Boston University - Clinical & Translational Science Institute

Since its launch in 2004, the overarching aim of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) has been realized in informing the design of therapeutic trials in AD. ADNI3 continues the previously funded ADNI-1, ADNI-GO, and ADNI-2 studies that have been combined public/private collaborations between academia and industry to determine the relationships between the clinical, cognitive, imaging, genetic and biochemical biomarker characteristics of the entire spectrum of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The overall goal of the study is to continue to discover, optimize, standardize, and validate clinical trial measures and biomarkers used in AD research.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2016

open study

Phase 3 efficacy and safety study to evaluate AG10 800 mg compared to placebo in subjects with symptomatic Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2019

open study

This randomized phase II/III trial studies how well giving maintenance chemotherapy with or without local consolidation therapy works in treating patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Drugs used in maintenance chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, pemetrexed disodium, erlotinib hydrochloride, and gemcitabine work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Local consolidation therapy such as radiation/stereotactic body radiation or surgery may kill cancer cells left after initial treatment. Giving maintenance chemotherapy and local consolidation therapy together may work better than maintenance chemotherapy alone in treating patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2017

open study

This randomized phase III trial compares topical or ablative treatment with active monitoring in preventing anal cancer in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Anal HSIL is tissue in the anal canal that has been damaged by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and is at risk for turning into anal cancer. It is not yet known if treating HSIL is more effective than active monitoring in preventing patients from developing anal cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2014

open study

This research study is studying three combinations of drugs as treatments for breast cancer. The drugs involved in this study are: - Fulvestrant - Fulvestrant with Palbociclib - Fulvestrant with Palbociclib and Avelumab

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2017

open study

Depression is a prevalent non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression in PD. CBT is usually administered in-person in weekly sessions, but PD motor disability, stigma, and transportation issues may prevent attending such therapy sessions. CBT administered via live videoconference technology may allow the treatment of depression, while circumventing the barriers that deter those with PD from seeking psychological services. The investigators propose that videoconference CBT will improve mood in individuals with PD who have depression.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2019

open study

This phase III trial studies magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) to see how well they work compared to MRI surveillance alone in treating patients with small cell lung cancer. MRI scans are used to monitor the possible spread of the cancer with an MRI machine over time. PCI is radiation therapy that is delivered to the brain in hopes of preventing spread of cancer into the brain. The use of brain MRI alone may reduce side effects of receiving PCI and prolong patients' lifespan. Monitoring with MRI scans alone (delaying radiation until the actual spread of the cancer) may be at least as good as the combination of PCI with MRI scans.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2020

open study

Almost 18 million US adults have alcohol use disorders (AUD), with one third of these individuals also diagnosed with anxiety disorders (AXD). The coexistence of AUD and AXD imposes a high burden via healthcare costs and lost productivity. To date, existing treatment approaches for addressing AUD/AXD comorbidity have been only modestly effective and there is a lack of adequate research to guide treatment decisions. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic, cognitive-behavioral therapy that has shown efficacy in treating emotional disorders. The efficacy of the UP to facilitate abstinence from alcohol consumption in individuals with comorbid AUD/AXD has also been examined, with results from this study indicating a reduction from baseline in drinks consumed per day. However, further evaluation of the UP for managing AUD/AXD is warranted. In this clinical trial, the investigators will further assess the UP's effectiveness in reducing alcohol consumption in patients with comorbid AUD/AXD. Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions: 1) treatment with the UP or 2) treatment with therapist-guided Take Control (TC; a computerized alcohol reduction program). In addition, in a subset of twenty-five participants, functional magnetic resonance scanning (fMRI) will be used to examine the effects of the UP on changes in brain activity in areas important to regulation of emotional and reward processes implicated in excessive alcohol consumption. The researchers' primary hypotheses are that the UP group will, compared to the TC group: 1) be superior in acute symptom reduction from pre- to post-treatment, and 2) evidence greater reductions in percent days heavy drinking, percent days of drinking per week, and alcohol craving.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2018

open study

To determine the effect of favipiravir + SOC v. SOC on COVID-19 viral clearance.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2020

open study

Due to the lack of direct evidence of optimal iodine intake of Chinese children, pregnant and lactating women and infants were found during the recent revision of Chinese dietary reference intakes (DRIs) of iodine in 2013 by the applicant Pro. Zhang, and no systematical research about compensatory mechanism of iodine nutrition in lactating women was found yet. Previous study funded by UNICEF cooperated with the international experts on iodine and key project of national natural science foundation of China under the guidance of Pro. Zhang, had obtained the safe intake range of iodine from children and pregnant women, more than 10 joint papers were published, which laid the foundation of population study and international cooperation.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jan 2020

open study

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of 2 doses of crizanlizumab (5.0 mg/kg and 7.5 mg/kg) versus placebo in adolescent and adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients with history of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) leading to healthcare visit.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2019

open study

This randomized phase III trial studies how well stereotactic body radiation therapy works compared to intensity-modulated radiation therapy in treating patients with stage IIA-B prostate cancer. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Stereotactic body radiation therapy is a specialized radiation therapy that sends x-rays directly to the tumor using smaller doses over several days and may cause less damage to normal tissue. Stereotactic body radiation therapy may work better in treating patients with prostate cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2017

