Pine Bluff

Researchers are evaluating the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of adding ponsegromab to systemic chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy plus placebo for adults with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma mPDAC who have cachexia, a condition causing significant weight loss and fatigue. This Phase 2b3 randomized, double-blind, multinational study focuses on first-line treatment for this advanced cancer and associated cachexia. Participants will receive standard first-line chemotherapy regimens, either nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine or FOLFIRINOX, combined with either ponsegromab at one of two doses or a matching placebo. Study intervention is given subcutaneously every four weeks starting on the same day as the chemotherapy cycle and prior to chemotherapy administration. After Phase 2b, one ponsegromab dose will be selected for Phase 3, and participants will either continue or switch to that dose while remaining blinded. An optional open-label extension allows participants to receive ponsegromab for up to 12 months after the double-blind phase. During the study, participants will have tumor assessments approximately every 6 to 8 weeks by independent radiologists. Researchers will measure changes in body weight, anorexia symptoms, physical activity, muscle and fat tissue quality, overall survival, and treatment safety through laboratory tests, adverse event monitoring, and patient questionnaires. The study duration extends through Phase 3 with ongoing monitoring until key survival events occur, with an additional optional sub-study assessing caregiver quality of life.

Researchers are evaluating whether providing healthy food during pregnancy can reduce the number of women who experience excessive weight gain compared to enhanced standard care. This large, multi-site randomized controlled trial plans to enroll 1,440 pregnant women aged 16 to 44 years to study this question. The study focuses on prevention of excessive gestational weight gain and related pregnancy complications such as gestational hypertension and diabetes. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The Enhanced Standard of Care ESoC group receives nutritional and gestational weight gain counseling, assistance enrolling in WIC and SNAP programs, and referrals to food assistance organizations. The Delivering HOPE group receives the same services plus funds during pregnancy to purchase healthy foods, with amounts ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 based on household size. Women will be involved throughout their pregnancy, with data collected from birth records to measure weight before pregnancy and at delivery. The main outcome is the proportion of women with excessive gestational weight gain over approximately 40 weeks. This study includes participants who speak English, Spanish, or Marshallese and have valid email addresses. The research is led by the University of Arkansas and is expected to be completed by the end of 2029.

Researchers are comparing the rates of surgical and minimally invasive interventions, as well as any harms, in Medicare beneficiaries treated with the MILD procedure versus those treated with interspinous process decompression IPD for lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication. This observational study uses Medicare claims data to follow patients for 24 months after their initial procedure starting from January 1, 2017. The purpose is to evaluate outcomes between these two types of procedures without requiring prior patient enrollment or consent. The study includes two groups patients who received MILD, which is a percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression performed under fluoroscopic guidance through a dorsal approach to the spine, and patients who received IPD, a different device-based decompression procedure. Data on reoperations and complications will be collected for both groups over a 24-month follow-up period using Medicare claims. Enrollment continues until the sponsor decides to stop. Participants involvement is passive as the study uses existing Medicare claims data. Researchers will monitor rates of harms related to the initial procedure and subsequent surgical or minimally invasive interventions over two years. No direct patient visits or interventions are conducted, and the study is exempt from institutional review board oversight. The total study duration extends to December 2026, covering cases treated since early 2017.