Myo-inositol for Reduction of Insulin Therapy in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (MYO-GDM)

Reduction of Insulin Therapy Under Myo-inositol for the Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Randomized Multicenter and Prospective Trial. MYO-GDM Study

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as hyperglycemia first-diagnosed during pregnancy. Glycemic control reduces GDM-related complications. With the new diagnostic criteria of GDM, up to 25% of pregnant women have GDM, whereas it was previously 6-10% in France. Therefore caring for women with GDM is very time-consuming. Therapeutic strategy includes dietary and lifestyle measures and additional insulin therapy for 15 to 40% of the women with GDM if the glycemic targets are not achieved after a period of 1 to 2 weeks of diet. Insulin therapy is imperfect for the following main reasons: need for education (i.e. subcutaneous administration, dose titration), hypoglycemia and weight gain, limited acceptance and high cost. Psychosocial deprivation is associated with more cases of GDM and health accessibility may be unequal.

MYO-INOSITOL (MI) is an oral dietary supplement, which reduces insulin resistance. Women with GDM are deficient in MI. MI supplementation safely prevents GDM by 65 to 87% in high-risk women. A pilot study has shown a 75% reduction of the need for insulin during GDM not controlled by diet.

The coordinator investigator propose here, for the first time, a randomized controlled study evaluating MI versus placebo in women with newly diagnosed GDM.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Myo Inositol; Other: Placebo

Detailed Description

Prospective, multicenter, superiority, randomised, double blind study with two arms.

1. In the 23 participating centers selection of women with GDM between 6 to 37 (+6 days) amenorrhea weeks
2. Explanation of protocol, with signature of consent in case of acceptation.

3. Randomization

   • Experimental group: The women will receive 2 caps of MI with acid folic a day, until delivery
   • Control group: The women will receive 2 caps of placebo (containing only acid folic) a day, until delivery

   In both arms, the participants will be routinely followed up during pregnancy:

   • diet education,
   • self-monitoring of blood glucose before and after meals
   • and during follow-up insulin therapy if glucose value targets are unmet

4. Routine monitoring of the women with GDM in both arms, up to delivery, without use of other oral hypoglycemic agents during pregnancy.

   At delivery:

   • MI (or placebo) will be stopped
   • Events during pregnancy will be collected
5. Last visit three months after delivery. Oral glucose tolerance test, anthropometric measures for women and their child.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1080
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Bobigny, France, 93000
    • Hopital Avicenne
  • Bobigny, France
    • Hopital Avicenne

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18 years
• Singleton pregnancy

• GDM diagnosed during pregnancy according to IADPSG (International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups) criteria, i.e.