open study

Prone positioning is a well studied and validated treatment for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), however there are no randomized studies on the use of prone positioning in the non-intubated patient. It is unknown if this intervention would be helpful in preventing further respiratory deterioration in terms of increasing supplemental oxygen requirements, endotracheal intubation, and ICU admission. The Awake Prone Position for Early hypoxemia in COVID-19 (APPEX-19) Study is a pragmatic adaptive randomized controlled unblinded trial. APPEX-19 randomizes non-ICU patients with COVID-19 or who are under evaluation for COVID-19 to lie in a prone position (i.e, with their stomach and chest facing down) or to usual care.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2020

open study

In its 2017 revision of the global guidelines for HIV care and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for rapid or same-day initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for eligible patients testing positive for HIV. However, to date neither the WHO nor the Malawi Ministry of Health has provided detailed guidance on how to implement this recommendation. In sub-Saharan Africa, where most HIV patients are located, studies continue to document high losses of treatment-eligible patients from care before they receive their first dose of antiretroviral medications (ARVs). Among facility-level reasons for these losses are treatment initiation protocols that require multiple clinic visits and long waiting times before a patient who tests positive for HIV is dispensed an initial supply of medications. There is very little published evidence on the practical details of the process and the extent to which it varies by facility, setting, or country. Without a robust baseline evidence base, it is challenging to identify opportunities for making improvements. The SPRINT (Survey of Procedures and Resources for Initiating Treatment of HIV in Africa) study will begin to develop this evidence base. SPRINT will combine a facility-level description of the standard of care with a retrospective record review of patients who recently initiated ART at the study sites. Data will be collected from 12 health facilities in Malawi. The survey will elicit detailed information about current procedures through structured interviews with clinic staff at the selected health facilities. The record review for a retrospective cohort of patients eligible for ART will estimate actual numbers of clinic visits, services provided, and duration of the steps for treatment initiation from start to finish. SPRINT is expected to identify differences in approaches to treatment initiation and potential opportunities for improvement.

Type: Observational

Start Date: May 2020

open study

Patients are enrolled to screening (Reg Step 1) prior to or after ASCT but prior to Reg Step 2. Patients are followed until they will begin Maintenance and then registered to Reg Step 2 (first randomization). Patients are randomized between Lenalidomide for 2 years and Lenalidomide + Daratumumab/rHuPH20. After 2 years of Maintenance, MRD is assessed to guide further therapy. MRD-positive patients will continue with the assigned treatment. MRD-negative patients will be further randomized (Reg Step 3) to either continue or discontinue the assigned treatment. Patients are treated for up to 7 years from Step 2 reg and followed for up to 15 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with remdesivir plus tocilizumab compared with remdesivir plus placebo in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2020

open study

This phase III trial studies how well vitamin D3 given with standard chemotherapy and bevacizumab works in treating patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Vitamin D3 helps the body use calcium and phosphorus to make strong bones and teeth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as leucovorin calcium, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan hydrochloride, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as bevacizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving vitamin D3 with chemotherapy and bevacizumab may work better in shrinking or stabilizing colorectal cancer. It is not yet known whether giving high-dose vitamin D3 in addition to chemotherapy and bevacizumab would extend patients' time without disease compared to the usual approach (chemotherapy and bevacizumab).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2019

open study

Study ROR-PH-301, ADVANCE OUTCOMES, is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of ralinepag when added to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) standard of care or PAH-specific background therapy in subjects with World Health Organization (WHO) Group 1 PAH.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2018

open study

The purpose of this study is to establish an international, web based clinical registry to collect baseline characteristics of patients undergoing orthopaedic, sports medicine, arthroscopy, and related surgery, and the subsequent outcomes and cost-effectiveness associated with the surgical procedures and nonoperative treatments.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Sep 2010

open study

This phase III ALCHEMIST trial studies how well erlotinib hydrochloride compared to observation works in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been completely removed by surgery. Erlotinib hydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2014

open study

This phase II trial studies surgery in treating patients with anal canal or perianal cancer that is small and has not spread deeply into the tissues and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Local surgery may be a safer treatment with fewer side effects than bigger surgery or radiation and chemotherapy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2015

open study

Multi-center sequential multiple assignment randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of three different standard of care treatment options for patients with isolated skin vasculitis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2017

open study

This trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in combination with platinum doublet neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before surgery [neoadjuvant phase], followed by pembrolizumab alone after surgery [adjuvant phase] in participants with resectable stage II, IIIA, and resectable IIIB (T3-4N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The primary hypotheses of this study are that neoadjuvant pembrolizumab (vs. placebo) in combination with NAC, followed by surgery and adjuvant pembrolizumab (vs. placebo) will improve: 1) event free survival (EFS) by biopsy assessed by blinded central pathologist or by imaging using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR); and 2) overall survival (OS).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2018

open study

This phase II trial with a safety run-in component will evaluate whether the addition of pembrolizumab to Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) re-irradiation will improve the progression-free survival for patients with recurrent or new second primary Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2018

open study

There is significant unmet need for effective treatment options for Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis (dcSSc). The present study will be a dose-escalation safety trial of brentuximab vedotin, a drug-antibody conjugate approved for the treatment of lymphoma and targeted to the protein CD30 molecule expressed on activated immune cells There is evidence for CD30 involvement in SSc. This study represents the first step in determining safety and tolerability of brentuximab vedotin in SSc.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2017

open study