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Research Studies

Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Studies

Find research studies available to children cared for by the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes team.

Appointments and referrals

HM15136 for the Treatment of Congenital Hyperinsulinism Research Study

The purpose of this study is to look at the safety and tolerability (how well you will react) of the study drug (HM15136) and to determine if it is effective for the treatment of Congenital Hyperinsulinism (HI). HM15136 is an experimental drug which is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of HI. HM15136 is stable and has a long effect in the body, only requiring it to be given (by injection) once a week. HM15136 is designed to act like glucagon, a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels by increasing the glucose produced in the liver and breaking down glycogen (a form of stored glucose) into the usable glucose form.

Participation lasts for up to 22 weeks and will involve up to 13 study visits. Study procedures include taking the study drug for 8 weeks, having electrocardiograms, wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and using a handheld glucose meter, having blood and urine tests, and completing an electronic diary.

The main risks of this study include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, injection site reactions (swelling, itching, bleeding, or pain), loss of appetite, weight loss, high blood sugar. You may benefit if the study drug proves to be more effective than your current treatment plan in treating low blood sugar.

Phase: Phase II

Actively recruiting: Yes

Category: Adults, Children

Conditions: Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Living with Diabetes: Challenges for Black Teens

This study wants to know about the problems that Black or African American teenagers with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their families face. It also wants to see how these problems affect their feelings, behavior, and how they get along with others. The study will find out how well they can handle T1D and adapt to it. It will also learn how good things like being strong, family, and where they live might help young people who have to deal with hard things. This includes how well they handle their feelings, behavior, relationships, and T1D care.

Phase: Pilot

Actively recruiting: Yes

Category: Adults, Children

Medtronic 780G System

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the MiniMed 780G insulin pump system used in combination with the DS5 CGM in type 1 diabetic pediatric participants in a home setting.

Phase: Phase III

Actively recruiting: No

Category: Children

Moderna mRNA Clinical Trial for Patients with GSD 1a

Our team has partnered with Moderna on a clinical trial for patients with glycogen storage disease type 1a (GSD1a). We would like to invite you to take part in a clinical trial for an mRNA investigational drug that could potentially correct the cause of GSD1a, by teaching your body to break down glycogen, correct low glucose, and avoid starch intake. The purpose of this trial is to see if a new investigational mRNA study drug, called mRNA-3745, is safe and if it works in the way researchers expect. mRNA technology uses messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), an instructional molecule that naturally occurs in the body and carries information to cells. In this case, we are studying if mRNA-3745 given through an IV infusion can instruct the body to make the protein that is missing in people with GSD1a.

mRNA-3725 is not approved by the FDA; the FDA has allowed us to provide this investigational medicine to patients enrolled in this phase 1/2 trial. Phase 1/2 clinical trials like this one aim to test the safety, side effects, and best dose of an investigational medication. In the phase 2 part, participants usually receive the highest dose of treatment discovered in the phase 1 part. This is the first study in which humans are administered this study drug.

If successful, mRNA-3745 would enable certain organs in the body to effectively break down glycogen and avoid low glucose levels and starch intake. If mRNA-3745 could correct the cause of GSD1a, it would help keep your glucose levels where they need to be all the time.

Participation in this clinical trial could last up to approximately two years, depending on which stage you enroll in and whether or not you decide to participate in the long-term follow-up period of the study. Some of the visits in this trial will require you to stay overnight at the hospital, and some of the visits will require you to visit the hospital or doctors office. Most of the visits in this clinical trial can be done at your home, where a home health nurse will perform the assessments needed.

All study-related procedures, travel, and compensation are provided.

Phase: Phase I, Phase II

Actively recruiting: Yes

Category: Adults, Children

NCGD

The purpose of this research study is to learn more about Graves disease and PTC/Hypothyroidism, How it effects brain function and brain function changes after starting medical treatment.

Phase: N/A

Actively recruiting: No

Category: Adults, Children, MRI/Imaging Studies

PETITE-T1D

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics (drug levels in the blood) of teplizumab in children less than 8 years old. The study will also assess if your child stays in Stage 2 T1D or progresses to Stage 3 T1D. Your child may join the study only if they are in Stage 2 T1D. Previous studies in adults and children older than 8 years of age suggest that taking teplizumab, a drug that affects your childs immune system, may stop, delay, or decrease the attack on the cells that make insulin. This slowing or blocking of the immune attack may reduce the risk of short-term and long-term consequences of T1D. To join this study, your child must have been diagnosed with Stage 2 T1D based on two positive T1D-related antibodies and confirmed dysglycemia (abnormal blood sugar levels) based on an oral glucose tolerance test, fasting plasma glucose test, or an increase in a blood test called the hemoglobin A1c. The study is open-label. That means that if your child qualifies for the study, your child will receive teplizumab. There is no placebo in this study.

Phase: Phase IV

Actively recruiting: No

Category: Children

Phenotypes of Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Congenital Hyperinsulinism is the most common cause of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in infants and children.Infants who are born with this problem have low blood sugar, which can cause seizures or brain damage.

We are doing this study to see if the patterns of abnormalities in controlling insulin in children and adults with hyperinsulinism are related to any underlying genetic cause and to identify possible new genetic causes.This will be done by standard clinical tests of insulin control: a glucose tolerance test, a protein tolerance test, and a fasting test.

Phase: N/A

Actively recruiting: No

Category: Adults, Children

Conditions: Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Phentermine/Topiramate in Hypothalamic Obesity

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how safe and effective the drug Qsymia (Phentermine/Topiramate of Ph/T) is for children, adolescents, and young adults with hypothalamic obesity. We will also evaluate if Ph/T helps with weight loss and changes in hunger in patients with hypothalamic obesity.

If you are determined to be eligible, then your participation will last for approximately 8 months. Participants will be asked to complete up to 5 in-person visits and 5 telephone safety check-ins. During the study you will be randomly assigned to study drug (phentermine/topiramate) or placebo for 28 weeks.

You will complete study procedures including blood tests, ECGs, mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry, body composition scan, and questionnaires. Compensation and reimbursement of limited travel expenses is available.

Phase: Phase II

Actively recruiting: Yes

Category: Adults, Children

Conditions: Hypothalamic Obesity

Research Study for Individuals with Hyperinsulinism, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, and Healthy Children

Our team is working on a study to better understand neurological problems, including seizures and developmental delays, that occur in children with hyperinsulinism, including HI/HA syndrome, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. The study involves a one-day visit to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and The University of Pennsylvania for a specialized magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI) of the brain, an electroencephalogram (EEG), blood draw, and completion of questionnaires to evaluate development and behavior. The entire study visit is expected to take about five hours. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at HIResearch@email.chop.edu.

Phase: N/A

Actively recruiting: Yes

Category: Adults, Children, Healthy Controls, MRI/Imaging Studies, One-Time Visit Studies

Conditions: Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Research Study for Individuals with Hyperinsulinism/Hyperammonemia

Our team is working on a study to better understand neurological problems, including seizures and developmental delays, that occur in many individuals with HI/HA syndrome. The study involves a one day visit to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and The University of Pennsylvania for a specialized magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI) of the brain, an electroencephalogram (EEG), blood draw, and completion of questionnaires to evaluate development and behavior. The entire study visit is expected to take about four hours. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at HIResearch@email.chop.edu.

Phase: Pilot

Actively recruiting: No

Category: Adults, Children, MRI/Imaging Studies, One-Time Visit Studies

Conditions: Congenital Hyperinsulinism

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