  • fasting plasma glucose between 92 mg/dL (5.1 mmol/L) and 125 mg/dL (6.9 mmol/L)
  • and/or 1-hour plasma glucose value after 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) ≥ 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L)
  • and/or 2-hour plasma glucose value between 153 mg/dL (8.5 mmol/L) and 199 mg/dL ((11.0 mmol/L)
• or overt diabetes according to 2-hours post OGTT plasma glucose value ≥ 200 mg/dl
• 6 to 37 (+6 days) amenorrhea weeks at the time of randomization
• Capacity for self-monitoring of blood glucose
• Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Insulin use before randomization during this pregnancy
• Use of other oral hypoglycemic agents during this pregnancy
• Long time corticosteroid treatment
• Pre-existing diabetes before pregnancy
• Overt diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy according to fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/l)
• Lack of Social Insurance
• Insufficient French understanding and speaking
• Participant in another investigational drug study at inclusion visit
• Fetal malformation diagnosed by previous fetal ultrasound
• Personal history of any bariatric surgery
• Hypersensitivity to any ingredient of dietary supplement formulation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Myo Inositol; The women will receive 2 caps of Myo Inositol with acid folic a day, until delivery	Dietary supplement: Myo Inositol; One soft gel capsule containing MI 600 mg and folic acid 200 μg twice a day, until delivery.; Other Names: INOFOLIC
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; The women will receive 2 caps of placebo (acid folic) a day, until delivery	Other: Placebo; One soft gel capsule of placebo (folic acid 200 μg) twice a day until delivery.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of patients requiring insulin therapy during pregnancy	Rate of patients requiring insulin therapy (either basal or prandial). .	At any time during pregnancy up to delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
- Rate of patients requiring basal insulin therapy during pregnancy- /Rate of patients requiring prandial insulin therapy during pregnancy	This information will be retrieved from the glucose meter, and if not available, from the woman's diary	At any time during pregnancy up to delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.
- Doses of basal and prandial insulin at delivery- Gestation age when insulin is began - Duration of insulin treatment	Dose of basal insulin (UI) at delivery, if any; Dose of prandial insulin (UI) at delivery, if any; Gestational age (SA) when basal insulin is started.; Gestational age (SA) when prandial insulin is started; Duration of basal insulin treatment at delivery, if any; Duration of prandial insulin treatment at delivery, if any	At delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.
Gestational weight gain	Gestational weight gain (Kg) during pregnancy; Gestational weight gain (Kg) between inclusion and delivery	At any time during pregnancy up to delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.
Hypoglycemia	Severe hypoglycemia: requiring assistance of another person to actively administer carbohydrates, glucagon, or take other corrective actions. Plasma Glucose concentrations may not be available during an event, but neurological recovery following the return of plasma/capillary glucose to normal is considered sufficient evidence that the event was induced by a low plasma/capillary glucose concentration.; Documented symptomatic hypoglycemia: event during which typical symptoms of hypoglycemia are accompanied by a measured capillary glucose concentration <70 mg/dL (<3.9 mmol/L).; Asymptomatic hypoglycemia: event not accompanied by typical symptoms of hypoglycemia but with a measured capillary glucose concentration <60 mg/dL (<3.3 mmol/L).	from randomization to delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.
Capillary glucose levels	The women will be asked to perform 6 measures a day. Capillary glucose values will be retrieved from the glucose meter, and if not available, from the woman's diary.	From the beginning of MI Supplementation to delivery;assessed up to 29 weeks.
Neonatal complications	Birth weight ≥ 4000g; ≥ 4500g ; large and small for gestational age infant; Neonatal hypoglycemia defined as at least a blood glucose value lower than 2.0 mmol/l after 2 hours of life during the two first days of life if the newborn is asymptomatic; Shoulder dystocia, defined as vaginal cephalic delivery; Birth injury defined as plexus injury or clavicle fracture; Preterm delivery:; Late preterm infant (between 32 and 37 completed amenorrhea weeks); Very preterm infant (28-31 completed amenorrhea weeks); Extreme preterm infant (less than 28 completed amenorrhea weeks); Low Apgar score: 5-min Apgar score < 7• Jaundice, defined as need for neonatal phototherapy • Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, based on the clinical course, chest X-ray finding, blood gas and acid-base values • Medical need for admission to pediatric or neonatal intensive care unit during the three days following birth • Malformations: the types of malformation will be recorded.	At delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks
Preeclampsia - Pregnancy-induced hypertension - Cesarean section - Maternal inpatient admission during pregnancy	Preeclampsia (blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg on two measurements four hours apart and proteinuria of at least 300 mg/24 hours or 3+ or more on dipstick testing or proteinuria/creatinuria >30 in a random urine sample); Pregnancy-induced hypertension: in women with no known hypertension before pregnancy, blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg on two measurements four hours apart without proteinuria and having needed to begin anti-hypertensive therapy; Maternal inpatient admission during pregnancy after inclusion, not including hospitalization just after delivery	At any time during pregnancy up to delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.
Side effects	The investigators expect MI not to have any side effect at the dose 1200 mg/day, but possible side effects will be collected.	From the beginning of MI Supplementation to delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.
Results of oral glucose tolerance test	Test will be performed by the women 3 months post partum	3 months after delivery
Infant anthropometrics.	These data will be collected from children's health record	At month 1, month 2 and month 3
Acceptance/satisfaction of 2 strategies: score	Evaluation of the patient's satisfaction about their treatment for GDM at delivery : give a score of 0 to 100: 0 not satisfied; 100 totally satisfied	At delivery; assessed up to 29 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Emmanuel COSSON, MD-PhD, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Croze ML, Soulage CO. Potential role and therapeutic interests of myo-inositol in metabolic diseases. Biochimie. 2013 Oct;95(10):1811-27. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2013.05.011. Epub 2013 Jun 10.
• Unfer V, Carlomagno G, Dante G, Facchinetti F. Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Jul;28(7):509-15. doi: 10.3109/09513590.2011.650660. Epub 2012 Feb 1.
• Corrado F, D'Anna R, Di Vieste G, Giordano D, Pintaudi B, Santamaria A, Di Benedetto A. The effect of myoinositol supplementation on insulin resistance in patients with gestational diabetes. Diabet Med. 2011 Aug;28(8):972-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03284.x.
• D'Anna R, Di Benedetto V, Rizzo P, Raffone E, Interdonato ML, Corrado F, Di Benedetto A. Myo-inositol may prevent gestational diabetes in PCOS women. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Jun;28(6):440-2. doi: 10.3109/09513590.2011.633665. Epub 2011 Nov 28.
• Matarrelli B, Vitacolonna E, D'Angelo M, Pavone G, Mattei PA, Liberati M, Celentano C. Effect of dietary myo-inositol supplementation in pregnancy on the incidence of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and fetal outcomes: a randomized controlled trial. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2013 Jul;26(10):967-72. doi: 10.3109/14767058.2013.766691. Epub 2013 Mar 1.
• D'Anna R, Scilipoti A, Giordano D, Caruso C, Cannata ML, Interdonato ML, Corrado F, Di Benedetto A. myo-Inositol supplementation and onset of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women with a family history of type 2 diabetes: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Diabetes Care. 2013 Apr;36(4):854-7. doi: 10.2337/dc12-1371. Epub 2013 Jan 22.
• D'Anna R, Di Benedetto A, Scilipoti A, Santamaria A, Interdonato ML, Petrella E, Neri I, Pintaudi B, Corrado F, Facchinetti F. Myo-inositol Supplementation for Prevention of Gestational Diabetes in Obese Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Aug;126(2):310-315. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000958.
• Lubin V, Shojai R, Darmon P, Cosson E. A pilot study of gestational diabetes mellitus not controlled by diet alone: First-line medical treatment with myoinositol may limit the need for insulin. Diabetes Metab. 2016 Jun;42(3):192-5. doi: 10.1016/j.diabet.2016.01.005.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 4, 2020
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 20, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 25, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 14, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): March 15, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 29, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 22, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Diabetes; Pregnancy; MYO-INOSITOL; Oral supplementation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Metabolic Diseases; Pregnancy Complications; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Diabetes, Gestational; Diabetes Mellitus; Organic Chemicals; Carbohydrates; Alcohols; Sugar Alcohols; Inositol
• Other Study ID Numbers: P160940J

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No