Metformin Treatment in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Double-blind, Placebo Controlled Trial of Metformin Treatment in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05349474
• Other study ID #: 22-000020
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Start date: April 26, 2022
• Est. completion date: May 26, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: May 2023
• Source: University of California, Los Angeles
• Contact: Kevin R Patel, MD
• Phone: 310 205 2176
• Email: KevinPatel[@]mednet.ucla.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of metformin for treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis

Description:

This will be a single site 1:1 randomized, placebo controlled trial of metformin treatment vs matching placebo in 44 men and women with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and secondary multiple sclerosis, without diabetes, not treated with metformin aged 30-65. The trial will last 12 months and have 3 study visits, baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. The trial will be preceded by a screening period. Over the initial 30 day titration period subjects will be titrated from 500 mg a day to 2,000 mg of metformin in increments of 500 mg every 10 days. Patients will remain on their tolerated dose and included in analysis on an intent to treat basis. Brain MRI, cognitive testing and clinical measures will be collected at baseline, month 6 and month 12. OCT will be collected at baseline and month 12. The primary outcomes are the following safety outcomes: 1) number of patients with adverse events 2) number of patients with laboratory abnormalities 3) number of patients with new T2 lesions on MRI. The secondary outcomes include reduction in localized cortical thinning on brain MRI; reduction in thalamic atrophy on brain MRI. Further exploratory outcomes include 1) improvement in SDMT-oral score, 2) improvement in CVLT-II score, 3) improvement in PACC score 4) improvement in PASAT score. Exploratory outcomes include 1) Decrease in plasma neurofilament light chain levels, 2) Reginal nerve fiber layer preservation on OCT, 3) Ganglion cell inner plexiform layer preservation, and 4) Percentage of phase rim lesions.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 44
• Est. completion date: May 26, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: May 26, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 30 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patient signed informed consent.

2. Age 30-65

3. Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis or Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis as defined by the 2017 McDonald Criteria

4. Intent to maintain current MS disease modifying treatment through the trial duration

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Clinical relapse in prior 12 months

2. New T2 lesion or gadolinium enhancing lesion in prior 12 months

3. Glucocorticoid use in prior six months outside the context of premedication for disease modifying treatment

4. Changes in disease modifying therapy in prior three months

5. Plans to change current disease modifying therapy

6. Contraindication to MRI, inability to tolerate MRI

7. Use of metformin for any other indication

8. Renal dysfunction (GFR < 60)

9. Hepatic dysfunction (AST or ALT > 1.5 x upper limit of normal)

10. B12 deficiency

11. Prior poor reaction to metformin

12. Congestive heart failure

13. Alcohol abuse

14. Metabolic acidosis

15. Females who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant during the 12 months of enrollment, or who wish to breastfeed during any part of the 12 months of enrollment

16. Concomitant use of drugs with drug-drug interactions with metformin

17. Previous adverse effect with metformin treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive
• Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
• Sclerosis
• Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Intervention

Drug:
• Metformin 500 Mg Oral Tablet, up to 4 tablets a day
Metformin 500 mg oral tablets to be titrated to 2000 mg/day divided over two doses or maximum tolerated dose
• Placebo oral tablet identical to metformin, up to 4 tablets a day
Placebo tablets identical to metformin tablets. To be titrated to four tablets divded over two doses or maximum tolerated dose

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles	California

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of California, Los Angeles

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	improvement in SDMT-oral score between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	improvement in SDMT-oral score between comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Other	improvement in CVLT-II score between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	improvement in CVLT-II score between comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Other	improvement in PACC score between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	improvement in PACC score between comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Other	improvement in PASAT score between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	improvement in PASAT score between comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Other	decrease in plasma neurofilament light chain levels between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	decrease in plasma neurofilament light chain levels comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Other	decrease in number of phase rimmed lesions between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	decrease in number of phase rimmed lesions comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Primary	number of patients with adverse events between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	number of patients with adverse events comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Primary	number of patients with laboratory abnormalities between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	number of patients with laboratory abnormalities comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Primary	number of patients with new T2 lesions on MRI from baseline to conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	number of patients with new T2 lesions comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Secondary	a reduction in localized cortical thinning on brain MRI between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	a reduction in localized cortical thinning on brain MRI comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12
Secondary	a reduction in thalamic atrophy on brain MRI between baseline and conclusion (month 0 and month 12)	a reduction in thalamic atrophy on brain MRI comparing the two treatment groups	between month 0 and month 12