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Metformin in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Efficacy of Oral Metformin in Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS): a Multicentric Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07899307
Enrollment
440
Registered
2026-10-27
Start date
2026-11-01
Completion date
2031-02-28
Last updated
2026-10-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acute Ischemic Stroke

Keywords

metformin, acute ischemic stroke

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to study the efficacy of oral Metformin in Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS). The main hypothesis is to study the efficacy of oral Metformin in patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting within 72 hours of onset in terms of goof modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 90 days. Researchers will compare placebo tablets. Participants will randomised to Metformin or placebo in 1:1 ratio. Additionally, the blood sample will be collected to look for biomarkers hsCRP, Vitamin B12, and Holotranscobalamin at baseline and follow-up.

Detailed description

Conditions and Keywords Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study Ischemic stroke Keywords Ischemic stroke, metformin, neuroprotection, randomized controlled trial Study Design Interventional Study Design Primary Purpose * Treatment: To study the efficacy of oral Metformin in patients of acute ischemic stroke Study Phase * Phase 3 Interventional Study Model * Parallel randomised placebo-controlled trial Model Description * Number of Arms Patients will be randomised to one of the following arms: Intervention: will be provided incremental doses of oral Metformin tablets Placebo: will be provided identical placebo tablets * Masking * The following will be masked to the treatment arms: Participant Care Provider Investigator Outcomes Assessor * Allocation * Randomized: Participants are assigned to intervention groups by chance * Enrolment The study will be conducted in four centers and consecutive consenting, and eligible patients will be enrolled into the study. A screening log will be maintained separately. Arms, Groups, and Interventions Arm Information * Arm Title Metformin * Arm Type * Experimental * Arm Description Oral metformin hydrochloride, 250 mg twice daily on Days 0-2, 500 mg twice daily Days 3-5, 750 mg twice daily Days 6-8, and 1000 mg twice daily from Day 9 to Day 90 (maximum dose), titrated to tolerability, plus standard stroke care. Interventions * Intervention Type * Drug: Oral Metformin * Intervention Description Oral metformin hydrochloride immediate-release, 250 mg twice daily on Days 0-2, 500 mg twice daily Days 3-5, 750 mg twice daily Days 6-8, and 1000 mg twice daily from Day 9 to Day 90 (maximum dose), titrated to tolerability, plus standard stroke care. * Arm Type * Placebo * Arm Description Matching placebo tablets identical in appearance, taken on the same escalation schedule and number of tablets for 90 days, plus standard stroke care. Pre-stroke metformin users (observational cohort) Patients meeting all other eligibility criteria but already taking metformin before stroke onset. Not randomized; followed prospectively to 90 days. Metformin continued or modified per treating physician. Outcome Measures Primary Outcome Measure Information • Title: Proportion of participants with good functional outcome (mRS 0-1). • Description: Modified Rankin Scale (range 0 = no symptoms to 6 = death; higher scores indicate worse disability). Good outcome defined as a score of 0 or 1, assessed by a certified assessor blinded to treatment allocation. * Time Frame: 90 days Limit: 254 characters. Secondary Outcome Measure Information 1. Proportion of participants with mRS 0-1 Modified Rankin Scale (range 0 = no symptoms to 6 = death; higher scores indicate worse disability). Good outcome defined as a score of 0 or 1, assessed by a certified assessor blinded to treatment allocation Assessed at 30 (±7) days 2. All-cause mortality Proportion of participants who died from any cause. Time: 30 days and 90 days 3. Barthel Index (BI) score and change from baseline Barthel Index of activities of daily living (range 0-100; higher scores indicate greater independence). Time: 30 (±7) and 90 (±7) days 4. Early neurological improvement (ENI) Decrease of ≥4 points in NIHSS score from baseline (NIHSS range 0-42; higher is worse). Time: 7 (±2) days 5. Early neurological deterioration (END) Increase of ≥2 points in NIHSS score from baseline. Time: 7 (±2) days 6. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) Concentration (mg/L) and change from baseline (pre-dose) value. Time: 30 (±7) and 90 (±7) days 7. Serum vitamin B12 Concentration (pg/mL) and change from baseline. Time: 30 (±7) and 90 (±7) days 8. Serum holotranscobalamin (holoTC) Concentration (pmol/L) and change from baseline. Time: 30 (±7) and 90 (±7) days 9. Incidence of adverse events (AEs) Number and proportion of participants with any AE, graded by CTCAE v5.0 severity and causality. Randomization to 90 (±7) days 10. Incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs) Number and proportion of participants with any SAE (per ICH E2A/NDCT Rules 2019 definitions). Randomization to 90 (±7) days 11. Tolerability of study drug Proportion of participants reaching and maintaining the target dose (1000 mg twice daily); proportion with dose reduction, temporary hold or permanent discontinuation due to AEs. Randomization to 90 (±7) days 12. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) Change in HbA1c (%) from baseline, overall and by diabetes status. 90 (±7) days Eligibility Sex/Gender * Sex Both male and female patients will be included in the study. Age Limits * Minimum Age 18 years. * Maximum Age * N/A (No limit) Contacts, Locations, and Investigator Information Central Contact Person * First Name: Deepti * Middle Initial * Last Name or Official Title: Vibha * Degree: MD (Medicine), DM (Neurology) * Phone: +91-11-26594485 * Ext: * Email: deeptivibha@aiims.edu Overall Study Officials 1. Dr Deepti Vibha All India Institute of Medical Sciences (coordinating site), New Delhi, Delhi, India 110029 Not yet recruiting 2. Dr Sucharita Ray Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh, India 160012 Not yet recruiting 3. Dr Saranya B. Gomathy Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research Puducherry, India 605006 Not yet recruiting 4. Dr Anand Kumar Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India 221005 Not yet recruiting IPD Sharing Statement 1. Plan to Share IPD: Yes 2. IPD Sharing Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data underlying the published results, together with the data dictionary, will be deposited in a public repository in accordance with ICMR data-sharing guidelines. 3. Supporting Information: Study Protocol; Statistical Analysis Plan; Informed Consent Form; Clinical Study Report; Analytic Code 4. Time Frame: Beginning 6 months and ending 5 years after publication of the primary results 5. Access Criteria: Researchers providing a methodologically sound proposal approved by the trial steering committee, with a signed data access agreement

