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GastroparesisEarly Phase 1PIOGASNCT04300127

Pioglitazone for Idiopathic Gastroparesis

A Early Phase 1 study testing Pioglitazone 30 mg in people with Gastroparesis, run by Johns Hopkins University 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 principal objective of this pilot study will be to evaluate whether 8 weeks of treatment of pioglitazone will improve symptoms as measured by the Gastrointestinal Symptom Index (GCSI) in patients with Idiopathic Gastroparesis. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Gastroparesis
What is being tested?
Pioglitazone 30 mg
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
14 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
24 Oct 2019to 18 Mar 2025
Phase
Early Phase 1
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 years or older at registration
  • Diagnosis of gastroparesis as documented by gastric emptying scintigraphy (4-hour emptying after a low-fat meal with any combination of 2 and 4 hour retention of >60% and 10% respectively)
  • Ongoing symptoms referable to gastroparesis (i.e. Nausea and vomiting, bloating, and abdominal pain)
  • Exclusion of other causes of symptoms such as mechanical gastrointestinal obstruction, uncontrolled esophagitis, peptic ulcer disease, etc. By standard radiographic or endoscopic tests
  • Females will be required to use adequate contraceptive methods during study participation as determined by the Principal Investigator and the study team members

Who cannot join

  • Another active disorder, which could explain symptoms in the opinion of the investigator
  • Age < than 18 years
  • Pregnancy or nursing
  • Previous surgery of the upper gastrointestinal tract, including vagotomy
  • Another active disorder, which could explain symptoms in the opinion of the investigator
  • Use of narcotics more than 3 days per week
Show all 14Show fewer
  • Significant hepatic injury as defined by significant alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevations of greater than 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN) or a Child-Pugh score of 10 or greater
  • Serious systemic disease, such as recent myocardial infarction/unstable angina, decompensated congestive heart failure, severe pulmonary disease with dyspnea at rest, or altered mental status from any cause
  • Diabetes as defined by HbA1c >6.5 and/or fasting blood sugar of >125 mg/DL
  • Contraindications to pioglitazone such as hypersensitivity or allergy
  • Concurrent use of: estradiol, ethynyl estradiol, mestranol, pazopanib, warfarin, digoxin, atorvastatin, ranitidine, gemfibrozil, fexofenadine, midazolam
  • Any other condition, which in the opinion of the investigator would impede compliance or hinder the completion of the study
  • History of bladder cancer or family history of bladder cancer
  • Failure to give informed consent

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21224

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Pioglitazone for the Treatment of Idiopathic Gastroparesis (PIOGAS Study)

The principal objective of this pilot study will be to evaluate whether 8 weeks of treatment of pioglitazone will improve symptoms as measured by the Gastrointestinal Symptom Index (GCSI) in patients with Idiopathic Gastroparesis.

Read the detailed description

Objective • The principal objective of this pilot study will be to evaluate whether 8 weeks of treatment of pioglitazone will improve symptoms as measured by the Gastrointestinal Symptom Index Daily Diary (GCSI-DD) in patients with Idiopathic Gastroparesis

Secondary objectives of this study include:

  • To determine the effects of pioglitazone on other symptoms associated with gastroparesis using the Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index (PAGI-SYM) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS),
  • To determine the effects of pioglitazone on gastric emptying as measured by the 13C- Spirulina breath test,
  • To determine the effects of pioglitazone on satiety as measured by a liquid caloric test
  • To determine the effects of pioglitazone on depression and anxiety using the Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Scores,
  • To determine the effects of pioglitazone on Quality of Life using the PAGI-QoL and Short Form (SF)-36 questionnaire,
  • To determine the effects of pioglitazone on markers of inflammation (CRP and ESR) and serum cytokine levels
  • To determine the nature and incidence of adverse effects from a 12-week course of pioglitazone.

Treatment group

  • Pioglitazone (30 mg po qd)

Population • Age 18 years or older at registration with nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms suggestive of patients with chronic nausea and vomiting of presumed gastric origin, with symptomatic gastroparesis.

Study duration

  • Up to 4 weeks of screening prior to pioglitazone treatment
  • 8 weeks of treatment starting at initial dose of pioglitazone
  • 4 weeks of washout period
  • Length of recruitment: 16 months

Sample size justification

  • Total of 23 patients
  • Primary comparison: Baseline PAGI-SYM score versus 4, 8, and 12 weeks.

