Two hydrocortisone pills go Head-to-Head in adrenal insufficiency trial

NCT ID NCT05222152

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are comparing two modified-release hydrocortisone pills, Chronocort and Plenadren, in adults with primary adrenal insufficiency, a condition where the adrenal glands do not make enough cortisol. The study is a phase 2, double-blind, crossover trial: participants receive each treatment for about four weeks, with a switch in between. The main goal is to see which pill does a better job of raising morning cortisol levels, and researchers also track morning fatigue.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
modified-release hydrocortisone (Chronocort and Plenadren)
What this could lead to
If one formulation works better, doctors could tailor daily hormone replacement to better mimic the body's natural cortisol rhythm, which may improve morning cortisol levels and fatigue.
What could go wrong
This is a small phase 2 crossover study, so differences between the two pills may be modest or not hold up in larger trials. Both are hydrocortisone, so safety risks are similar to standard replacement therapy.

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

58 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2021

Finished

Oct 2023

Lead sponsor

A company

The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female participants must be aged 18 years or older at the time of signing the informed consent. * Participants with known (documented) primary AI, defined as early morning pre-dose cortisol \<50 nmol/L and currently treated with glucocorticoid as replacement therapy. Primary AI includes any cause of acquired or congenital primary adrenal failure including autoimmune Addison's disease and bilateral adrenalectomy (except when performed for Cushing's syndrome). * Participants on stable glucocorticoid treatment for ≥3 months prior to the Screening Visit. * Participants on a stable dose of fludrocortisone (if applicable) for ≥3 months prior to the Screening Visit. * Male participants must agree to use contraception as detailed in Appendix 4 of the protocol, during the Screening, Treatment, and Follow-up Periods and refrain from donating sperm during these periods and for 7 days after the last dose of study treatment. * A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant, not breastfeeding, and for whom at least one of the following conditions applies: not a woman of childbearing potential (WOCBP), or a WOCBP with a negative urine pregnancy test at entry into the study who agrees to follow the contraceptive guidance during the Screening, Treatment and Follow-up Periods and for 7 days after the last dose of study treatment. Note: Females presenting with oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea who are ≤55 years should be considered potentially fertile (unless permanently sterile) and therefore, as well as undergoing pregnancy testing like all other female participants, will be expected to use an acceptable method of contraception as described in Appendix 4 during the Screening, Treatment and Follow-up Periods and for 7 days after the last dose of study treatment. * Capable of giving signed informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the informed consent form (ICF) and in the protocol. Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). * Participants with secondary and tertiary AI. * Past or current history of Cushing's syndrome. * Adrenal suppression and/or AI induced by exogenous steroids. * Drug-induced AI. * Clinical or biochemical evidence of hepatic disease: elevated liver function tests (alanine aminotransferase \[ALT\] or aspartate aminotransferase \[AST\] \>3 times the upper limit of normal \[ULN\]). * Clinical or biochemical evidence of renal disease: serum creatinine level of \>221 μmol/L (2.5 mg/dL) or calculated creatinine clearance of \<25 mL/min. * History of malignant brain tumours or traumatic brain injury. * History of malignancy within the last 5 years or treated basal cell carcinoma within the past year. * Participants who have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes receiving regular insulin. * Participants with type 2 diabetes whose screening HbA1c exceeds 9%. * Participants who have elective surgical procedures scheduled during the study. * Participants with significant medical or psychiatric conditions that in the opinion of the Investigator would preclude participation in the study. * Participants who have had bariatric surgery within the past 6 months and participants who plan to undertake a major weight loss and/or exercise program during the same time period as anticipated study involvement. * Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease. * Participants who have increased gastrointestinal motility e.g., chronic diarrhoea, that may be at risk of impaired cortisol exposure. There are no data in patients with confirmed slow gastric emptying or decreased motility disease/disorder so the clinical response should be monitored in patients with these conditions. * Participants anticipating regular prophylactic use of additional steroids e.g., for strenuous exercise. * Participants with co-morbidities requiring daily administration of a medication (or consumption of any material) that interferes with the metabolism of glucocorticoids. * Participants on regular daily inhaled, topical, nasal, or oral steroids for any indication other than AI. * Participants who have received intra-articular steroid injections within 1 year prior to the Screening Visit or for whom such injections are planned during the study. * Participants who are receiving \<10 mg hydrocortisone dose at the Screening Visit or the hydrocortisone dose equivalent. * Participants taking sleeping medication. * Participants treated at screening with either Chronocort or Plenadren. * Participation in another clinical study of an investigational or licensed drug or device within 12 weeks or 5 half-lives prior to the Screening Visit or at any time during study participation. * Active alcohol or drug abuse within 1 year prior to the Screening Visit. * Participants who routinely work night shifts and do not sleep during the usual night-time hours. * Participants who intend to travel and cross a time zone of greater than ±3 hours within 1 week of the scheduled visit dates. * Participants unable to comply with the requirements of the protocol in the opinion of the Investigator. * Participants with a known hypersensitivity to any of the components of the Chronocort capsules, the Plenadren tablets, the Chronocort placebo, or the Plenadren placebo.

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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.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Birmingham

    Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Cardiff

    Cardiff, CF14 4XW, United Kingdom

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Hamburg

    Hamburg, 20095, Germany

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Munich

    Munich, 80336, Germany

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Munich

    Munich, 81667, Germany

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Newcastle

    Newcastle, NE1 4LP, United Kingdom

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Sheffield

    Sheffield, S10 2JF, United Kingdom

  • Diurnal Investigational Site in Würzburg

    Würzburg, 97080, Germany

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