Boston University - Clinical & Translational Science Institute

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare engagement in treatment in coordinated specialty care (CSC) to five extra care elements (CSC 2.0) in first-episode psychosis. The main question it aims to answer is: • Does the addition of certain elements of care increase the number of visits in treatment for first-episode psychosis? Participants will either: - Receive care as usual (CSC) or - Receive care as usual (CSC) plus five additional care elements (CSC 2.0): 1. Individual peer support 2. Digital outreach 3. Care coordination 4. Multi-family group therapy 5. Cognitive remediation Researchers will compare the standard of care (CSC) to CSC 2.0 to see if participants receiving CSC 2.0 have more visits to their clinic in their first year.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

HIV transmission remains a significant public health concern, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). Condomless anal intercourse (CAI) continues to be the major route of transmission for MSM. Thus, to reduce the incidence of HIV, it is critical to identify how contextual risk factors influence CAI and develop behavioral strategies that modify risk factors directly or reduce their influence on behavior. This study will examine the mechanisms through which one of the central contextual risk factors, heavy drinking, influences sexual decision processes in the natural environment and test the benefit of a brief intervention designed to reduce sexual risk behavior among those who engage in heavy drinking.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2023

open study

The purpose of this clinical trial is to answer the question: can the investigators predict which adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD) will successfully respond to treatment? To answer this question, the investigators plan to recruit 190 adult participants who experience extreme forms of social anxiety to undergo brain imaging before and after 12 weeks of group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Adults in the SAD group who do not respond enough to group CBT may be offered the opportunity to complete an additional 12 weeks of individual CBT while receiving SSRI medication (sertraline, see below) for SAD. Data collected from participants who experience anxiety will be compared to a group of 50 participants with little or no social anxiety, who will serve as a comparison group.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study

The virological efficacy of ibalizumab has been clearly demonstrated in multiple clinical trials. This study will expand ibalizumab's clinical data set and allow a better understanding of the virologic response durability on ARV regimens with or without ibalizumab in a heterogeneous real-world patient population. Additional data on the efficacy and safety of ibalizumab and its impact on patient reported outcomes will be captured until study end. Primary Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy, safety, and durability of ibalizumab in combination with other ARVs by comparing the virologic, immunologic and clinical outcomes of patients receiving ibalizumab treatment versus patients not receiving ibalizumab. Secondary Objective: To assess the efficacy of ibalizumab in combination with other antiretrovirals by comparing the virologic, immunologic, clinical and patient reported outcomes of patients before and after they receive ibalizumab treatment. To assess the long-term safety and tolerability of ibalizumab. Other Objectives: To assess risk factors/predictors of virologic and immunologic response. To assess efficacy and safety in special populations that enroll.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2022

open study

In this study, researchers will learn more about BIIB122 in participants with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD). The study will include adults aged 30 to 80 who were diagnosed with PD within 2 years of starting the study. The main objective of the study is to learn about the effect BIIB122 has on slowing down the worsening of PD symptoms. The main question researchers want to answer is: - How long does it take for PD symptoms to worsen during BIIB122 treatment? Researchers will answer this and other questions by measuring the symptoms of PD over time using a variety of scoring tools. These include the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and the modified Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale (mSE-ADL). The MDS-UPDRS is used to measure symptoms of PD. It has 4 parts: Part I, II, III, and IV. Each part measures different aspects of motor and non-motor symptoms. The mSE-ADL measures a participant's ability to perform daily activities or personal chores. Researchers will also learn more about the safety of BIIB122. They will check participants for adverse events. Adverse events are unwanted health problems that may or may not be caused by the study drug. The study will be done as follows: - Participants will be randomly assigned to take either BIIBB122 or placebo. A placebo looks like the study drug but contains no real medicine. - Neither the researchers nor the participants will know if the participants are receiving BIIB122 or placebo. - Participants will take BIIB122 or placebo tablets by mouth once a day. - The treatment period for each participant will last between 48 and 144 weeks. - There will be a safety follow-up period for 2 weeks after the last dose of BIIB122. - In total, participants will have up to 29 study visits. - Participants will stay in the study for at least 1 year, up to about 3 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

