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Efecto de la metformina sobre el comportamiento y el cerebro en niños tratados por un tumor cerebral (Met Med Can)

21 de septiembre de 2026 actualizado por: Donald Mabbott

Ensayo de fase III, aleatorizado, doble ciego, controlado con placebo, de metformina para la recuperación cognitiva y el crecimiento de la materia blanca en pacientes pediátricos con meduloblastoma

The efficacy of treatment with metformin for promoting cognitive recovery and brain growth in children/adolescents treated for a brain tumour will be investigated in a multi-site Phase III randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel arm superiority trial. Specifically, in children/adolescents aged 7 years to 21 years and 11 months who have completed treatment for a brain tumour, is oral administration of metformin for 16 weeks associated with greater improvement of cognitive function and brain growth compared to placebo administered for 16 weeks?

Descripción general del estudio

Estado

Reclutamiento

Condiciones

Intervención / Tratamiento

Descripción detallada

A critical barrier to improving the quality of life of children/adolescents living with cancer is that our curative therapies, which include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, have toxic effects on healthy tissue, resulting in long-term problems. This is evident for children and adolescents who survive brain tumours requiring aggressive therapy: they experience brain injury and cognitive impairment. There are few therapies for restoring cognitive function and promoting brain growth in survivors; however new work in regenerative medicine offers a possible alternative. The drug metformin promotes brain growth in animal models by activating neural stem cells. In a pilot trial with 24 participants, we found that metformin was safe and tolerable for use in children/adolescents treated with cranial radiation for a brain tumour and may improve cognition and promote white matter growth. In this multi-site clinical trial, we will test the efficacy of treatment with metformin for brain repair and cognitive recovery in paediatric medulloblastoma and other brain tumour survivors. If we find that metformin promotes cognitive improvement and brain growth in paediatric survivors of medulloblastoma and other paediatric brain tumours treated with cranial radiation, this may offer a viable therapeutic approach that may improve quality of life of these cancer patients and provide a model for treatment of late effects in other paediatric cancers.

This study is designed to test the efficacy of metformin in a 16-week multi-centre, phase III, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled superiority trial with two parallel conditions (metformin versus placebo). Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatments where they will either complete a 16-week cycle of metformin or a 16-week cycle of placebo. Participants will be randomized using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) to ensure allocation concealment. The randomization code will not be released until the participant has been recruited, consented and passed screening. Outcome assessments will be conducted at Baseline immediately following the completion of week 16 treatment (Post-Intervention, Week 17), and 24 weeks following completion of the intervention (6 Month Follow-Up, Week 41).

The primary endpoint is cognitive function in children/adolescent survivors of a brain tumour at Post-Intervention (Week 17) compared to Baseline. We hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will be associated with better cognitive outcomes than 16 weeks of treatment with placebo. Cognitive outcomes will be measured using tests of working memory, declarative memory, and processing speed.

The key secondary outcome will be diffusion MRI within the corpus callosum at Post-Intervention (Week 17) compared to Baseline. We hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will be associated with increased white matter growth in the corpus callosum compared to 16 weeks of treatment with placebo. Increased white matter growth will be measured using diffusion MRI metrics.

Exploratory outcomes have been selected to investigate broader metformin-induced changes in the brain and cognition.

  1. We hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will promote global white matter growth in the brain more so than 16 weeks of treatment with placebo at Post-Intervention (Week 17) compared to Baseline. White matter growth will be assessed using diffusion MRI metrics of myelin and fiber structure.
  2. We hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will result in greater increases in hippocampal volume compared to that 16 weeks of treatment with placebo at Post-Intervention (Week 17) compared to Baseline. Structural MRI measures of hippocampal volume will be explored.
  3. We hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will result in superior performance on measures of attention and executive functioning, compared to 16 weeks of treatment with placebo at Post-Intervention (Week 17) compared to Baseline. Tests of attention and executive functioning will be used.
  4. We hypothesize that all outcome measures will continue in the predicted direction at 24 weeks (6 Month Follow-Up, Week 41) compared to Baseline following completion of 16 weeks of metformin compared to 16 weeks of placebo.
  5. We also hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will yield better outcomes in females compared to males for all measures and that these findings will persist at 24 weeks (6 Month Follow-Up, Week 41) following the intervention compared to Baseline.
  6. We hypothesize that 16 weeks of treatment with metformin will result in improved ratings of global health as reported by the parent/guardian at Post-Intervention (Week 17) compared to Baseline.

