This clinical trial aims to demonstrate that metformin can prevent clinical disability in patients with progressive MS by stopping or slowing down neurodegeneration by enhancing endogenous remyelination. Patients will continue their DMT treatment: metformin or placebo will be used as add-on study treatment.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease leading to focal and diffuse damage of myelin sheath and axons in the central nervous system (CNS). Pathophysiologically, the adaptive and innate immune system are involved in the inflammatory process, while mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and failure of remyelination are important mechanisms leading to chronic neurodegeneration. Despite currently available disease modifying treatments (DMTs) that target the immune system, patients continue to accumulate disability. Unfortunately, no neuroprotective or remyelinating agents are available to treat progressive MS. Hence, drugs to tackle disease progression in MS represent a major unmet need. In this respect, metformin is a very interesting drug to investigate in MS patients as a neuroprotective and remyelinating therapy. Several preclinical studies in animal models of MS have shown that metformin has both anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and remyelinating properties. A clinical study with metformin in a limited sample of MS patients did not demonstrate significant adverse events. The aim of this clinical trial is to provide evidence for the neuroprotective and remyelinating effects of metformin (I) in MS patients (P) via measurement of clinical and MRI outcome measures (O), via a multicentre randomized placebo-controlled (C) clinical trial.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
120
Metformin Hydrochloride oral tablets 850 mg t.i.d. or b.i.d.
Placebo matching Metformin Hydrochloride oral tablets t.i.d. or b.i.d.
AZ Sint-Jan Brugge
Bruges, Belgium
Antwerp University Hospital
Edegem, Belgium
University Hospital Ghent
Ghent, Belgium
National MS Center Melsbroek
Melsbroek, Belgium
Noorderhart
Overpelt, Belgium
Change in walking speed
Change in walking speed as measured by the Timed 25 Foot Walk (T25FW) between baseline and 96 weeks of treatment
Time frame: From baseline to 96 weeks
Change in cognitive function
Change in cognitive function as measured by Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) between baseline and 96 weeks of treatment
Time frame: From baseline to 96 weeks
Change in hand function
Change in hand function as measured by Nine-Hole Peg Test (9HPT) between baseline and 96 weeks of treatment
Time frame: From baseline to 96 weeks
Change in EDSS
Change in Expanded Disability Status Scale. The EDSS is a disability scale that ranges in 0.5-point steps from 0 (normal) to 10.0 (death) and is determined based on functional system scores (FSS) that are assigned after a standardized clinical neurological examination.
Time frame: From baseline to 96 weeks
Change in brain volume
Change in brain volume (whole brain volume and gray matter volume) from baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Time frame: From baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Change in T2 lesion volume
Change in T2 lesion volume from baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Time frame: From baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Change in T1 lesion volume
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Change in T1 lesion volume from baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Time frame: From baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Change in brain magnetic resonance imaging diffusion tensor imaging (MRI-DTI) metrics
Change in brain MRI-DTI metrics from baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks
Time frame: From baseline to 48 weeks, from baseline to 96 weeks and from 48 to 96 weeks