This phase I/Ia trial finds the best dose and side effects of venetoclax given in combination with ixazomib citrate and dexamethasone in treating patients with light chain amyloidosis that has come back (relapsed) or does not respond to treatment (refractory) and who have an abnormal genetic change [translocation t(11;14)]. Venetoclax is in a class of medications called B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitors. It may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking Bcl-2, a protein needed for cancer cell survival. Ixazomib citrate is in a class of medications called proteasome inhibitors. It works by helping to kill cancer cells. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as dexamethasone reduce inflammation by lowering the body's immune response and are used with other drugs in the treatment of some types of cancer. Combination therapy with venetoclax, ixazomib citrate and dexamethasone may be effective in treatment of relapsed or refractory light chain amyloidosis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2022

open study

Primary Aim: To determine if apixaban is superior to aspirin for prevention of the composite outcome of any stroke (hemorrhagic or ischemic) or death from any cause in patients with recent ICH and atrial fibrillation (AF). Secondary Aim: To determine if apixaban, compared with aspirin, results in better functional outcomes as measured by the modified Rankin Scale.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2020

open study

Children of mothers with substance use disorder (SUD) constitute a growing and highly vulnerable population. Evidence-based parenting interventions have the potential to both support parents' recovery and mental health by helping them cope with stress of parenthood and promote the optimal development of their children by supporting responsive parenting. The Supporting Our Families through Addiction and Recovery (SOFAR) pediatric medical home for families and children impacted by SUDs, with integrated behavioral health (IBH), provides an opportune setting for addressing the needs of mothers and children impacted by SUDs. While many families are thriving in the program, there is a strong unmet need for evidence-based parent-training interventions, particularly during the preschool period. This study aims to evaluate the implementation of a brief, parent child interaction therapy (PCIT)-based intervention, entitled Threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and engagement (THRIVE), that will be offered in the SOFAR Clinic at Boston Medical Center. THRIVE is a safe, 6-session telehealth intervention that has been tested in pediatric and community-based settings. The evidence-based suggests that THRIVE is associated with significant improvements in child behaviors and parenting stress. The investigators hypothesize that offering THRIVE through the SOFAR pediatric primary care program will be feasible and acceptable, improving access to and engagement in evidence-based parenting interventions among mothers with substance use disorder who receive parenting support through our integrated behavioral health model. In addition to studying the implementation of this evidence-based intervention, this study will allow the researchers to test data collection procedures (pre and post-interventions assessments) to inform a future clinical trial.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jan 2025

open study

The SOAP registry is a prospective, multicenter, electronic registry. The goal is to investigate the indications, mode of airway management, predisposing factors, and obstetric and anesthetic outcomes of pregnant patients who receive general anesthesia for cesarean delivery.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

Vocal hyperfunction (VH) is the most commonly treated class of voice disorders by speech-language pathologists and voice therapy is the primary curative treatment. Patients and clinicians report that generalizing improved voicing into daily life is the most significant barrier to successful therapy. We will test if extending biofeedback into the patient's daily life using ambulatory voice monitoring will significantly improve generalization during therapy and if individual patient factors, like how easily they can modify their voice and engagement during therapy, moderate the effects of the biofeedback.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of Daratumumab, Bortezomib, Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone (DVRd) followed by Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel versus Daratumumab, Bortezomib, Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone (DVRd) followed by Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2023

open study

This phase III trial studies how well trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and tucatinib work in preventing breast cancer from coming back (relapsing) in patients with high risk, HER2 positive breast cancer. T-DM1 is a monoclonal antibody, called trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug, called DM1. Trastuzumab is a form of targeted therapy because it attaches to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as HER2 receptors, and delivers DM1 to kill them. Tucatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving T-DM1 and tucatinib may work better in preventing breast cancer from relapsing in patients with HER2 positive breast cancer compared to T-DM1 alone.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2021

open study

This phase III ALCHEMIST trial tests the addition of pembrolizumab to usual chemotherapy for the treatment of stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, pemetrexed, carboplatin, gemcitabine hydrochloride, and paclitaxel, 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. Giving pembrolizumab with usual chemotherapy may help increase survival times in patients with stage IIA, IIB, IIIA or IIIB non-small cell lung cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2020

