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MetforminPhase 2AGE-MNCT06459310

Pilot Study on Evaluating the Geroprotective Effect of Metformin

A Phase 2 study testing Metformin Hydrochloride tablet in people with Metformin and Aging, run by Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing at 1 site in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The objective of this research is to assess the efficacy of oral metformin in mitigating the aging process in middle-aged and elderly males, to pinpoint sensitive indicators of human senescence, and to offer innovative frameworks and scientific insights for pharmaceutical interventions in aging. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Metformin, Aging
What is being tested?
Metformin Hydrochloride tablet
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
130 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
30 Jun 2024to 31 Jul 2028
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 65 years
  • Men only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Male
  • Age 55-65; 18-28;
  • Able to understand and execute instructions;
  • After reading the consent form, be able to answer questions about the study and demonstrate understanding of the protocol;
  • Be able to participate in regular follow-up visits.

Who cannot join

  • Severe chronic or acute disease: cancer, clinically significant congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), previous or new-onset diabetes, inflammatory state, serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dl , active liver disease, History of metabolic acidosis, poorly controlled hypertension, epilepsy, recent (within 3 months) cardiovascular events (MI, PTCA, CABG, stroke), severe renal insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, persistent glucocorticoids Treatment; neurological diseases such as dementia, AD, PD, etc.; infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, etc.; severe autoimmune diseases;
  • BMI<18.5 or BMI>30;
  • Persistent alcohol or drug abuse;
  • Treatment with drugs known to affect glucose metabolism (other diabetes drugs, systemic glucocorticoids, niacin);
  • Hypersensitivity to metformin or any component of the preparation;
  • Have taken metformin, low-dose aspirin, acarbose, vitamin C in the recent (3 months);
  • Unable to provide informed consent;
  • Other circumstances in which the researcher believes that the physical factors of the participants may adversely affect the research process or results.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

China1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University

    Beijing

    Ming Yi, 13269087337, yiming1005@163.com

    Liyun Zhao, 17801137417, zhaoliyun1992@163.com

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: A Phase II Exploratory Clinical Study Investigating the Geroprotective Effect of Metformin in Middle-aged and Elderly People

The objective of this research is to assess the efficacy of oral metformin in mitigating the aging process in middle-aged and elderly males, to pinpoint sensitive indicators of human senescence, and to offer innovative frameworks and scientific insights for pharmaceutical interventions in aging.

Read the detailed description

Subjects in both the metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets treatment group and the placebo group received two tablets (500 mg each) once daily after dinner, continuing for a one-year period of drug intervention.

Conditions
Metformin, Aging
Being tested
Metformin Hydrochloride tablet, Placebo
Keywords
aging intervention, metformin, aging biomarker, multi-omics, middle-aged and elderly people, molecular clocks, biological age

What participants receive

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

  • Metformin Hydrochloride tabletDrug

    Also called Metformin

    Extended release oral tablets, 1000 mg/day, single dose

  • PlaceboDrug

    Oral tablets, 1000 mg/day, single dose

Study groups in NCT06459310
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Metformin hydrochlorideExperimental1000 mg/day Metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets
Receives: Drug: Metformin Hydrochloride tablet
Placebo groupPlacebo comparator1000 mg/day placebo
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Composite the efficacy of metformin in intervening aging

    1. Metformin delay aging related sensitive indicators (2), such as SA*, ancient virus *.
    2. Metformin inhibits markers of inflammation in the body (4), such as C1 protein *, CRP, CXCL9, TNFa.
    3. Metformin improved immune cell-related indicators (10*), such as T1/T2/L gene expression.
    4. Metformin improves metabolism-related indexes (4), such as metabolic secretion factors APOX1* and APOX2*.
    5. Age-related indicators have been published (5), such as telomere length, DNA methylation age, hormone levels, etc.

    Measured: Baseline - 12 month

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Composite Through clinical physical examination data, behavioral indicators and multilevel omics data, to discover new sensitive biomarkers for evaluating aging.

    1. Aging atlas-R, PBMC RNA profiling, >5% DEGs.
    2. Aging atlas-P, proteomic profiling, >5% DEPs.
    3. Aging atlas-M, metabolic profiling, >5% metabolites.
    4. Aging atlas-B, metagenomic profiling, >5% microbiotas.
    5. Reduce human biological age complex parameters.

    Measured: Baseline - 12 month

Timeline

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

  1. First posted14 Jun 2024
  2. Study start30 Jun 2024
  3. Primary completion30 Sep 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Jul 2028 (estimated)

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
130 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06459310
Sponsor's protocol ID
lijingxw
Acronym
AGE-M
Status last verified
Mar 2025
First submitted
3 Jun 2024
Last updated
21 Mar 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Cabreiro F, Au C, Leung KY, Vergara-Irigaray N, Cocheme HM, Noori T, Weinkove D, Schuster E, Greene ND, Gems D. Metformin retards aging in C. elegans by altering microbial folate and methionine metabolism. Cell. 2013 Mar 28;153(1):228-39. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.02.035.

