Clinical Trials Opportunities

Pitolisant for People with Prader-Willi Syndrome & Excessive Daytime Sleepiness  - the Tempo Study

Study Purpose The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of pitolisant in treating excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients ≥6 years of age with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Chronic Stress, Cognition and Food Cue Reactivity

We want to learn more about how stress affects appetite in Prader-Willi Syndrome and how different areas of the brain communicate with one another in adolescents. With your help, we can gain more insight into the functioning of the adolescent brain.

Guanfacine for the reduction of aggressive & self-injurious behaviors

Study Purpose Guanfacine Extended Release (GXR), is an FDA approved drug used to treat children and adolescents with hypertension and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).This will be the first study to evaluate the drug in patients with Prader Willi Syndrome.

Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT)

Study Purpose The Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) Study will examine the effectiveness of ACT training for fathers of adolescents ages 13-18 with PWS with the goal of improving life satisfaction, reducing stress and improving family functioning. This remote study will use Zoom video conferencing to provide 4 sessions of ACT training. The study is seeking fathers who have an adolescent with PWS age 13-18 to participate in a 4-session, on-line, small group training exercise to reduce father’s perception of stress, improve parenting satisfaction and increase family involvement. Participants must reside at home with their adolescent and the adolescent’s mother, have a personal computer with a camera, microphone and internet access, and agree to privacy and confidentiality of shared information. They must be able to read and speak English. Sessions will be scheduled to accommodate 8 fathers per group. After an initial 90 minute session, three additional 60 minute training sessions will occur at a frequency of every other week. Additional “on-your-own” time will be needed to practice newly acquired skills. Both fathers and mothers will be required to participate in a brief screening interview by phone and then complete several on line questionnaires at the outset, during the study, and at the conclusion of the study. These questionnaires will assess stress, family function and behaviors unique to the adolescent with PWS.

CBDV as a treatment for PWS

Study Purpose This phase 2, randomized, double blind 12-week treatment trial of Cannabidivarin (CBDV) will assess the affect of CBDV on behavior in people with PWS.

PWS Anxiety and Distress Questionnaire

Got Anxiety? Want to help pave the way for new medicines to treat anxiety in PWS? Levo Therapeutics and the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research are working to develop a new questionnaire for use in clinical studies of novel treatments for PWS. We want to know more about how anxiety is expressed in people with PWS.

DCCR for the Treatment of Hyperphagia in PWS

Study Purpose Soleno Therapeutics is conducting a Phase 3 study of DCCR to measure the efficacy of the DCCR for treating hyperphagia in PWS. The study seeks to enroll 105 patients with PWS ages 4 years and older. The study will be a 15 week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Diazoxide Choline Controlled-Release Tablet (DCCR) and will require a once-daily oral administration. The initial 15-week study will be followed by a 9-month extension during which time all patients will receive DCCR. Protocol Update: A recent amendment to the study protocol now allows patients between 20kg and 130kg to enroll in the study, provided they meet all eligibility criteria. Individual study sites will be able to enroll patients in the new weight band (20-30kg) once the appropriate tablet strengths come available, which will likely be in the September timeframe. Patients who are interested in enrolling should contact their nearest study coordinator.

A Study to Assess Weight Change Over 6 months in Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)

[NOTE: This study is now closed. Learn about the results here.] FPWR is conducting a text-messaging based research study to assess weight changes in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) over a period of six months. We’d like to learn more about the normal variation in weight, over time, in the PWS population. We hope to recruit 150-300 individuals across the US and Canada to participate, so we can get a good picture of how weight changes over time. We anticipate that this study will inform future clinical trials for hyperphagia/obesity related therapies, and provide a basis for understanding how well potential therapies are working. Patients should not be enrolled in other clinical trials for the duration of this study. The study can be done from your home, with no visit to a clinic.

Intranasal Oxytocin vs. Placebo for the Treatment of Hyperphagia in PWS

This study has completed enrollment. Study Purpose This phase 2 randomized double blind 8-week treatment trial of intranasal oxytocin (IN-OXT) will assess IN-OXT's affect on: eating behaviors, repetitive behaviors, weight and body composition, quality of life, and salivary OXT and hormone levels. Data from the study will add to the current knowledge that OXT is an effective treatment for hyperphagia as well as other symptoms of PWS.

Oxytocin and the Autonomic Nervous System in PWS

There is a reduction in the number of neurons that produce oxytocin in people with PWS. This, along with a range of other evidence supports the likelihood that abnormalities in the oxytocin system are key to the problems of PWS. However, studies examining the levels of oxytocin in PWS as well as clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of oxytocin on PWS symptoms has led to mixed results. We want to better understand these mixed findings. This will help to develop more effective interventions in the future.

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