Interventions

DRUGPlacebo

Placebo tablets will be provided

Incremental doses will be provided

Sponsors

All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Lead SponsorOTHER
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh
CollaboratorOTHER
Institute of Medical Sciences of the Banaras Hindu University, India
CollaboratorOTHER
Indian Council of Medical Research
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Since there is placebo in the control arm, the participant, care provider, investigator and outcome assessor will not be aware of the treatment arm.

Intervention model description

Oral drug will be provided in the experimental arm and matching placebo in the control arm

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS) within 72 hours of symptom onset, ≥18 years of age, without large vessel occlusion (LVO) will be included in the study. All the following: 1. Adults aged ≥18 years. 2. Patient or Legally Acceptable Representative (LAR) willing to give informed consent before study procedure. 3. Acute stroke is ischemic in origin and radiologically confirmed by Computed Tomography (CT) scan prior to enrolment. 4. Pre-stroke mRS score of 0 or 1 and first ever episode of stroke 5. National Institute Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of \>5 (NIHSS Level of Consciousness (1A) score must be \<2). 6. Patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis will be included.

Exclusion criteria

* Any of the following: 1. Patients receiving endovascular therapy or are candidates for any surgical intervention for treatment of stroke. 2. Prior history of stroke of any type (ischemic/hemorrhagic/ subarachnoid hemmorhage) 3. Patients classified as comatose (NIHSS Level of Consciousness (1A) score ≥ 2). 4. Evidence of intracranial hemorrhage in the baseline CT. 5. Pregnancy and lactation. 6. Patients with co-morbid illnesses like chronic liver disease/chronic kidney disease/malignancy limiting their life expectancy. 7. Concurrent participation in any other therapeutic clinical trial/ rehabilitation trial. 8. Patients are already on metformin treatment. • A non-interventional arm of patients who fulfill the eligibility criteria and are already on metformin before the stroke will also be recruited for the purpose of prospective follow-up to assess the outcome at 90 days. Patients without diabetes will not be excluded from the study, as the doses of metformin to be used in our study have been amply used in other studies in non-diabetes conditions for indications like cancer, dementia, polycystic ovarian disease, obesity.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
modified Rankin Scale (0 to 6, with 0 being no disability and 6 being death)90 daysGood outcome (defined as modified Rankin Scale of 0-1) at 90 days

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
modified Rankin Scale (0 to 6, with 0 being no disability and 6 being death)30 daysPatients with good modified Rankin Scale (0-1) at 30 days
Mortality30 daysDeath at 30 days
Barthel Index (0 to 100 with 0 being completely dependent to 100 being completely independent)30 daysBarthel Index at 30 days
Early neurological improvement (ENI)7 daysProportion of patients with early neurological improvement (ENI) (improvement of \>=4 points in national institute of health stroke scale (NIHSS))
Early neurological deterioration (END)7 daysProportion of patients with early neurological deterioration (END) (deterioration of \>=2 points national institute of health stroke scale (NIHSS)) at 7 days
high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)30 daysLevel of hsCRP
Vitamin B1230 daysLevel of vitamin B12
Holotranscobalamin30 daysLevels of Holotranscobalamin

Countries

India

Contacts

CONTACTDeepti Vibha, MD, DM
deeptivibha@aiims.edu911126594485

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Oct 30, 2026