    PubMed 23540700
  • Chai M, Jiang M, Vergnes L, Fu X, de Barros SC, Doan NB, Huang W, Chu J, Jiao J, Herschman H, Crooks GM, Reue K, Huang J. Stimulation of Hair Growth by Small Molecules that Activate Autophagy. Cell Rep. 2019 Jun 18;27(12):3413-3421.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.070.

    PubMed 31216464
  • Foretz M, Guigas B, Bertrand L, Pollak M, Viollet B. Metformin: from mechanisms of action to therapies. Cell Metab. 2014 Dec 2;20(6):953-66. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2014.09.018. Epub 2014 Oct 30.

    PubMed 25456737
  • Garber AJ, Duncan TG, Goodman AM, Mills DJ, Rohlf JL. Efficacy of metformin in type II diabetes: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response trial. Am J Med. 1997 Dec;103(6):491-7. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9343(97)00254-4.

    PubMed 9428832
  • TODAY Study Group; Zeitler P, Hirst K, Pyle L, Linder B, Copeland K, Arslanian S, Cuttler L, Nathan DM, Tollefsen S, Wilfley D, Kaufman F. A clinical trial to maintain glycemic control in youth with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2012 Jun 14;366(24):2247-56. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109333. Epub 2012 Apr 29.

    PubMed 22540912
  • Gronich N, Rennert G. Beyond aspirin-cancer prevention with statins, metformin and bisphosphonates. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2013 Nov;10(11):625-42. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.169. Epub 2013 Oct 1.

    PubMed 24080598
  • Kodali M, Attaluri S, Madhu LN, Shuai B, Upadhya R, Gonzalez JJ, Rao X, Shetty AK. Metformin treatment in late middle age improves cognitive function with alleviation of microglial activation and enhancement of autophagy in the hippocampus. Aging Cell. 2021 Feb;20(2):e13277. doi: 10.1111/acel.13277. Epub 2021 Jan 14.

    PubMed 33443781
  • Kulkarni AS, Gubbi S, Barzilai N. Benefits of Metformin in Attenuating the Hallmarks of Aging. Cell Metab. 2020 Jul 7;32(1):15-30. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.04.001. Epub 2020 Apr 24.

    PubMed 32333835
  • Li C, Mu N, Gu C, Liu M, Yang Z, Yin Y, Chen M, Wang Y, Han Y, Yu L, Ma H. Metformin mediates cardioprotection against aging-induced ischemic necroptosis. Aging Cell. 2020 Feb;19(2):e13096. doi: 10.1111/acel.13096. Epub 2020 Jan 14.

    PubMed 31944526
  • Williams-Herman D, Johnson J, Teng R, Golm G, Kaufman KD, Goldstein BJ, Amatruda JM. Efficacy and safety of sitagliptin and metformin as initial combination therapy and as monotherapy over 2 years in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 May;12(5):442-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2010.01204.x.

    PubMed 20415693
  • Neumann B, Baror R, Zhao C, Segel M, Dietmann S, Rawji KS, Foerster S, McClain CR, Chalut K, van Wijngaarden P, Franklin RJM. Metformin Restores CNS Remyelination Capacity by Rejuvenating Aged Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell. 2019 Oct 3;25(4):473-485.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.08.015.

    PubMed 31585093
  • Martin-Montalvo A, Mercken EM, Mitchell SJ, Palacios HH, Mote PL, Scheibye-Knudsen M, Gomes AP, Ward TM, Minor RK, Blouin MJ, Schwab M, Pollak M, Zhang Y, Yu Y, Becker KG, Bohr VA, Ingram DK, Sinclair DA, Wolf NS, Spindler SR, Bernier M, de Cabo R. Metformin improves healthspan and lifespan in mice. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2192. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3192.

    PubMed 23900241
  • Ma T, Tian X, Zhang B, Li M, Wang Y, Yang C, Wu J, Wei X, Qu Q, Yu Y, Long S, Feng JW, Li C, Zhang C, Xie C, Wu Y, Xu Z, Chen J, Yu Y, Huang X, He Y, Yao L, Zhang L, Zhu M, Wang W, Wang ZC, Zhang M, Bao Y, Jia W, Lin SY, Ye Z, Piao HL, Deng X, Zhang CS, Lin SC. Low-dose metformin targets the lysosomal AMPK pathway through PEN2. Nature. 2022 Mar;603(7899):159-165. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04431-8. Epub 2022 Feb 23.

    PubMed 35197629
  • Lopez-Otin C, Blasco MA, Partridge L, Serrano M, Kroemer G. Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe. Cell. 2023 Jan 19;186(2):243-278. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.001. Epub 2023 Jan 3.

    PubMed 36599349

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Metformin Hydrochloride tablet in people with Metformin and Aging, run by Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing at 1 site in China.

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 8 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Mar 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 China. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Lingling Geng (18510932169, gengll@xwhosp.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Composite the efficacy of metformin in intervening aging (time frame: Baseline - 12 month). 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 NCT06459310, which also lists 14 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 21 Mar 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 4 Nov 2026.

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