open study

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness (prevention of thromboembolic events) and safety (major bleeding) of adding oral anticoagulation (OAC) to background antiplatelet therapy in patients who develop new-onset post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. All patients with a qualifying POAF event, who decline randomization, will be offered the option of enrollment in a parallel registry that captures their baseline risk profile and their treatment strategy in terms of anticoagulants or antiplatelets received. These patients will also be asked to fill out a brief decliner survey.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2019

open study

The current study tests the feasibility and effectiveness of a youth intervention designed to provide meaningful leadership opportunities and to address barriers to equity, through the acquisition of civic leadership and development skills as well as mindfulness practice, LEAP: Leadership, Engagement, and youth Activism Program with Mindfulness. The goal of this project is to determine whether the Leadership, Engagement, and youth Activism Program with Mindfulness (LEAP) curriculum, which was developed with youth of color, is a feasible and effective intervention for fostering civic leadership, civic development, and wellbeing. The investigators seek to understand whether LEAP can support wellbeing for youth of color as a strategy to increase youth mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) health and decrease health disparities in youth of color.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

Intimate partner violence (IPV), specifically physical and psychological aggression toward an intimate partner, represents a public health crisis that affects millions of Americans each year. There currently exists very little evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effectiveness of abuser intervention programs designed to prevent and end perpetration of IPV in the general population. This is troubling considering that approximately half a million men and women are court-mandated to these programs each year. The investigators will conduct a randomized control trial (RCT) investigating the efficacy of the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention in reducing intimate partner violence (IPV). The overarching aim of this study is to test the efficacy of SAH with court-involved-partner-violent men through an RCT comparing those who receive SAH with those who receive other standard IPV interventions offered in the state of Washington (treatment as usual- TAU). The specific aims are: 1.1: Compare the frequency of physical and psychological IPV, the primary outcomes of interest, across conditions as reported by the male participants and their intimate partners across Time 1 (baseline) and four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that greater reductions in IPV frequencies will be evidenced in SAH than TAU over the course of the year. 1.2: Compare symptoms of PTSD, alexithymia, and alcohol use problems across conditions and assessment time points as reported by the male participants. It is expected that greater reductions in these symptoms will be evidenced in SAH than TAU over the course of the year. 1.3: Compare treatment satisfaction across conditions as reported by the male participants across the four 3-month follow ups (Times 2-5). It is expected that treatment satisfaction will be higher in SAH than TAU.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

Youth with epilepsy (YWE) are significantly more likely than their peers without epilepsy to experience isolation, interpersonal victimization, and low relationship satisfaction. This is a serious health concern. Poor social support, real or perceived, is consistently correlated to worsened outcomes in every domain of health-related quality of life. As YWE are two to five times more likely than their peers without epilepsy to develop a mental health condition, poor social support is likely a bidirectional risk factor. Currently, there are no best practices or recommendations for clinicians or other youth-serving professionals to reference when it comes to improving the perceived social support of YWE specifically. The research team has drawn from multiple fields of scientific knowledge to develop a novel intervention that aims to provide YWE with knowledge, skills, connections, and positive emotional support that can help them to bolster their support system at every level of the social ecological model (SEM). The proposed study is a pilot of this intervention to test its acceptability and appropriateness according to YWE participants ages 12 to 26. The intervention's impact on participants social-emotional learning skills and the feasibility of expanding the study protocol for use in a large, multisite randomized control trial will also be explored. The goal of this research study is to help evaluate a new program for young people diagnosed with epilepsy that will build up young people's social opportunities, interpersonal skills, and sources of emotional support. The investigators want to research the impact of this program. From this study, the investigators hope to learn what the program does well, and in what ways it could be improved from the perspective of YWE.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether IBD patients have better disease outcomes and feel more empowered to manage their condition if they have access to text messaging with their clinical team and if their symptoms are more regularly monitored through text-based surveys. Researchers will compare participants who have access to text-based monitoring, communication and education to participants who have access to text-based education alone. Researchers will also examine if different social and other non-medical factors impact IBD symptoms and quality of life. All participants will: - complete 5 brief on-line surveys over 12 months about their IBD and social risk factors, - receive IBD education content by text message up to 2 times a week. Some participants will also: - receive additional surveys by text to monitor their IBD progression, - have the opportunity to directly text message their IBD medical team.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

