Clinical Trials & Studies

The University of Minnesota Medical School is known for groundbreaking patient care. Many discoveries, however, can’t help people until they go through clinical trials.

Our researchers are actively involved in clinical trials and our research studies are aimed at evaluating medical, surgical, or behavioral interventions. They are the primary way that researchers find out if a new treatment, a new drug, diet or medical device is safe and effective. Tested and proved new methods, devices and medications will then become innovative new healthcare practices, improving patient lives for years to come.

Clinical Trials by Division

Interested in participating? View a list of clinical trials conducted by Department of Medicine faculty below.

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Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Epidemiology of Diabetes Intervention and Complications (EDIC)

The EDIC study is a multi-center, observational study designed to follow the type 1 diabetic volunteers who participated in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). EDIC has been following subjects since 1994. This study is currently following participants.

Principal Investigator
John Bantle, MD

More Information
John Bantle, MD
bantl001@umn.edu
(612) 626-0462

CLINICAL TRIALS


Hypoglycemia Studies

Naloxone, Hypoglycemia & Exercise

Preventing hypoglycemia after exercise can be difficult. The purpose of this study is to learn if naloxone can be used to treat exercise-related hypoglycemia symptoms. Naloxone is currently used as a substance abuse treatment medication but research studies have shown it to possibly be effective in preventing next-day hypoglycemia.

This study is looking for people who:

  • Are between the age of 18 – 65
  • Have type 1 diabetes for 2 - 30 years
  • Are willing to avoid exercise for the week before the study

This study involves one (1) screening visit where you will ride an exercise bike to determine your V02 max and wear a continuous glucose sensor (CGM). About 1 week later, you will return to the University of Minnesota for one (1) full day and one half (1/2) day visit. At the full day visit, you will ride an exercise bike and be given either naloxone or a placebo. The following day, we will lower your blood sugar to make you hypoglycemic and ask you about your symptoms. You will return about 8 weeks later to repeat the full day and half day parts of the study. If all parts of the study are completed, compensation is up to $675.


Recurrent Hypoglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes

This study has two aims that are currently enrolling subjects

Aim 1 involves one (1) screening visit, wearing a continuous glucose sensor (CGM) and an activity/sleep tracker, and two (2) full day visits to the University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR). On each of the full day visits, you will have your blood sugar lowered 2 times and we will take 1 MRI scan of your brain. If all parts of the study are completed, compensation is up to $1,025.

Aim 2 involves one (1) screening visit, wearing a continuous glucose sensor (CGM) and an activity/sleep tracker, and three (3) visits to the University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) or Clinical Research Unit (CRU). On day one visit (CMRR), you will have your blood sugar increased and we will take an MRI scan of your brain. On day 2 (CRU) your blood sugar lowered 2 times and blood samples will be taken. On day 3 (CMRR) your blood sugar will lowered (similar to day 2) and then your blood sugar will be increased and an MRI taken of your brain (similar to day 1). If all parts of the study are completed, compensation is up to $1,300


Nidufexor (LBM763)

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, affecting almost 10% of the population. Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of kidney disease and make up almost 50% of the new cases of end-stage kidney disease in the US. Nidufexor is a new agent that acts on a bile acid receptor in the liver, potentially reducing fibrosis and inflammation.  This may have the potential to delay diabetic kidney disease in patients with diabetes. The aim of this study is to test if Nidufexor is safe, well tolerated and efficacious in patients with type 2 diabetes.  This study is sponsored by Novartis.

Eligibility to participate

You may be eligible to participate in the Nidufexor study if you:

  • Are between the ages of 18 – 75 years
  • Have type 2 diabetes
  • Are concerned you may have or may develop kidney problems related to diabetes

This study does not accept healthy participants. This study is currently recruiting study participants.

What is involved in the Study?

  • Participants will be randomly assigned to take Nidufexor or a placebo (inactive pill) for 32 weeks.
  • During this time, participants will periodically have follow up visits at the University of Minnesota.

Principal Investigator
Luiza Caramori, MD, PhD, MSc

More Information
(612) 301-6685

CLINICAL TRIALS


Preventing Early Renal Function Loss in Diabetes (PERL)

Patients with type 1 diabetes remain at risk for end-stage renal disease despite improvements in blood pressure and blood glucose control. The PERL study was a three-year multi-center study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aiming to determine whether allopurinol could reduce loss of renal function in people with type 1 diabetes.  This study is now completed, and patient who enrolled in PERL are currently participating in PERLage, PERL follow-up study, and/or in the PERL Kidney Biopsy study, a PERL Ancillary study (see below).


Ancillary Studies

Kidney Biopsy

The purpose of this study is to obtain kidney tissue which, in combination with the data obtained in the main PERL study, will be studied to identify new ways to predict who will develop more serious diabetic kidney disease and identify potential targets for new therapies.  Only patients who participate in PERL are eligible for this study.Measuring GFR using Filter Paper

Follow-up Study

PERLage is the non-interventional (no study medication) follow-up of the PERL trial.  Patients who were recruited in PERL have an annual follow-up evaluation to determine the course of kidney, heart and eye disease as it relates to diabetes.  Only patients who participated in PERL are eligible for this study.

Principal Investigator
Luiza Caramori, MD, PhD, MSc

More Information
(612) 301-6685

CLINICAL TRIALS

View examples of how clinical trials by Department of Medicine faculty impact patient care today: