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AmenorrheaPhase 2NCT00130117

Study of Leptin for the Treatment of Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

A Phase 2 study testing r-metHuLeptin and Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) in people with Amenorrhea, run by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of an investigational medication called leptin (r-metHuLeptin) in replacement doses can improve bone health, reproductive function, hormone levels, immune function, and overall sense of well-being in women with hypothalamic (exercise-induced) amenorrhea… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 35 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Amenorrhea
What is being tested?
r-metHuLeptin and Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs)
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
20 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2010to Dec 2016
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 35 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Hypothalamic amenorrhea of at least 6 months duration with low or normal LH and FSH, e.g. due to strenuous exercise (running >20 miles per week or equivalent) or low weight
  • Can be secondary HA OR primary HA with some pubertal development and normal screening labs
  • Age 18-35 years old
  • Body weight within +/- 15% of ideal body weight and stable for 6 months (no change > 5 lbs)
  • Baseline leptin <5 ng/mL (except for the Cognitive Sub-Study Baseline visit where baseline leptin will be greater than 5ng/mL)
  • Inclusion criteria for eumenorrheic controls for Reward Sub-study
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Normal menstrual cycles (between 25 and 35 days)
  • Age 18-35
  • Body weight within +/- 15% of ideal body weight and stable 6 months (no change > 5 lbs)
  • Baseline leptin >5 ng/mL

Who cannot join

  • We will exclude subjects with:
  • Significant medical history that may affect the concentrations of the hormones to studied or ability to participate in the study
  • renal or hepatic disease (creatinine > 1.4, AST/ALT > 2x upper limit of normal)
  • diagnosed diabetes mellitus
  • myocardial ischemia
  • malignancy (other than basal cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ carcinoma of the cervix)
Show all 36Show fewer
  • malabsorption
  • alcoholism, drug abuse, or smoking
  • active eating disorder
  • depression or other psychiatric disease
  • anemia (Hb10 gm/dL on 2 occasions)
  • Conditions that are contraindicated for oral contraceptive use:
  • Thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders
  • A past history of deep vein thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders
  • Cerebral vascular or coronary artery disease
  • Known or suspected carcinoma of the breast
  • Carcinoma of the endometrium or other known or suspected estrogen-dependent neoplasia
  • Undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding
  • Hepatic adenomas or carcinomas
  • Cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy or jaundice with prior OCP use
  • Other endocrine causes of amenorrhea, e.g.
  • hyperprolactinemia
  • hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
  • Cushing's syndrome
  • congenital adrenal hyperplasia (elevated 17 OH progesterone)
  • polycystic ovarian syndrome (elevated androgens or LH/FSH ratio >1.5)
  • primary ovarian failure (elevated FSH)
  • On medications known to affect the hormones to be measured such as
  • glucocorticoids
  • anti seizure medications
  • thyroid hormones
  • estrogen (must be off at least 3 months prior to participating in the study)
  • A known history of anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid-like reactions, or a known hypersensitivity to E. Coli derived proteins
  • Breast feeding, pregnant, or wanting to become pregnant during the next 6 months.
  • We will screen for these conditions through a detailed history and systems review, physical examination, laboratory evaluation (as described above in Screening Methods), and EKG.
  • In the Reward Sub-study subjects will be asked to fill out a standard BIDMC MRI safety screening form prior to entering the magnet.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center General Clinical Research Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Human Recombinant Leptin (r-metHuLeptin) for the Treatment of Hypothalamic (Exercise-Induced) Amenorrhea

The purpose of this study is to determine whether administration of an investigational medication called leptin (r-metHuLeptin) in replacement doses can improve bone health, reproductive function, hormone levels, immune function, and overall sense of well-being in women with hypothalamic (exercise-induced) amenorrhea (HA) who are being treated with oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), compared to placebo. Women with hypothalamic amenorrhea have low leptin levels. This study is based on the hypothesis that the relative leptin deficiency in women with hypothalamic (exercise-induced) amenorrhea may be the reason for the lack of menstrual cycles, hormone abnormalities, and bone loss associated with this condition.

