Abstract
Background
Diabetic gastroparesis(DG) is a serious, chronic complication of type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus(DM) presenting with a delay in gastric emptying(GE). An estimated 3 million Canadians have been diagnosed with DM; up to 5% of these patients may develop DG. DG can result in poor glycemic control, recurrent nausea and vomiting, often resulting in hospitalization. To date, no effective treatments are available. A phase 2 study showed that relamorelin (RLM), a synthetic ghrelin agonist, was safe and effective in treating DG. Investigators across Canada are participating in a set of phase 3 international trials of RLM in the treatment of DG.
Aims
To report the Canadian involvement in the international effort to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RLM in the treatment of DG. PLEDGE is a set of 5 trials: two identical 12-week studies, a 46-week extension study, a 52-week exposure study, and an open-label extension study. Collectively, the data from these studies will help to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RLM, a novel treatment for Canadian patients living with DG.
Methods
Four global, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studies compare the efficacy of RLM with placebo in participants with DG using composite endpoints of nausea, abdominal pain, postprandial fullness, bloating. Participants are randomized to RLM 10μg or placebo subcutaneously (SC) twice daily groups. The open-label continuation of treatment will follow participants until RLM becomes commercially available to provide long-term safety information to support the safe use of RLM as a chronic treatment of DG. As seen in Figure 1, participants from the two 12-week studies will rollover into the third study that will continue for 46 weeks. The fourth study will enroll participants that were not randomized in the first two studies because their symptoms were less severe and will also accept new participants. Participants will be randomized 2:1 to RLM 10μg or placebo SC twice daily groups. Participants from the third and fourth studies have the option to enroll in the open-label study.
Results
Target enrollment is approx. 1800 participants for the 4 global, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studies and 1000 participants for the open label study. 700 sites are expected to participate globally; 15 Canadian sites in 6 provinces are participating.
Conclusions
Canadian centers are actively involved in the PLEDGE trials to help determine the efficacy and safety of RLM, a potential new treatment for DG. This publication increases awareness of the Canadian gastroenterology community, providing an option to refer interested patients to PLEDGE study centers.
PLEDGE Studies (NCT03285308, NCT03426345, NCT03420781, NCT03383146, NCT03786380): Placebo-controlled, randomized RLM-MD-01/02/03/04 and open-label study 3071-305-020 to study the safety and efficacy of relamorelin for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis
Funding Agencies
None
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