Metformin is a well-studied medication with a broad clinical experience in children including polycystic ovarian syndrome, diabetes, and obesity. The youngest age of use is 2 years old. The proposed dose and the schedule of administration of metformin is based on safety and toxicity data obtained from our pilot trial and previous use in paediatric populations. One hundred and twenty (120) English speaking and twenty (20) French speaking participants - aged 7 years to 21 years and 11 months - will be recruited from up to 20 sites across Canada and Australia.

Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) will be used to examine the effects metformin versus placebo for each outcome in English speaking participants, controlling for Baseline outcome measurements. For French speaking participants, IQ testing will be completed, but not Cognitive testing as French-Canadian translations are not available. By focusing on a disease that requires some of the most aggressive therapy used in modern protocols, and by targeting the patients most vulnerable to the harmful effects of treatment we hope to provide a model of intervention that can then be applied to other cancers and actively promote brain health and cognitive recovery.

Tipo de estudio

Intervencionista

Inscripción (Estimado)

140

Fase

  • Fase 3

Contactos y Ubicaciones

Esta sección proporciona los datos de contacto de quienes realizan el estudio e información sobre dónde se lleva a cabo este estudio.

Estudio Contacto

Ubicaciones de estudio

  • Australia
    • New South Wales
      • New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia, 2305
        • Reclutamiento
        • John Hunter Children's Hospital
        • Contacto:
      • Westmead, New South Wales, Australia, 2145
        • Retirado
        • Children's Hospital in Westmead
    • North Adelaide
      • Adelaide, North Adelaide, Australia, SA 5006
        • Reclutamiento
        • Women and Childen's Hospital
        • Contacto:
          • Jordan Hansford, Ph.D.
    • Victoria
      • Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3168
        • Reclutamiento
        • Monash Children's Hospital
        • Contacto:
      • Parkville, Victoria, Australia, 3052
        • Reclutamiento
        • Royal Children's Hospital
        • Contacto:
    • Western Australia
      • Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia, 6009
        • Reclutamiento
        • Perth Children's Hospital
        • Contacto:
  • Canadá
    • Alberta
    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadá, V6H 3V4
        • Reclutamiento
        • Children's & Women's Health Centre of British Columbia
        • Contacto:
        • Contacto:
          • Alecia Lim
          • Número de teléfono: 5262 604-875-2345
          • Correo electrónico: CRA@cw.bc.ca
    • Manitoba
      • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadá, R3E 0V9
        • Reclutamiento
        • Cancer Care Manitoba
        • Contacto:
        • Contacto:
    • Nova Scotia
      • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canadá, B3K 6R8
        • Reclutamiento
        • Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Centre
        • Contacto:
        • Contacto:
          • Jennifer Curran
          • Número de teléfono: 902-470-8048
    • Ontario
      • Hamilton, Ontario, Canadá, L8S 4K1
        • Reclutamiento
        • Hamilton Health Sciences - McMaster Children's Hospital
        • Contacto:
          • Adam Fleming, MD
          • Número de teléfono: 76720 905-521-2100
          • Correo electrónico: afleming@mcmaster.ca
      • London, Ontario, Canadá, N6A 5W9
        • Reclutamiento
        • Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre
        • Contacto:
      • Ottawa, Ontario, Canadá, K1H 8L1
        • Reclutamiento
        • Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
        • Contacto:
          • Donna Johnston, MD
          • Número de teléfono: 2210 613-737-7600
          • Correo electrónico: djohnston@cheo.on.ca
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canadá, M5G 1X8
        • Reclutamiento
        • The Hospital for Sick Children
        • Contacto:
        • Contacto:
    • Quebec
      • Montreal, Quebec, Canadá, H3T 1C5
        • Reclutamiento
        • CHU Sainte-Justine
        • Contacto:
      • Montreal, Quebec, Canadá, H4A 3J1
        • Reclutamiento
        • Montreal Children's Hospital
        • Contacto:
      • Québec, Quebec, Canadá, G1V 4G2
      • Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canadá, J1G 2E8
        • Reclutamiento
        • CHU de Sherbrooke
        • Contacto:
    • Saskatchewan

Criterios de participación

Los investigadores buscan personas que se ajusten a una determinada descripción, denominada criterio de elegibilidad. Algunos ejemplos de estos criterios son el estado de salud general de una persona o tratamientos previos.

