteria for any substance use disorder diagnosis in the past 6 months will be exclusionary EXCEPT tobacco and mild/moderate cannabis use disorder, which will be included * Any acute medical condition requiring actively changing treatment (e.g., autoimmune disorders, acute infections, HIV/AIDS, cancer, renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, or abnormal thyroid findings). Individuals with chronic medical conditions that are stable will not be excluded (e.g., person with hypothyroidism who is taking thyroid hormone replacement and has TSH levels within the normal range; person with well-managed diabetes; etc.) * Epilepsy or another seizure disorder * Intellectual disability (e.g., history of IQ \< 70). * Under legal guardianship * Not English speaking. The questionnaires, instruments, cognitive assessments used in this research study have not been translated, validated, or studied extensively in non-English-speaking individuals. For this reason, we will not enroll individuals who do not speak English to maintain validity in the study. * MitoQ allergy * Treatment with antioxidants: omega3 (fish oil), Vitamin E, Vitamin C, multivitamins, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) within the last 14 days. If the treatment is taken without prescription, we will ask the patient to stop using it for at least 14 days to become eligible for the present study. * Children and adolescents, pregnant women, women who have the intention to become pregnant during the course of the study, and breastfeeding women are excluded from the study. This is because no MitoQ pharmacokinetic data are available in pediatric populations, pregnancy or breastfeeding. * Lack of safe contraception, defined as: female participants of childbearing potential, not using and not willing to continue using a medically reliable method of contraception for the entire study duration, such as oral, injectable, implantable contraceptives, or intrauterine contraceptive devices, or who are not using any other method considered sufficiently reliable by the investigator in individual cases. Female participants who are surgically sterilized/hysterectomized or post-menopausal for longer than 2 years are not considered as being of childbearing potential. * Enrollment of study staff, their family members, and other dependent persons

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

MitoQ

MitoQ is a synthetic analogue of coenzyme Q10. It is produced by the company Antipodean Pharmaceuticals and is formulated as a stable yellow powder suitable for oral formulation, prepared as capsules of white color. It is a commercial dietary supplement sold over the counter as an antioxidant, to be taken orally once or twice a day. It has subsequently been tested for various clinical conditions in humans. 1. Molecular formula: C38H47O7PS (C37H44O4P.CH3O3S) 2. CAS number: 444890-41-9 (phosphonium cation) 3. Molecular weight: 678.81 4. MitoQ capsules: The standard commercial posology is a 20 mg daily dose. All formulations are produced following Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards (https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality\_safety/quality\_assurance/TRS986annex2.pdf?ua=1). 5. MitoQ will be administered in oral capsules provided by the manufacturer Antipodean Pharma, to be taken once daily, one hour before breakfast. The daily dose will be 2 pills, i.e., 40 mg MitoQ.

DRUG

Placebo

Placebo pills in identical appearance to the MitoQ capsules will be produced and provided by Antipodean Pharma and given to the patients in the control arm two per day to be taken one hour before breakfast. The composition of the placebo is tapioca starch, microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose, silica-colloidal anhydrous, purified water, carrageenan, and pectin.

Locations (3)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Yale School of Medicine

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

McLean Hospital

Belmont, Massachusetts, United States

University of Lausanne

Lausanne, Switzerland

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06191965), the sponsor (Mclean Hospital), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06191965 clinical trial studying?

Who can participate in NCT06191965?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06191965?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06191965. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06191965. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.