Mass General - Division of Clinical Research

This is a multi-center, randomized, open label study that will assess the efficacy and safety of ACTEMRA(R) or one of its FDA-approved biosimilars Tocilizumab (TCZ) maintenance versus withdrawal in Giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients who are in remission after at least 12 months of high dose TCZ treatment. Eligible participants will also have discontinued glucocorticoids (e.g., prednisone (or equivalent)) entirely at least three months before randomization. High dose TCZ treatment includes 6-8 mg/kg intravenously (IV) monthly or 162 mg subcutaneously (SC) weekly, which are two forms of administration that are commonly used in clinical practice and are equally efficacious in controlling GCA This research study has three parts: 1. The screening phase (up to 42 days) consists of collecting information about your health and your GCA, a physical exam, and blood tests to see If you qualify to enroll in the study 2. The study treatment phase (withdrawal/step down dosing phase study months 0 - 18) consists of you either completely stopping or decreasing your current dose of tocilizumab while collecting information about your health and your GCA as well as blood samples every two months at clinic visits 3. The safety follow-up phase (months 19-30) consists of collecting information about your health and your GCA as well as blood samples every three months The primary objective is to determine the rate of disease relapse at 18 months in participants with GCA who receive low-dose TCZ compared to those who discontinue TCZ

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2025

open study

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (preeclampsia and gestational hypertension) are associated with increased long-term maternal risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence suggests that activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor promotes ongoing susceptibility to hypertension in women following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In addition, women with overweight/obesity are at increased risk for progression to chronic hypertension after experiencing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity, the investigators will conduct a randomized trial to test the effect of pharmacologically blocking the mineralocorticoid receptor for three months after delivery on blood pressure and cardiac remodeling at nine months postpartum.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

This study is structured around three main aims. In Aim 1, investigators will conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR) to develop culturally tailored methods to assess childhood adversity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Aim 2 will investigate the impact of childhood adversity on MS outcomes among individuals with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), among whom 70% belong to a group historically under-represented in MS research: Black, Hispanic, or poverty-impacted. Aim 2 procedures involve two visits that include a research blood draw and an MRI scan. In Aim 3, investigators will conduct interviews and surveys to explore environmental and social factors affecting quality of life for minority MS patients.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Oct 2025

open study

The ReMATCH Study is a prospective, single arm, open label, multi-center, study utilizing the FARAPULSE PFA System, including the FARAWAVE and FARAPOINT PFA Catheters.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to see whether a supportive intervention (REVITALIZE) reduces fatigue and its impact on daily life and activities for participants with ovarian cancer taking PARP inhibitors. The name of the study groups in this research study are: 1. REVITALIZE 2. Educational Materials

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2025

open study

This first-in-human study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of ARC101 in patients with advanced cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

This research study involves the study of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in patients with MGMT-methylated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) that are undergoing standard chemoradiation. The study aims to evaluate G-CSF's effects on brain health and cognitive function. The name of the study drugs involved in this study are: - G-CSF (also called Filgrastim) - Temozolomide (TMZ), a standard of care chemotherapy drug

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

This is a first-in-human study of MEN2312, a lysine acetyltransferase 6 (KAT6) inhibitor, in adult participants with advanced breast cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

The main objective is to assess the safety and tolerability of inebilizumab in adult participants with active and refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with nephritis (Subprotocol A) and to assess the safety and tolerability of subcutaneous (SC) blinatumomab in adult participants with active and refractory SLE with and without nephritis (Subprotocol B Part A) and in adult participants with active refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (Subprotocol C Part A). The trial will also assess the efficacy of SC blinatumomab in adult participants with active and refractory SLE with and without nephritis (Subprotocol B Part B and Subprotocol C Part B).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

In this research study the study investigators want to learn more about the effect of two different FDA-approved medication regimens in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

The purpose of this study is to identify changes in heart tissue structure and biological function in patients with heart failure by performing an endomyocardial biopsy (EMB or heart biopsy) during a right heart catheterization (RHC). The ultimate goal is to use this information to develop new treatments for heart failure.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of elacestrant versus standard endocrine therapy in participants with node-positive, Estrogen Receptor-positive (ER+), Human Epidermal Growth Factor-2 negative (HER2-) early breast cancer with high risk of recurrence.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2024

open study

This phase III trial tests how well the addition of dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy works for treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma. Dinutuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to a molecule called GD2, which is found on the surface of neuroblastoma cells, but is not present on many healthy or normal cells in the body. When dinutuximab binds to the neuroblastoma cells, it helps signal the immune system to kill the tumor cells. This helps the cells of the immune system kill the cancer cells, this is a type of immunotherapy. When chemotherapy and immunotherapy are given together, during the same treatment cycle, it is called chemoimmunotherapy. This clinical trial randomly assigns patients to receive either standard chemotherapy and surgery or chemoimmunotherapy (chemotherapy plus dinutuximab) and surgery during Induction therapy. Chemotherapy drugs administered during Induction include, cyclophosphamide, topotecan, cisplatin, etoposide, vincristine, and doxorubicin. These drugs work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing or by stopping them from spreading. Upon completion of 5 cycles of Induction therapy, a disease evaluation is completed to determine how well the treatment worked. If the tumor responds to therapy, patients receive a tandem transplantation with stem cell rescue. If the tumor has little improvement or worsens, patients receive chemoimmunotherapy on Extended Induction. During Extended Induction, dinutuximab is given with irinotecan, temozolomide. Patients with a good response to therapy move on to Consolidation therapy, when very high doses of chemotherapy are given at two separate points to kill any remaining cancer cells. Following, transplant, radiation therapy is given to the site where the cancer originated (primary site) and to any other areas that are still active at the end of Induction. The final stage of therapy is Post-Consolidation. During Post-Consolidation, dinutuximab is given with isotretinoin, with the goal of maintaining the response achieved with the previous therapy. Adding dinutuximab to Induction chemotherapy along with standard of care surgical resection of the primary tumor, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy may be better at treating children with newly diagnosed high-risk neuroblastoma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

