Charleston

Researchers are exploring new treatment options for neovascular age-related macular degeneration NVAMD, a condition affecting the eyes. This trial aims to compare a new medicine called tiespectus also known as MK-8748 or EYE201 with the standard treatment aflibercept to see if tiespectus works as well in treating NVAMD. The study includes adults aged 50 and older who have not previously received treatment for this condition. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups tiespectus low dose, tiespectus high dose, or aflibercept. Those in the tiespectus groups will receive three initial injections every 4 weeks, followed by injections every 8 weeks up to week 48. After week 48, treatment will continue at intervals based on individual response until week 92. The aflibercept group will receive three initial injections followed by injections every 8 weeks until week 92. During the study, participants will have their vision tested using the Best-Corrected Visual Acuity BCVA score and their eye structure examined with imaging techniques. Researchers will monitor changes in vision over one year and track any side effects up to approximately 96 weeks. Participants will attend regular visits for treatment and assessments throughout the study period lasting about 92 weeks.

Researchers are evaluating the efficacy and safety of rilvegostomig compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy as the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer mNSCLC whose tumors express high levels of PD-L1. This Phase III, randomized, double-blind, multicenter global study focuses on patients with mNSCLC without certain genetic mutations who are suitable for this treatment approach. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either rilvegostomig or pembrolizumab intravenously on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle. The study compares these two drugs over repeated treatment cycles as first-line therapy. Both treatments are biological agents given by infusion, and the study is designed to monitor their effects over up to approximately five years. During the trial, participants will undergo regular assessments including physical exams, imaging scans such as CT or MRI to measure tumor lesions, and laboratory tests to evaluate organ function. Researchers will closely monitor overall survival, progression-free survival, treatment response, duration of response, and patient-reported outcomes on physical functioning and quality of life. Safety and immunogenicity of rilvegostomig will also be evaluated. Participants are followed and assessed for up to five years to gather comprehensive data on treatment effects and long-term outcomes.

Researchers are evaluating whether retatrutide and tirzepatide can prevent major adverse liver outcomes in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease MASLD who are at high risk based on non-invasive tests. This Phase 3 randomized controlled trial aims to assess these treatments compared to placebo in about 4,500 adults over approximately 224 weeks. The study is sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and focuses on liver disease progression and related health measures. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive retatrutide, tirzepatide, or placebo, all administered by subcutaneous injection. The trial includes two placebo groups corresponding to each experimental drug. After completing the main study, eligible participants may join a 2-year extension where all will receive either retatrutide or tirzepatide regardless of their initial assignment. During the study, participants may attend around 25 to 30 clinic visits for health monitoring, study procedures, and assessments of liver function and disease status. Researchers will measure the time to major adverse liver outcomes, changes in liver fibrosis scores, liver stiffness, liver fat content, liver enzyme levels, body weight, and cardiovascular events. Monitoring will continue from baseline through study completion, with detailed evaluations at multiple timepoints including week 104.

Researchers are assessing the effectiveness and safety of rilvegostomig combined with fluoropyrimidine and trastuzumab deruxtecan compared to trastuzumab, chemotherapy, and pembrolizumab in adults with HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction GEJ adenocarcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 CPS 1. The study also evaluates rilvegostomig combined with trastuzumab and chemotherapy to understand the contribution of each treatment component. This is a Phase 2, randomized, open-label, global, multicenter trial sponsored by AstraZeneca. Participants are divided into three groups Arm A receives T-DXd, rilvegostomig, and fluoropyrimidine capecitabine or 5-FU Arm B receives pembrolizumab, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy either 5-FU plus cisplatin or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin Arm C receives rilvegostomig, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy 5-FU plus cisplatin or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin. Treatments are given by intravenous infusion every three weeks or oral administration twice daily for capecitabine. This setup allows comparison of different combinations to evaluate each drugs role. During the study, participants will be monitored for progression-free survival and overall survival up to about six years. Researchers will also assess response rates, duration of response, adverse events, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and quality-of-life factors like eating difficulties and side-effect burden. The study involves regular assessments including tumor measurements and laboratory tests. Participation may last several years, with safety and efficacy closely followed throughout this time.

Researchers are evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a device called MuscleSCS, which uses spinal cord induced muscle stimulation to treat people with chronic low back pain. This prospective, multi-center study focuses on adults with this condition, including those who already have spinal cord stimulation devices and those who are candidates for such treatment. The study aims to better understand how this stimulation affects pain relief and quality of life. Participants will be divided into two groups one group consists of patients who have had a spinal cord stimulation system implanted for more than six months and have experienced significant pain relief the other group includes patients who are candidates for a trial and potential permanent spinal cord stimulation. The study will monitor the use and effects of MuscleSCS over the course of the trial. Throughout the study, participants will be assessed for changes in pain intensity, disability, quality of life, and psychological factors using various measures such as the Numeric Rating Scale NRS, Oswestry Disability Index ODI, EQ5D-5L, Pain Disability Index PDI, Pain Catastrophizing Scale PCS, and Patient Global Impression of Change PGIC. These evaluations will occur from enrollment until three months after study completion, with researchers closely following participants progress and safety.

