Metformin and thinking skills in people with Huntington's disease
Tests metformin against placebo for thinking test scores in Huntington's disease.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- IIS La Fe
- Where
- Albacete, Alicante, Barcelona, Burgos, Elche, Madrid, Oviedo, Palma, and Valencia, SpainSee the 9 sites
- Registry title
- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of metformin, an AMPK activator, on cognitive measures of progression in Huntington's disease patients.
- Status
- Recruiting
- Phase
- Phase 3
- People taking part
- 60 people, planned
- Started
- 10 Dec 2021
- Planned end
- 15 May 2025
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Record updated
- 11 December 2024
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with Huntington's disease who show symptoms and can travel to the study site. It tests whether metformin affects thinking test scores.
- Age
- 21-65 years, with disease onset at 18 years or older
- Sex
- Women and men can join
- Disease stage
- Symptomatic Huntington's disease, more than 4 points on the UHDRS-TMS scale, diagnostic confidence level 4, UHDRS-TFC score of 8 or more, independence scale of 75 % or more
- Earlier treatment
- No metformin in the last three months before the start of the study
- Biomarker or test result
- 36 or more CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene, based on central CAG analysis
Main reasons for not taking part
- Diabetes of any type
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Kidney problems (creatinine clearance below 60 ml/min) or liver problems
- Heart failure, recent heart attack, severe circulation or breathing problems
- Uncontrolled psychiatric condition or suicidal tendency
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 24 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Positive symptomatic clinical diagnosis of HD
- They should be able to travel to the study site, and in the judgement of the investigator, show that they are likely to be able to continue to travel for the duration of the study
- Availability and willingness of a carer, informant, or family member to provide information during study visits assessing PBAs. It is recommended that the carer be someone who attends the patient at least 2-3 times per week and for at least 3 hours per occasion. The suitability of the carer should be judged by the researcher
- Presence of ≥ 36 CAG repeats (or more) in the huntingtin gene based on centralised CAG analysis
- Males or females between 21-65 years of age, inclusive, with an onset of HD at 18 years of age or older
- Women of childbearing age (women who are not postmenopausal or who have not undergone surgical sterilisation) should be using a method of contraception for 30 days prior to starting study treatment, and should maintain at least two methods of birth control for the duration of the study and until 30 days after the last dose of treatment is taken
- A sum of > 4 points on the UHDRS-TMS scale and a diagnostic confidence level of 4
- Independence scale ≥ 75 %
- A score on the UHDRS-TFC scale ≥ 8 at the screening visit
- Must be able and willing to provide written informed consent prior to any study-related procedures being performed at the screening visit. Patients with a legal guardian must be authorised according to local requirements
- They should be able and willing to take oral medication and should be able to comply with study-specific procedures
Who cannot take part
- Taken metformin in the last three months prior to the start of the study
- You have been treated for heart failure or recently had a heart attack, have severe problems with circulation, or have difficulty breathing
- Has been diagnosed with oncological disease
- Have diabetes of any type
- Have any medical condition other than HD (metabolism, kidney function, liver function, heart problems, etc.), or any contraindication against metformin
- Having an uncontrolled psychiatric condition
- You are allergic to metformin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine
- It presents a serious infection
- Have renal [creatinine clearance <60 ml/min calculated by Cockcroft - Gault formula] or hepatic problems
- Drinking > 6 units/day of alcohol (alcoholism)
- Presents suicidal propensity, with affirmative response in items 4 or 5 in the C-SSRS in the screening visit
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Tiene deshidratación, por diarrea prolongada o severa, o ha vomitado varias veces
Where in Spain
- Hospital General Universitario de AlbaceteAlbacete, SpainTaking people
- Hospital General Universitario Dr. BalmisAlicante, SpainTaking people
- Hospital Mare de Déu de la MercèBarcelona, SpainTaking people
- Hospital Universitario De BurgosBurgos, SpainTaking people
- Hospital General Universitario de ElcheElche, SpainTaking people
- Hospital Universitario Ramón y CajalMadrid, SpainTaking people
- Hospital Universitario Central De AsturiasOviedo, SpainTaking people
- University Hospital Son EspasesPalma, SpainTaking people
- Hospital Universitario Y Politecnico La FeValencia, SpainTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of metformin on the scores obtained in different cognitive subtests that make up the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) and that have been shown to be very sensitive to disease progression from early stages and even in the pre-symptomatic phase.
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on the EU's official list of trials (CTIS).
- Official title
- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of metformin, an AMPK activator, on cognitive measures of progression in Huntington's disease patients.
- Plain-language title
- Metformin and thinking skills in people with Huntington's diseaseGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 11 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 11 December 2024