NIH launches study to unlock secrets of rare 'Black Urine' disease
NCT ID NCT00005909
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 7 times
Summary
This study aims to learn more about alkaptonuria, a rare genetic disease that causes a pigment to build up in bones and tissues, leading to arthritis and other problems. Researchers will evaluate 300 patients over several years using advanced medical tests. The goal is to better understand the disease and prepare for future clinical trials of a new drug.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study will provide crucial data to design future trials for a drug that blocks the harmful pigment buildup in alkaptonuria.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It does not test any new therapy, so there is no direct benefit to participants. The findings may not lead to a successful drug.
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.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2000
- Lead sponsor
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A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients with confirmed or suspected alkaptonuria@@@
- Ages
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2 to 115 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: All patients entering this study will carry the diagnosis of alkaptonuria, although we will confirm this diagnosis during the admission. Alkaptonuria has been reported to occur throughout the world, with concentrations in the Dominican Republic, Slovakia, and Germany. We plan to recruit patients of all ethnic backgrounds. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients will be excluded if they cannot travel to the NIH due to their medical condition or are in imminent danger of death due to, e.g., cardiac involvement. Children under two years of age are excluded because they are virtually never affected with the symptoms of this disorder, and their investigations can be delayed.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
RECRUITINGBethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States