Study of Creatine Monohydrate in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00069186 |
Recruitment Status
: Unknown
Verified April 2005 by The Avicena Group.
Recruitment status was: Active, not recruiting
First Posted
: September 23, 2003
Last Update Posted
: June 24, 2005
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) | Drug: Creatine Monohydrate | Phase 3 |
Introduction: Twenty-one ALS patients were enrolled in a placebo controlled pilot study at the Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque. At all time points sampled over a nine month period, patients taking creatine monohydrate had either a significantly greater improvement in their strength or a more modest decline compared to the patients taking placebo. Overall analysis of variance is significant for both an effect of the drug (p=0.002) and time (p< 0.001).The pilot study also showed that quality of life, as measured by ALSFRS-R, correlated significantly with the observed changes in muscle strength (MVIC).
Phase III Study: The primary objective of this study is to determine whether treatment with creatine monohydrate results in an increase in muscle strength relative to placebo in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), after three months, and at the end of a nine-month treatment period.
The study is a Phase III, eight-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of creatine monohydrate in patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria. The subjects (n=156) will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive treatment of highly purified creatine monohydrate or placebo (Dextrose, USP) for nine months. The subjects will be administered 10 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for the first five days, and then 5 grams per day thereafter. Each subject will be followed for the nine-month treatment period.
The primary outcome measure for the study is change in upper extremity motor function after three weeks, and at the end of a nine-month treatment period as tested by MVIC. Strength in ten arm muscles will be measured (bilateral shoulder and elbow flexion/extension and grip).
Patient safety will be assured by ongoing review of reports of adverse events, clinical laboratory data, and measurement of vital signs. These tests include: measurement of MVIC and muscle fatigue, measurement of FVC, completion of ALSFRS-R and SF-12 quality of life instruments, review of potential adverse effects, determination of vital signs and weight, serum creatinine and BUN, and urine dipstick for protein.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Enrollment : | 107 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Phase III, Multi-Center, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled, Randomized Study of Creatine Monohydrate in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis |
Study Start Date : | June 2003 |
Study Completion Date : | April 2005 |

- Change in upper extremity motor function after 3 weeks
- Change in upper extremity motor function after 9 months
- Acute changes in muscle strength
- Chronic changes in muscle strength
- ALS functioning
- Quality of life
- Pulmonary function
- Muscle fatigue.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 21 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
- A clinical diagnosis of probable or definite lab-supported ALS, either SALS or FALS, according to modified El Escorial criteria.
- Males or females, 21 to 80 years of age.
- Patients receiving treatment with Rilutek® (riluzole) must be on a stable dose for at least 30 days immediately prior to enrollment.
- Women of childbearing potential must be non-lactating and surgically sterile or using an effective method of birth control (double barrier or oral contraception) and have a negative pregnancy test. Women will be considered menopausal if they have not had a menstrual cycle (period) for two years.
- Disease duration less than five years since symptom onset.
- At least 5 of 10 testable upper extremity muscle groups of MRC grade 4 or better.
- The patient must have given informed consent that has been approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB).

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00069186
United States, California | |
University of California, San Francisco | |
San Francisco, California, United States, 94115 | |
United States, Kansas | |
University of Kansas | |
Kansas City, Kansas, United States, 66160 | |
United States, New Mexico | |
University of New Mexico | |
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 87131 | |
United States, North Carolina | |
Carolinas Medical Center | |
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28203-5812 | |
Duke University Medical Center | |
Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705 | |
United States, Oregon | |
Oregon Health Sciences University | |
Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239 | |
United States, Texas | |
University of Texas Health Science Center | |
San Antonio, Texas, United States, 48284-7883 | |
United States, Virginia | |
University of Virginia Health System | |
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, 22908 |
Principal Investigator: | Rosenfeld Jeffrey, MD | Carolinas ALS Center |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00069186 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
AGI-ALS-III-01 Orphan Drug:01-1527 |
First Posted: | September 23, 2003 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | June 24, 2005 |
Last Verified: | April 2005 |
Keywords provided by The Avicena Group:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS Creatine Creatine Monohydrate Muscle Strength |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Sclerosis Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Motor Neuron Disease Pathologic Processes Neurodegenerative Diseases Nervous System Diseases |
Neuromuscular Diseases Spinal Cord Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases TDP-43 Proteinopathies Proteostasis Deficiencies Metabolic Diseases |