A randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter, clinical trial of colchicine in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
NCT ID NCT07813858
First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether low-dose colchicine can slow disease progression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor neurons. The study is designed to answer whether patients receiving colchicine show a slower decline in functional status, as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), over a 30-week double-blind treatment period compared to patients receiving placebo. Additional questions include whether colchicine has an effect on respiratory function, disability progression, quality of life, and overall survival. Researchers will compare participants receiving colchicine at a dose of 0.005 mg/kg/day with those receiving placebo, both in addition to standard-of-care therapy with riluzole, to assess potential differences in disease progression. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to colchicine or placebo. They will take the assigned study medication for 30 weeks during a double-blind phase and then continue into a 36-week open-label extension phase, during which all participants will receive colchicine while remaining blinded to their initial treatment assignment. Throughout the study, participants will undergo regular clinical evaluations, including assessments of motor and respiratory function, functional disability, and quality of life, for a total follow-up period of up to 66 weeks. Blood samples will also be collected to investigate biological markers of neurodegeneration and inflammation.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
About 87 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 80 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient age strictly between 18 and 80 years at the time of screening. * Definitively established diagnosis of ALS (sporadic or familial) matching standardized clinical consensus parameters. * Stable background regimen of European gold-standard Riluzole therapy maintained at a fixed dose of 100 mg/day for a minimum of 1 month prior to baseline randomization. * BMI\>17.5 Kg/m2 * Sufficient respiratory capability, verified by an upright Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) \>= 70% of predicted normal values at screening (highest value of three sequential tests). * Patient must display full cognitive and communicative capacity to provide written, personally signed Independent Ethics Committee-approved Informed Consent prior to initiation of any protocolized procedures. * Use of highly effective contraception both for males and females Exclusion Criteria: * Concurrent participation or treatment within any other interventional or drug-based clinical trial. * Clinically significant hepatic impairment (defined as baseline serum transaminases AST or ALT exceeding 3x Upper Limit of Normal \[ULN\], or total bilirubin exceeding 2x ULN). * Severe renal insufficiency, documented bone marrow suppression, or significant hematological abnormalities. * Known hypersensitivity or systemic intolerance to colchicine or any of the manufacturing excipients (lactose, sucrose, magnesium stearate, arabic gum). * Pregnancy, active lactation, or unwillingness of fertile male/female subjects to strictly comply with highly effective double-barrier contraception regimens throughout the study and for 100 days post-final dose.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
5 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
CENTRO SLA, AOU Maggiore Della Carità
Novara, Novara, 28100, Italy
-
CENTRO SLA, AOU Università Degli Studi Della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Naples, Napoli, 80131, Italy
-
CENTRO SLA, Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino IRCCS
Pavia, Pavia, 27100, Italy
-
CENTRO SLA, Ospedale Civile di Baggiovara, AOU Modena
Modena, Modena, 41126, Italy
-
Centro Clinico Nemo
Milan, Milano, 20162, Italy
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Interplay between gut microbiota and adaptive immunity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a clinical trial
- A multicenter, open-label extension (OLE) study to evaluate the safety, pharmacodynamics, and clinical effects of WVE-004 in patients with C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and/or frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
- Contrasting chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration using the human amniotic mesenchymal cell secretome as an innovative therapeutic strategy
- Can a brain implant let paralyzed people control computers with their minds?
- AI hunts for early clues to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's progression
- Can a massive genetic library unlock the secrets of ALS?