Could a common diabetes drug protect aging brains in MS?
NCT ID NCT06463743
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study is testing whether metformin, a common diabetes drug, can safely protect the nervous system in people aged 55 to 75 with multiple sclerosis (MS). Thirty participants will receive either metformin or a placebo for 9 months, and researchers will use brain scans to measure nerve health. The goal is to see if metformin can slow age- and MS-related brain damage.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- metformin
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to protect the brain from age- and MS-related damage in older patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early pilot study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Metformin may also cause side effects like stomach upset.
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 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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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55 to 75 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: 1. age between 55 and 75 years old 2. having a diagnosis of MS based on the latest McDonald criteria 3. non-active disease course (no relapses and no MRI activity) in the last 2 years as determined by the MS provider and based on the 2020 revised clinical course criteria 4. EDSS score \<7.0 Exclusion Criteria: 1. inability to undergo MRI scans 2. inability to participate in the study during the study period 3. diabetes or uncontrolled cardiovascular disease 4. unable to consent
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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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UBMD Neurolgy
RECRUITINGBuffalo, New York, 14203, United States
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