Researchers are evaluating a new care strategy for people at increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease ASCVD but without symptoms. The study compares a Cleerly Coronary Artery Disease CAD Staging System-based care approach against the usual risk factor-based care to see if it better reduces cardiovascular events. This pragmatic, randomized trial addresses the need for improved methods to identify and personalize treatment for asymptomatic individuals at risk due to age, diabetes, prediabetes, or metabolic syndrome. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The risk factor-based care group receives usual care managed by their providers, while a cardiology team monitors and supports guideline-based treatment without revealing certain imaging results during the study. The Cleerly stage-based care group gets personalized management from a remote cardiologist-led team using the Cleerly CAD Staging System, which includes imaging to assess coronary atherosclerosis and guides pharmacotherapy and education. Treatment intensity may increase if plaque worsens after 24 months. During the study, participants will have assessments to monitor heart health and treatment adherence over an average of 3.5 years. Researchers will measure cardiovascular events and other related health outcomes to compare the two care strategies. The study involves ongoing medication monitoring, lab tests, and feedback to optimize prevention, with the goal of improving personalized care for cardiovascular risk management.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of pembrolizumab combined with sacituzumab govitecan-hziy compared to standard chemotherapy treatments in patients with advanced urothelial cancer that has spread locally or to other parts of the body. This phase III trial focuses on patients whose cancer has not responded to prior anti-PDL1 therapy. The study aims to compare overall survival, progression-free survival, response rates, duration of response, treatment side effects, and quality of life between the new combination therapy and usual chemotherapy care. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group receives standard chemotherapy options such as carboplatin or cisplatin with gemcitabine, or alternatively docetaxel or paclitaxel, given intravenously in 21-day cycles for up to six cycles or until disease progression or unacceptable side effects. The other group receives pembrolizumab intravenously on day 1 and sacituzumab govitecan-hziy intravenously on days 1 and 8 every 21 days for up to 35 cycles or two years, unless disease progresses or side effects become unacceptable. Both groups undergo blood tests and imaging scans like CT or MRI throughout the study. During the trial, participants will have regular assessments including blood sample collection and imaging to monitor their cancer status and treatment effects. Researchers will also evaluate patient-reported quality of life and fatigue at multiple time points up to 12 months. After completing treatment, participants are followed up 30 days later and then annually for five years to track survival and health outcomes. This comprehensive approach helps researchers understand both the clinical outcomes and the impact on patients well-being over time.

Researchers are evaluating camizestrant against standard endocrine therapy for patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer who have an intermediate or high risk of disease recurrence. These patients must have completed locoregional therapy and at least 2 to 5 years of standard adjuvant endocrine therapy. The study is a Phase III open-label trial focused on improving outcomes for these patients over a long-term period. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either camizestrant orally or continue with the standard endocrine therapy chosen by their investigator, which may include aromatase inhibitors exemestane, letrozole, anastrozole or tamoxifen. Treatment in each group lasts for 60 months. The study allows prior use of CDK46 inhibitors and includes a follow-up period extending up to 10 years from the last patient randomization. During the study, participants will undergo regular assessments to monitor invasive breast cancer-free survival and other outcomes such as invasive disease-free survival, distant relapse-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Researchers will also evaluate symptoms like joint pain, hot flushes, and vaginal dryness using specific scales, along with quality of life measures and pharmacokinetics. Safety monitoring continues up to 28 days after the last dose, and participants remain under observation for up to 10 years total.

Researchers are evaluating how well combination chemotherapy works in treating patients with newly diagnosed stages 2 to 4 diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor DAWT and patients with relapsed favorable histology Wilms tumor FHWT. This phase II trial compares the effects of two chemotherapy regimens, UH-3 and ICECycloTopo, on event-free survival and overall survival, aiming to improve outcomes based on different relapse risk groups and prior treatments. The study also explores kidney toxicity, genetic markers, surgery impacts, and radiation therapy techniques to reduce side effects and better understand tumor behavior. Participants are assigned to one of two treatment groups. In Arm I Regimen UH-3, patients receive cycles of vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and irinotecan intravenously over various days in a 21-day cycle, with radiation therapy at week 7 of cycle 3 if needed. In Arm II Regimen ICECycloTopo, patients receive cycles of carboplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide, cyclophosphamide, and topotecan intravenously over 10 cycles every 21 days, with surgery andor radiation therapy during certain cycles as clinically indicated. Throughout the trial, patients undergo multiple imaging tests including CT scans, PET scans, chest x-rays, MRIs, abdominal ultrasounds, and bone scans, along with blood sample collections and biopsies. After completing treatment, follow-up visits occur every 3 months for the first 2 years, then every 6 months for years 3 and 4, and once at year 5. The main outcomes measured are event-free survival and overall survival up to 5 years from study entry, with ongoing monitoring for treatment effects and safety.

Researchers are conducting an observational study to collect baseline growth data in children diagnosed with Idiopathic Short Stature ISS. The study aims to better understand growth patterns by measuring various growth-related factors over time in this pediatric population aged between 2 and 16 years, with a focus on children experiencing significant short stature. This long-term study is sponsored by BioMarin Pharmaceutical to help characterize how children with ISS grow compared to typical growth standards. Participants will be observed without receiving any study treatments. Growth measurements such as annualized growth velocity, height Z-score, standing height, body mass index BMI, and BMI Z-score will be collected every six months. The study will also record medical events and explore relationships between genetic variants and growth velocity. This observational approach allows tracking changes over time without intervention. Families will be involved in regular assessments every six months for up to 15 years. These evaluations include physical growth measurements and monitoring of medical events related to short stature. Data from historic growth hormone hGH stimulation tests and treatment status will also be considered. The studys primary outcomes focus on changes in growth metrics, while secondary outcomes assess medical event rates and genetic associations. Participation requires ongoing cooperation for scheduled measurements and consent from parents or guardians.