TRANSFORM is a prospective, randomized, open blinded endpoint (PROBE), event-driven, pragmatic trial in patients who are at increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease but with no known symptomatic CV disease. The trial tests the hypothesis that a Cleerly Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Staging System-based care strategy reduces CV events compared with risk factor-based care.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

To Evaluate the Effect of Seladelpar on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) and Compensated Cirrhosis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2023

open study

This phase II trial compares the effects of immunoglobulin replacement therapy with a placebo for preventing infectious complications in patients receiving CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy. Hypogammaglobulinemia is a common complication in patients who receive CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. This is a condition in which the level of immunoglobulins (antibodies) in the blood is low and the risk of infection is high. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy works by replacing the body's immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies with donor blood product derived IgG antibodies that may help prevent infection. IgG antibodies are often depleted as a result of CAR-T therapy. Giving immunoglobulin replacement therapy may prevent infectious complications in patients receiving CD19 CAR-T cell therapy.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

To compare the efficacy and safety in subjects with advanced or metastatic LMS previously treated with an anthracycline.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2023

open study

The goal of this Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH) powered by All of Us research study is to develop Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms that predict individual responses to diet patterns using rich multimodal data streams collected across multiple domains (e.g., behavior, social, environmental, clinical and molecular biomarkers). NPH includes a large phenotyping cohort (Module 1, N=8000) and two separate follow-up groups drawn from a subset of Module 1participants. One group (Module 2, N=1200) receives three distinct diets in a 14-day crossover sequence, with at least a 14-day washout period between diets, while living in their own homes. A second group (Module 3, N=150) receives the same three diets under full-time supervision in a residential research setting. We will train and test AI/ML models to predict 0-4 hour postprandial response curves for glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and GLP-1, to the standardized diet-specific meal test (DSMT) collected after each of the three different diets delivered in Module 2. Each diet functions as a controlled stimulus to reveal biological features (such as individual variables, patterns, or clusters of measurements) that best predict a person's response. The Module 2 DSMT response curves are the primary outcomes (dependent variables) for AI/ML algorithms that predict individual responses to diet patterns. As a secondary objective, NPH will evaluate the validity and acceptability of technology-based dietary assessment tools. The Automated Self-Administered 24-hour recall (ASA24), Automatic Ingestion Monitor-2 (AIM-2), and the mobile food record (mFR) will be evaluated in Modules 2 and 3, and the ASA24 food record and the image-assisted ASA24 recall will be evaluated only in Module 3. Total energy intake, macronutrient and dietary fiber intake data are the main outcomes for validity testing compared against measures of actual intake. Acceptability will be determined from feedback surveys.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2023

open study

The focus of this study is to test the efficacy of an 8-week, remotely delivered, positive-psychology-motivational interviewing (PP-MI) intervention, with additional twice weekly text messages for a total of 16 weeks (with interactive, algorithm-driven, goal-focused text messages in the final 8 weeks), compared to MI-alone, in a randomized trial of 280 individuals with type 2 diabetes and low baseline physical activity.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2022

open study

The main objective of this trial is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacodynamic activity of BBP-812, an investigational AAV9-based gene therapy, in pediatric participants with Canavan disease.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

This research is to evaluate the effectiveness of Talazoparib as a potential treatment for metastatic breast cancer with a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2021

open study

This study will assess the safety and effectiveness of GORE® CARDIOFORM Septal Occluder in a post approval setting and evaluate the quality of operator education and training and transferability of trial experience to a post-market setting.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2019

open study

This phase Ib trial studies the side effects of nivolumab and to see how well it works alone and in combination with other treatments, such as ipilimumab, cabozantinib, platinum containing therapy, and fluoropyrimidine, in treating patients with autoimmune disorders and cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced), to other places in the body (metastatic) or cannot removed by surgery (unresectable). Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab and ipilimumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Cabozantinib blocks certain proteins, which may help keep tumor cells from growing. It may also prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. Cabozantinib is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor and a type of angiogenesis inhibitor. Chemotherapy drugs, such as platinum containing therapies and fluoropyrimidine, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving nivolumab alone and in combination with other treatments, including ipilimumab, cabozantinib, platinum containing therapy, or fluoropyrimidine, may be safe, tolerable, and/or effective in treating patients with autoimmune disorders and advanced, metastatic, or unresectable cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2019

open study

This trial studies how well proton beam radiation therapy compared with intensity modulated photon radiotherapy works in treating patients with stage I-IVA esophageal cancer. Proton beam radiation therapy uses a beam of protons (rather than x-rays) to send radiation inside the body to the tumor without damaging much of the healthy tissue around it. Intensity modulated photon radiotherapy uses high-energy x-rays to deliver radiation directly to the tumor without damaging much of the healthy tissue around it. It is not yet known whether proton beam therapy or intensity modulated photon radiotherapy will work better in treating patients with esophageal cancer.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2019

open study

This research study is evaluating a new method for determining stage and prognosis of individuals with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2018

open study