This study will be conducted as a prospective cohort study, enrolling all eligible women in their first trimester of pregnancy during a baseline visit during week 6-13 of pregnancy at Government Medical College Hospital, Nagpur. The Hospital provides primary, secondary, and tertiary care and the obstetric department delivers about 10,000 babies a year. The hypothesis is that co-infection of other respiratory viruses (ORV), particularly COVID-19 and Influenza increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in mothers and babies and could address the current standard of care in India to not vaccinate pregnant women during pregnancy, by either encouraging vaccination against both viruses before planning a pregnancy or during pregnancy based on global data supporting the safety of this strategy.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Dec 2023

open study

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single dose of NTLA-2001 compared to placebo in participants with ATTR-CM.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2023

open study

The US opioid overdose epidemic has been accompanied by an increase in human immunodeficiency (HIV) among persons who inject drugs. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an FDA approved medication taken daily orally by individuals who are HIV negative, but who are at increased risk for HIV. In order to obtain PrEP, a prescription is needed. Before being prescribed HIV PrEP, it is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to obtain an HIV test first. Although home HIV self-test kits are recommended by the CDC and are locally available, uptake remains low. CHORUS+ (Comprehensive HIV, Hepatitis C, and Opioid Use Disorder Response to the Unaddressed Syndemic +) is a theory-based, peer-delivered, mobile phone-supported intervention focused on enhancing uptake and adherence to HIV PrEP (primary outcome), and continuation of MOUD (secondary outcome) among persons who inject opioids. At recruitment, the intervention will include HIV self-testing, rapid initiation of PrEP and MOUD, and 6-month peer recovery coaching (PRC) to support adherence to these medications. This research study seeks to determine the efficacy of a novel intervention to increase the uptake of evidence-based measures to prevent HIV and treat opioid use disorder. The efficacy of this multi-site, two-arm randomized control trial of CHORUS+ and usual care [passive referral]. This study is not testing the efficacy of PrEP or HIV home testing which is already known. In addition the investigators will determine the influence of HIV self-testing on PrEP uptake and adherence. In the CHORUS+/ intervention arm, there will be a baseline in-person session with the participant to encourage uptake of PrEP and MOUD using motivational interviewing (MI).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2024

open study

The primary objective is to establish the efficacy of intra-arterial (IA) mechanical thrombectomy (MT) with extracranial proximal carotid artery acute stenting versus non-stenting approaches in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from intracranial vessel occlusion (IVO) in the anterior circulation and have a proximal carotid occlusive disease (occlusion or severe stenosis).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2024

open study

A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to determine the effects of an adapted family-centered autism transition intervention called Transitioning Together/Juntos en la Transición on meaningful outcomes for families. The study will occur in a safety net hospital setting. The adapted version of this multi-family group psychoeducation intervention is delivered across one individual family joining session and four 2.5 hour multi-family group sessions. The parent and youth groups are held in separately, at the same time.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2023

open study

This randomized controlled trial is a between-groups design to compare the Motivational and Cognitive Behavioral Management for Alcohol and Pain (MCBMAP) Intervention to a Brief Advice and Information Control condition. Two-hundred and fifty participants who have HIV with moderate or greater chronic pain will be randomized for the trial. Recruitment will take place through digital media. A unique feature of this intervention trial is that most of the procedures will be conducted remotely which will minimize barriers of transportation and time for participants. Consent and baseline assessment will be completed remotely. Following baseline assessment, participants will complete two weeks of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess alcohol use, chronic pain, physical function and mechanisms of behavior change for alcohol and pain management. Following the two-week phase, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control condition and meet the interventionist through videoconferencing. Participants will complete outcome assessment measures at 3- and 6-months post-baseline. Following the 3-month outcome assessment, participants will complete another two weeks of EMA.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

This phase Ib trial tests the safety and tolerability of ZEN003694 in combination with an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab and the usual chemotherapy approach with nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with triple negative-negative breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (advanced). Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called antimicrotubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Nab-paclitaxel is an albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel which may have fewer side effects and work better than other forms of paclitaxel. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab may help the body's immune system attach the cancer and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. ZEN003694 is an inhibitor of a family of proteins called the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET). It may prevent the growth of tumor cells that over produce BET protein. Combination therapy with ZEN003694 pembrolizumab immunotherapy and nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy may help shrink or stabilize cancer for longer than chemotherapy alone.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2023

open study