At a glance
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Unacylated Ghrelin to Improve Functioning in PAD: The GIFT Trial Phase II
In Brief
A Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating Ghrelin and Placebo for Peripheral Artery Disease. Completed, enrolled 25 participants across 2 sites.
Signals
Detailed Summary
GIFT is a pilot, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial that will examine the effects of unacylated ghrelin on walking ability in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared to placebo. Preliminary evidence suggests that unacylated ghrelin may improve blood flow to the extremities and promote improved skeletal muscle growth and energy use. A total of 30 participants with PAD will be randomized to one of two groups: unacylated ghrelin injections or placebo injections . Participants will self-administer the study drug or placebo subcutaneously once daily for four months. The primary outcome is change in six-minute walk distance between baseline and 4-month follow-up
Study Details
Timeline
Arms & Interventions
Participants randomized to unacylated ghrelin will self-administer 20 ug/kg unacylated ghrelin daily. Study drug is dispensed in syringes labeled with the participant's name, date of birth, expiration date, and instructions for administration. Syringes will NOT be labeled with the group assignment, ensuring that both the research team collecting data and study participants are blinded to group assignment (i.e. double blinded status). Study drug is stored and handled according to the University of Chicago Research Pharmacy Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Participants randomized to placebo will self-administer an identical-appearing solution of bacteriostatic saline daily.
Interventions
Ghrelin is a peptide and hormone that is primarily produced by P/D1 cells of the gastric fundus and circulates in both acylated and unacylated forms. This pilot trial will gather preliminary evidence to test investigators hypothesis that unacylated ghrelin improves walking performance and prevents mobility loss in older patients with PAD.
Placebo will consist of saline- no active ingredient.