Endoscopic Myotomy of the Pylorus To Improve Emptying and Symptoms Trial (EMPTIES)

January 23, 2026 updated by: Matthew Allemang

A Randomized, Sham-controlled Trial: Endoscopic Myotomy of the Pylorus To Improve Emptying and Symptoms (EMPTIES)

A randomized clinical trial comparing endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP) versus a control sham intervention (diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) without pyloric disruption) in patients with medically refractory gastroparesis.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

A comparative effectiveness, single center (with two surgical units), randomized (1:1) study of endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP) versus a control sham intervention (diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) without pyloric disruption) in adult patients with medically refractory gastroparesis who have failed management with dietary, lifestyle, and pharmacological therapy for at least six months.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44195
        • Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Male or female, aged 18-75
  2. Diagnosis of medically refractory gastroparesis by 4 hour non-extrapolated solid phase gastric emptying study completed within 12 months of enrollment. Medical refractoriness is defined by at least 6 months of medical treatment with no significant improvement in baseline symptoms
  3. Completion of all routine assessments in our multidisciplinary gastroparesis clinic, which includes evaluation by gastroenterology, behavioral health, and nutrition specialists
  4. Ability to take oral medication and be willing to adhere to the post-procedure dietary and medication regimen
  5. For females of reproductive potential: use of highly effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation
  6. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
  7. Willingness and reasonable expectation that the individual will be able to travel to the study site for the intervention and each scheduled in-person assessment, as well as virtual assessments if necessary
  8. Be able to speak and read the English language.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Active use of narcotic pain medication
  2. Presence of concomitant gastrointestinal transit disorder such as small bowel dysmotility or uncontrolled colonic dysmotility (As defined by clinical judgement or < 3 bowel movements per week)
  3. Etiology of gastroparesis is post-surgical
  4. Pregnancy or lactation
  5. History of egg allergy
  6. Prior surgical intervention of the stomach or gastric pylorus
  7. Current parenteral nutrition
  8. Uncontrolled coagulopathy (platelet count <50,000 and INR>1.5) or use of anticoagulant medications (with the exception of antiplatelet therapy)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP)
Participants will undergo Endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP).
Procedure: Endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP)
Per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP), alternatively knows as gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM), accomplishes longitudinal division of the pylorus using an endoscope. This procedure involves utilizing endoscopic electrosurgical knife to make an incision in the gastric mucosa and develop a submucosal tunnel to visualize the pyloric ring. The pyloric ring is divided longitudinally, and the mucosotomy incision is sealed with endoscopic clips.
Sham Comparator: Sham / Control Arm
Participants will undergo a diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) without pyloric disruption. Following the 12-week blinded trial period, these participants will be unblinded and offered Endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP) if they remain symptomatic.
Procedure: Endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP)
Per-oral pyloromyotomy (POP), alternatively knows as gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM), accomplishes longitudinal division of the pylorus using an endoscope. This procedure involves utilizing endoscopic electrosurgical knife to make an incision in the gastric mucosa and develop a submucosal tunnel to visualize the pyloric ring. The pyloric ring is divided longitudinally, and the mucosotomy incision is sealed with endoscopic clips.
Procedure: Diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) without pyloric disruption
While under general anesthesia, a standard gastroscope is introduced and a diagnostic upper endoscopy is performed. The operator talks through the procedure steps as if completing POP. The gastroscope is withdrawn and the patient is extubated.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks post-procedure
Change in Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) at Baseline to 12 weeks post-procedure. Possible scores range from 0 (None) to 5 (Very Severe).
Baseline, 12 weeks post-procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gastric Emptying
Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks post-procedure
Change in gastric emptying as measured by a standardized 4-hour solid scintigraphic gastric emptying study at Baseline to 12 weeks post-procedure
Baseline, 12 weeks post-procedure
36-Item Short Form; Quality of Life Survey
Time Frame: Baseline,12 weeks post-procedure
Change in 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) score from Baseline to 12 weeks post-procedure. The weighted sums of responses to questions in the survey produce eight separate scales which are scored from 0-100, with zero indication maximum disability and one hundred indicating no disability in that domain.
Baseline,12 weeks post-procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Matthew Allemang

Collaborators

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Matthew Allemang, MD, The Cleveland Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 23, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 19, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 2, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

September 9, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 23, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 20-160
  • 5R01DK120830-02 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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