Criterio de elegibilidad

Edades elegibles para estudiar

7 años a 21 años (Niño, Adulto)

Acepta Voluntarios Saludables

No

Géneros elegibles para el estudio

Todos

Descripción

Inclusion Criteria:

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. No less than 3 weeks after completion of:

    • Primary therapy for:

      1. medulloblastoma

        OR

      2. ependymoma

        OR

      3. craniopharyngioma

        OR

      4. germ cell tumours

        OR

    • Primary therapy for any other brain tumour treated with cranial radiation - at the discretion of the Study PI

    OR

    • Cranial radiation for relapsed ependymoma

  2. Age 7 years to 21 years and 11 months at the time of enrollment

  3. Either declare English (or French in accepting sites) as their native language or have had at least two years of schooling in English (or French in accepting sites) at the time of consent

  4. Able to swallow tablets either whole, crushed or via a feeding tube and be willing to adhere to the study intervention regimen

  5. Meet criteria for normal organ function requirements as described below:

    1. Normal renal function defined as: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 75ml/min/1.73m²

      • eGFR is calculated using the Schwartz formula: eGFR (mL/min/1.73m²) = (0.41 × height in cm) / creatinine in mg/dL

    2. Normal liver function defined as:

      • Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) (AST) ≤2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) for age and gender
      • Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) (ALT) ≤2.5 x institutional ULN for age and gender
      • Total bilirubin <1.5x institutional ULN for age and gender (patients with documented Gilbert's Disease may be enrolled with Sponsor approval and total bilirubin ≤2.0 x institutional ULN)

  6. Informed consent (and assent, where applicable) will be obtained from the participants and/or their legal guardian(s) by study team members delegated to consent for this study

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants who meet any of the following criteria will not be eligible to take part in the trial:

  1. Standard score of less than 60 for full scale IQ on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) (or other Wechsler Scale of Intelligence for English speaking participants) or pro-rated IQ score on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) for French speaking participants at Screening visit
  2. Have a known hypersensitivity to metformin hydrochloride
  3. Have unstable and/or insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes
  4. Have a history of hypoglycemia after 2 years of age
  5. Have been diagnosed with acute or chronic metabolic acidosis and/or lactic acidosis or if bicarbonate (Total CO2) is less than 22 mmol/L at the Screening visit
  6. Have a history of renal disease or renal dysfunction pre-existing to the diagnosis of Medulloblastoma
  7. Have a history of congestive heart failure requiring pharmacologic treatment (including the use of diuretics) within two years prior to study entry
  8. Currently taking part in a cognitive rehabilitation intervention study
  9. Treatment or planned treatment involving diuretics
  10. Current or planned treatment with cationic drugs excreted by the kidneys (e.g. amiloride, cimetidine, digoxin, morphine, nifedipine, procainamide, quinidine, quinine, ranitidine, triamterene, trimethoprim, and vancomycin)
  11. Current or planned treatment with concomitant medications with potential unacceptable interaction with metformin including, lamotrigine, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, glycopyrrolate, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, or at the discretion of the Site PI or delegate for medications with potential interactions such as sertraline, lansoprazole and omeprazole.
  12. Pernicious anemia (according to results of the Screening visit blood draw)
  13. Current use of metformin hydrochloride
  14. Any condition or diagnosis, that could in the opinion of the Site PI or delegate interfere with the participant's ability to comply with study instructions, might confound the interpretation of the study results, or put the participant at risk
  15. Are receiving palliative care

Plan de estudios

Esta sección proporciona detalles del plan de estudio, incluido cómo está diseñado el estudio y qué mide el estudio.

¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?

Detalles de diseño

  • Propósito principal: Cuidados de apoyo
  • Asignación: Aleatorizado
  • Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación paralela
  • Enmascaramiento: Cuadruplicar

Armas e Intervenciones

Grupo de participantes/brazo
Intervención / Tratamiento
Experimental: Metformin

Oral metformin will be administered approximately 500mg/m2/day for 1 week and increased to 1000mg/m2/day for 15 weeks. Doses will be rounded to increments of half tablets (250mg, 500mg, 750mg and 1000mg).
Droga: Metformin hydrochloride (HCl) 500mg tablet

Metformin HCl 500mg tablets contain 500mg of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and are white, round, biconvex, film-coated tablets, with a score line on one face and debossed with "HMR" on the other. Each tablet contains the non-medicinal ingredients magnesium stearate and povidone. Tablet coating is comprised of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethylene glycol and titanium dioxide.

