Could a common supplement slow ALS? duke launches pilot trial
NCT ID NCT07589764
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This early-stage trial tests whether a daily supplement called HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) is safe and can lower certain blood markers linked to ALS. One hundred adults with ALS will take 3 grams of HMB daily. Researchers will track changes in blood markers and functional abilities over time. The goal is to see if HMB might slow disease progression.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplement
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple supplement to slow ALS progression and improve quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early Phase 1 pilot trial with only 100 people, no placebo group, and it measures a biomarker (IGFBP7) that may not directly translate to clinical benefit. The supplement may not slow the disease.
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
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male or female aged at least 18 years. 2. Sporadic or familial ALS diagnosed as per Gold Coast Criteria (37). 3. Patient is able to understand and express informed consent (in the opinion of the site investigator). 4. Patient is able to read and write English. 5. Patient is expected to survive for the duration of the trial. 6. Women must not be pregnant (will have evidence of a negative pregnancy test obtained by study team at baseline, or by local physician within past 7 days or be post-menopausal) 7. Women must not be able to become pregnant (e.g., post-menopausal, surgically sterile, or using adequate birth control methods) for the duration of the study and three months after study completion. Adequate contraception includes abstinence, hormonal contraception (oral contraception, implanted contraception, injected contraception, or other hormonal contraception, for example patch or contraceptive ring), intrauterine device (IUD) in place for ≥ 3 months, barrier method in conjunction with spermicide, or another adequate method. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Actively or recently (within past 30 days) participating in another intervention trial. 2. Currently or recently (within 30 days) taking HMB 3. Prior side effects from HMB deemed to be significant by the investigator 4. Patient has a medical or psychiatric illness that could in the investigator's opinion interfere with the patient's ability to participate in this study. 5. Pregnant women or women currently breastfeeding. 6. Elevated serum calcium or vitamin D levels. 7. Life expectancy shorter than the duration of the trial.
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Get notified about this study
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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 study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
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The places running it
2 sites. 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
Show contact details
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Study contacts
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
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Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, United States
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