Number of clinical centers

  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
Conditions
Gastroparesis
Being tested
Pioglitazone 30 mg
Medical subject headings
Gastroparesis

What participants receive

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

  • Pioglitazone 30 mgDrug

    Patients will received 30 mg of Pioglitazone once a day for 8 weeks

Study groups in NCT04300127
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PioglitazoneExperimentalCandidates who after the screening period are eligible to receive Pioglitazone
Receives: Drug: Pioglitazone 30 mg

What is being measured

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

  1. Severity of Gastrointestinal Symptoms as Assessed by the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index

    The effect of Pioglitazone on nausea, early satiety, postprandial fullness, and upper abdominal pain as per changes in patient scoring in The American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) which has been designed to assess symptoms associated with gastroparesis. Symptoms are rated as none (0), mild (1), moderate (2), severe (3), very severe (4) scale of the worst severity of the symptom over the last 24 hours. Values reported represent the mean participant scale choice.

    Measured: Baseline, later monthly up to 3 months.

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index (PAGI-SYM)

    The Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptoms (PAGI-SYM) questionnaire is a patient-reported tool designed to evaluate the severity of upper gastrointestinal symptoms across multiple domains, including nausea/vomiting, postprandial fullness/early satiety, bloating, upper abdominal pain, and heartburn/regurgitation. Each symptom is rated on a 0 to 5 Likert scale, where 0 indicates no symptoms and 5 represents very severe symptoms, with higher scores reflecting worse symptom severity. The total PAGI-SYM score is typically calculated as the average of individual domain scores, resulting in a possible score range of 0 to 5. The mean participant scale choice is reported.

    Measured: Baseline and later monthly up to 3 months

  2. Functional Status as Assessed by the SF-36v2 Health Survey

    The effect of Pioglitazone on quality of life assessed by the SF-36v2 Health Survey. The SF-36v2 is a 36-item, self-report measure designed to assess quality of life in patients. This measure also provides two summary scores (physical and mental health) and eight scale scores. The eight sections are: vitality, physical functioning, bodily pain and general health perceptions, physical role functioning, emotional role functioning, social role functioning and mental health. Each scale is directly transformed into a 0-100 scale on the assumption that each question carries equal weight. The lower the score the more disability. The higher the score the less disability, i.e., a score of zero is equivalent to maximum disability and a score of 100 is equivalent to no disability.

    Measured: Baseline, later monthly up to 3 months

  3. C- Reactive Protein Level in Blood

    The effect of Pioglitazone on Inflammatory markers as per changes in the values of C reactive protein (CRP) in blood. Normal CRP levels are below 3.0 mg/L.

    Measured: Baseline and 2 months after treatment initiation.

  4. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

    The effect of Pioglitazone on Inflammatory markers as per changes Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) in blood. Results are reported as the millimeters of clear fluid (plasma) that are present at the top portion of the tube after one hour. The normal range is 0 to 22 mm/hr for men and 0 to 29 mm/hr for women. Values above these ranges are considered worse.

    Measured: Baseline and 2 months after treatment initiation

  5. Mood as Assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory

    The effect of Pioglitazone on mood as per changes in the score of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). The BDI-II is a commonly used, reliable 21-item self-report measure designed to assess for depression. Individuals are asked to respond to each question based on a two-week time period. The BDI-II is widely used as an indicator of the severity of depression, but not as a diagnostic tool. BDI-II items are rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 to 3 based on the severity of each item. The maximum total score range is 0-63. Higher total scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms.

    Measured: Baseline, later monthly up to 3 months

  6. Mood as Assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

    The effect of Pioglitazone on mood as per changes in the score of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The STAI is a 40-item self-report measure designed to assess anxiety. This measure provides two subscale scores (State and Trait). STAI is one of the first tests to assess both state and trait anxiety separately. Each type of anxiety has its own scale of 20 different questions that are scored. Scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores correlating with greater anxiety.

    Measured: Baseline, later monthly up to 3 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted9 Mar 2020
  2. Study start24 Oct 2019
  3. Primary completion15 Mar 2025
  4. Study completion18 Mar 2025

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
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Pilot study
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
14 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04300127
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB00184232
Acronym
PIOGAS
Status last verified
Apr 2025
First submitted
5 Mar 2020
Last updated
30 Apr 2025
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Early Phase 1 study testing Pioglitazone 30 mg in people with Gastroparesis, run by Johns Hopkins University 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 5 inclusion and 14 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 30 Apr 2025. 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. 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?

Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.

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 30 Apr 2025). 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?

Severity of Gastrointestinal Symptoms as Assessed by the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (time frame: Baseline, later monthly up to 3 months.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 30 Apr 2025.

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