Otros nombres:
  • Glucófago
Comparador de placebos: Placebo

Oral placebo will be administered approximately 500mg/m2/day for 1 week and increased to 1000mg/m2/day for 15 weeks. Doses will be rounded to increments of half tablets (250mg, 500mg, 750mg and 1000mg).
Droga: Placebo

Matching white round tablet containing excipients only. The placebo tablets will match the active drug as closely as possible in terms of appearance.

Otros nombres:
  • Control

¿Qué mide el estudio?

Medidas de resultado primarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Change from Week 1 (Baseline) Children's Auditory Verbal Learning Test-2 (CAVLT-2)/Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) Immediate Recall at Week 17 (Post-Intervention) to Assess Declarative Memory
Periodo de tiempo: Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)

To examine the effectiveness of 16 weeks of treatment with metformin versus 16 weeks of placebo for improving cognition, as measured by CAVLT-2/RAVLT which is a test of auditory verbal learning and memory.
Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)
Change from Week 1 (Baseline) NIH Toolbox List Sort Working Working Memory Test at Week 17 (Post-Intervention) to Assess Working Memory
Periodo de tiempo: Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)

To examine the effectiveness of 16 weeks of treatment with metformin versus 16 weeks of placebo for improving cognition, as measured by List Sorting Working Memory Test (LSWMT) in which participants will be required to recall and place in sequence stimuli that are presented visually and verbally.
Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)
Change from Week 1 (Baseline) Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) Mean Reaction Time for Correct Trials across the RVP, RTI, MTS, and DMS Subtests at Week 17 (Post-Intervention) to Assess Processing Speed
Periodo de tiempo: Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)

To examine the effectiveness of 16 weeks of treatment with metformin versus 16 weeks of placebo for improving cognition, as measured by mean reaction time for correct trials across subtests of the CANTAB:

  1. Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP)
  2. Reaction Time (RTI)
  3. Match to Sample Visual Search (MTS)
  4. Delayed Matching to Sample (DMS) Each subtest provides an outcome measure of response latency, which will be averaged across all correct trials for each subtest to provide an overall measure of processing speed.
Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)

Medidas de resultado secundarias

Medida de resultado
Medida Descripción
Periodo de tiempo
Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) to Assess White Matter Growth within the Corpus Callosum
Periodo de tiempo: Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)

To examine the effectiveness of 16 weeks of treatment with metformin versus 16 weeks of placebo for promoting white matter growth within the corpus callosum as measured by DKI including axonal water fraction (AWF), a metric sensitive to myelin.

This secondary outcome measure (MRI scan) was made optional to participants enrolled after April 2024.
Week 1 (Baseline), Week 17 (Post-Intervention)

Colaboradores e Investigadores

Aquí es donde encontrará personas y organizaciones involucradas en este estudio.

Patrocinador

Donald Mabbott

Investigadores

  • Silla de estudio: Donald Mabbott, Ph.D., The Hospital for Sick Children
  • Investigador principal: Eric Bouffet, M.D., The Hospital for Sick Children

Fechas de registro del estudio

Estas fechas rastrean el progreso del registro del estudio y los envíos de resultados resumidos a ClinicalTrials.gov. Los registros del estudio y los resultados informados son revisados ​​por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina (NLM) para asegurarse de que cumplan con los estándares de control de calidad específicos antes de publicarlos en el sitio web público.

Fechas importantes del estudio

Inicio del estudio (Actual)

1 de julio de 2022

Finalización primaria (Estimado)

30 de noviembre de 2027

Finalización del estudio (Estimado)

30 de noviembre de 2027

Fechas de registro del estudio

Enviado por primera vez

12 de enero de 2022

Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

28 de enero de 2022

Publicado por primera vez (Actual)

9 de febrero de 2022

Actualizaciones de registros de estudio

Última actualización publicada (Actual)

24 de septiembre de 2026

Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad

21 de septiembre de 2026

Última verificación

1 de septiembre de 2026

Más información

Términos relacionados con este estudio

Palabras clave

Términos MeSH relevantes adicionales

Otros números de identificación del estudio

  • 1000073107

Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)

¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?

NO

Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio

Estudia un producto farmacéutico regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Estudia un producto de dispositivo regulado por la FDA de EE. UU.

No

Esta información se obtuvo directamente del sitio web clinicaltrials.gov sin cambios. Si tiene alguna solicitud para cambiar, eliminar o actualizar los detalles de su estudio, comuníquese con register@clinicaltrials.gov. Tan pronto como se implemente un cambio en clinicaltrials.gov, también se actualizará automáticamente en nuestro sitio web. .

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