Safety, Acceptability, and Feasibility of Enterade® — SAFE  

Stunting Clinical Trial

Official title: Safety, Acceptability, and Feasibility of Enterade® in Children at Risk for Environmental Enteric Dysfunction in Kakamega County, Kenya

Status Terminated

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study to determine the safety, acceptability, and feasible pediatric dosage/tolerability of enterade® solution, an amino acid-based oral rehydration solution (AA-ORS), for potential use in the management of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) among children aged 12-24 months in Kakamega County, Kenya.

Primary objectives:

1. To determine the safety of a 2-week course of AA-ORS among children with length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ) between -1 and -3.

2. To determine the feasibility and best tolerated dose of AA-ORS among children with LAZ between -3 and -1.

Secondary objectives:

3. To determine the perceptions among caregivers on the acceptability of AA-ORS as a potential intervention for EED. (Qualitative)

Exploratory objectives:

4. To determine the impact of AA-ORS on markers of metabolism, gut dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and micronutrient status among children with LAZ between -3 and - 1.

Qualitative results will not be reported on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Clinical Trial Description

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is an intestinal disorder common among people living in low-resource settings (LRS), which in children has been associated with increased risk of growth stunting, reduced cognitive development, and reduced oral vaccine responsiveness. An effective EED therapeutic would offer an opportunity to improve child growth and development in LRS. One promising intervention, enterade® (an amino acid-based oral rehydration solution [AA-ORS]), is a medical food product already sold in the United States. It consists of oral rehydration salts and a proprietary blend of amino acids designed to restore gut function, improve nutrient and electrolyte absorption, and improve barrier integrity. There is evidence that this AA-ORS reduces inflammation and promotes healing of damaged intestinal epithelium in murine models of intestinal damage (irradiated gut), and it may provide benefit to pediatric EED patients. Supplementation of amino acids may lessen or improve intestinal injury related to enteric illnesses commonly experienced in settings of poor hygiene and sanitation infrastructure. The results from this exploratory mixed-methods study could have broad implications for possible future studies among pediatric patients with intestinal injury resulting from EED and future product development and program strategies for EED interventions.

The study was terminated prematurely after study product was found on site that did not meet product specifications. Enrollment and all study product dosing was halted; previously enrolled participants were followed through planned study visits and assessments. An additional 6-week safety follow-up period was added to study procedures. No study-related adverse events were reported during per-protocol activities or from the additional 6-week follow-up. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Environmental Enteric Dysfunction
• Growth Disorders
• Stunting

• NCT number: NCT03782272
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: PATH
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 26, 2019
• Completion date: June 30, 2020