Read the detailed description

Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells under normal conditions and acts in the brain to regulate energy usage and hormone levels. Women with HA who do not have regular periods have low leptin levels and may also have other hormone abnormalities as well as loss of bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis). This study will evaluate how leptin (a fat cell hormone that normally circulates in the blood) affects bone density, menstrual periods, hormone levels, bone metabolism (how bone forms and turns over), immune function (how well the body can fight infection), metabolic rate (how many calories are used at rest), and overall sense of well-being and appetite in women with HA (i.e. no regular menstrual periods due to low levels of pituitary hormones that regulate estrogen production from the ovary). It will also investigate whether leptin replacement can be used as an adjunct to the current standard of care for HA patients, i.e. OCPs.

Part A is a Randomized, placebo-controlled 36-week study. Part B is an Optional open-label 52-week study. There will also be an optional Reward Sub-study, including healthy controls, designed to investigate leptin's relation to reward processing by collecting participants' brain and behavioral responses to images (e.g., pictures of food vs. non-food). Brain responses will be collected and will also be assessed via functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

Comparison: Part A = leptin-treated group to placebo-treated group and Part B optional sub study = leptin-treated group to health controls

Conditions
Amenorrhea
Being tested
r-metHuLeptin, Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs), Placebo
Keywords
leptin, hypothalamic amenorrhea, exercise-induced amenorrhea, neuroendocrine function, bone metabolism
Medical subject headings
Amenorrhea

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • r-metHuLeptinDrug

    Also called metreleptin

    Starting dose: 0.08mg/kg once daily Subcutaneous injection.

  • Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs)Drug

    Also called OCPs

    Sprintec taken orally once daily.

  • PlaceboOther

    placebo (no active medication)

Study groups in NCT00130117
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
r-metHuLeptinExperimentalr-metHuLeptin administered subcutaneously.
Receives: Drug: r-metHuLeptin; Drug: Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs)
Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs)Placebo comparatorPLACEBO
Receives: Drug: Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs); Other: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. the Difference Between the Placebo and Leptin Treated Groups in the Change in Bone Mineral Content(BMC) at the Anteroposterior (AP) Spine From Baseline to 36 Weeks

    Measured: 36 weeks

Secondary outcomes (8)

  1. Bone Markers - Ctx and Sclerostin

    Measured: 36 weeks

  2. Body Composition BMI

    Measured: 36 weeks

  3. Total Body BMD

    Measured: 36 weeks

  4. Body Fat

    Measured: 36 weeks

  5. Total Body BMD

    Measured: 9 months

  6. Lumbar BMD

    Measured: 9 months

  7. Radial BMD

    Measured: 9 months

  8. Hip BMD

    Measured: 9months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted15 Aug 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2010
  3. Primary completionAug 2011
  4. Study completionDec 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00130117
Sponsor's protocol ID
2004P000123
Other IDs
1R34HD048526-01, 5M01RR001032-32
Status last verified
Apr 2017
First submitted
11 Aug 2005
Last updated
17 May 2017
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Welt CK, Chan JL, Bullen J, Murphy R, Smith P, DePaoli AM, Karalis A, Mantzoros CS. Recombinant human leptin in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea. N Engl J Med. 2004 Sep 2;351(10):987-97. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa040388.

    PubMed 15342807

  • Mantzoros CS, Magkos F, Brinkoetter M, Sienkiewicz E, Dardeno TA, Kim SY, Hamnvik OP, Koniaris A. Leptin in human physiology and pathophysiology. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Oct;301(4):E567-84. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00315.2011. Epub 2011 Jul 26.

    PubMed 21791620

  • Sienkiewicz E, Magkos F, Aronis KN, Brinkoetter M, Chamberland JP, Chou S, Arampatzi KM, Gao C, Koniaris A, Mantzoros CS. Long-term metreleptin treatment increases bone mineral density and content at the lumbar spine of lean hypoleptinemic women. Metabolism. 2011 Sep;60(9):1211-21. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2011.05.016. Epub 2011 Jul 7.

    PubMed 21741057

  • Chou SH, Chamberland JP, Liu X, Matarese G, Gao C, Stefanakis R, Brinkoetter MT, Gong H, Arampatzi K, Mantzoros CS. Leptin is an effective treatment for hypothalamic amenorrhea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Apr 19;108(16):6585-90. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015674108. Epub 2011 Apr 4.

    PubMed 21464293

  • Stefanakis K, Samiotaki M, Papaevangelou V, Valenzuela-Vallejo L, Giannoukakis N, Mantzoros CS. Longitudinal proteomics of leptin treatment in humans with acute and chronic energy deficiency-induced hypoleptinemia reveal novel, mainly immune-related, pleiotropic effects. Metabolism. 2024 Oct;159:155984. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.155984. Epub 2024 Aug 2.

    PubMed 39097160

  • Chrysafi P, Perakakis N, Farr OM, Stefanakis K, Peradze N, Sala-Vila A, Mantzoros CS. Leptin alters energy intake and fat mass but not energy expenditure in lean subjects. Nat Commun. 2020 Oct 13;11(1):5145. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18885-9.

    PubMed 33051459

  • Bouzoni E, Perakakis N, Mantzoros CS. Circulating profile of Activin-Follistatin-Inhibin Axis in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea in response to leptin treatment. Metabolism. 2020 Dec;113:154392. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154392. Epub 2020 Oct 10.

    PubMed 33045195

  • Foo JP, Polyzos SA, Anastasilakis AD, Chou S, Mantzoros CS. The effect of leptin replacement on parathyroid hormone, RANKL-osteoprotegerin axis, and Wnt inhibitors in young women with hypothalamic amenorrhea. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Nov;99(11):E2252-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-2491. Epub 2014 Aug 22.

    PubMed 25148234

  • Hwang JJ, Thakkar B, Chamberland JP, Mantzoros CS. Circulating fetuin-A levels are not affected by short and long-term energy deprivation and/or by leptin administration. Metabolism. 2014 Jun;63(6):754-9. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2014.02.006. Epub 2014 Feb 17.

    PubMed 24703486

  • Matarese G, La Rocca C, Moon HS, Huh JY, Brinkoetter MT, Chou S, Perna F, Greco D, Kilim HP, Gao C, Arampatzi K, Wang Z, Mantzoros CS. Selective capacity of metreleptin administration to reconstitute CD4+ T-cell number in females with acquired hypoleptinemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 26;110(9):E818-27. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1214554110. Epub 2013 Feb 4.

    PubMed 23382191

  • Aronis KN, Diakopoulos KN, Fiorenza CG, Chamberland JP, Mantzoros CS. Leptin administered in physiological or pharmacological doses does not regulate circulating angiogenesis factors in humans. Diabetologia. 2011 Sep;54(9):2358-67. doi: 10.1007/s00125-011-2201-x. Epub 2011 Jun 10.

    PubMed 21660636

  • Alonso-Alonso M, Ziemke F, Magkos F, Barrios FA, Brinkoetter M, Boyd I, Rifkin-Graboi A, Yannakoulia M, Rojas R, Pascual-Leone A, Mantzoros CS. Brain responses to food images during the early and late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in healthy young women: relation to fasting and feeding. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug;94(2):377-84. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.010736. Epub 2011 May 18.

    PubMed 21593494

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing r-metHuLeptin and Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) in people with Amenorrhea, run by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 36 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 May 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 17 May 2017). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

the Difference Between the Placebo and Leptin Treated Groups in the Change in Bone Mineral Content(BMC) at the Anteroposterior (AP) Spine From Baseline to 36 Weeks (time frame: 36 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00130117, which also lists 12 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 May 2017.

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