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Triheptanoin + Ketogenic Diet for Glucose Transporter Deficiency Syndrome

Phase 2
Waitlist Available
Led By Juan Pascual, M.D.
Research Sponsored by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be younger than 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up day 1, day 4
Awards & highlights

Summary

This trial is testing whether a special oil called triheptanoin can be safely added to a high-fat diet for patients with a specific condition. These patients already follow a high-fat diet to help manage their condition. The study will monitor brain activity and seizure rates to see if the oil helps improve their treatment. Triheptanoin has been used for the treatment of certain metabolic conditions and has shown potential in treating other metabolic and neurological diseases.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for people aged 2.5 to almost 36 years with Glucose Transporter Deficiency Syndrome (G1D) confirmed by genetic testing, who have been on a stable ketogenic diet. It excludes those with other metabolic/genetic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity (BMI ≥30), not on a ketogenic diet, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those unwilling to prevent pregnancy.
What is being tested?
The study tests how well triheptanoin oil (C7) works with the ketogenic diet in G1D patients by monitoring brain activity through EEGs, seizure frequency, blood sugar levels and ketosis state without changing their current diet ratios.
What are the potential side effects?
Potential side effects of C7 are not detailed here but may include digestive issues like diarrhea or stomach pain based on exclusion criteria related to gastrointestinal conditions.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~day 1, day 4
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and day 1, day 4 for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in Ketosis (Beta-hydroxybutyrate Levels)
Secondary study objectives
Change in Glycemia
Fraction of Subjects (of a Total of 10 Studied) Who Exhibit a Change in Observable Seizure Rate

Side effects data

From 2019 Phase 2 trial • 20 Patients • NCT02036853
83%
Diarrhea
33%
Headache
33%
Fever
33%
Stomach Virus
17%
Hand Pain
17%
Convulsive Seizures
17%
Lethargy
17%
Decreased Appetite
17%
Rash-Right Leg
17%
Skin Scale Hands
17%
Tongue Pain
17%
Gastric Reflux
17%
Urinary Incontinence
17%
Amenorrhea
17%
Otalgia
17%
Hirsutism
17%
Abdominal Discomfort
17%
Constipation
17%
Emesis
17%
Nausea
17%
Nasal Fracture
17%
Right Arm Fracture
17%
Decreased Hematocrit
17%
Weight Gain
17%
Seizure
17%
Insomnia
17%
Moodiness
17%
Upper Respiratory Infection
17%
Impetigo
17%
Onychomycosis
17%
Rhinovirus
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Study treatment Arm
Schedule A
Schedule B

Trial Design

1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Patients on a ketogenic dietExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
This is a one arm study were patients will be receiving an oil called triheptanoin. Patients will be consuming triheptanoin 4 times over the course of one day. The triheptanoin oil will take up 45% of their daily calories on the day the day they are taking the oil.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Triheptanoin
2020
Completed Phase 2
~200

Research Highlights

Information in this section is not a recommendation. We encourage patients to speak with their healthcare team when evaluating any treatment decision.
Mechanism Of Action
Side Effect Profile
Prior Approvals
Other Research
The most common treatments for Glucose Transporter Deficiency Syndrome (G1D) include the ketogenic diet and triheptanoin (C7 oil). The ketogenic diet induces ketosis, allowing the body to use ketone bodies instead of glucose for energy, which is essential for G1D patients who have impaired glucose transport to the brain. Ketone bodies can cross the blood-brain barrier and provide an alternative energy source, potentially improving brain function and reducing seizures. Triheptanoin (C7 oil) is a medium-chain triglyceride that can be converted into ketone bodies, offering a similar benefit by supplying an alternative energy source to the brain, thereby potentially improving brain energy metabolism and neurological outcomes in G1D patients.
Triheptanoin alters [U-<sup>13</sup>C<sub>6</sub>]-glucose incorporation into glycolytic intermediates and increases TCA cycling by normalizing the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase in a chronic epilepsy mouse model.Cucurbitane Triterpenoids from the Fruits of Momordica Charantia Improve Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Homeostasis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.The hepatocyte glucose-6-phosphatase subcomponent T3: its relationship to GLUT2.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)NIH
1,362 Previous Clinical Trials
650,740 Total Patients Enrolled
University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterLead Sponsor
1,072 Previous Clinical Trials
1,056,252 Total Patients Enrolled
Juan Pascual, M.D.Principal Investigator - Study Principal Investigator
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Media Library

Triheptanoin (Other) Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT03301532 — Phase 2
Glucose Transporter Deficiency Syndrome Research Study Groups: Patients on a ketogenic diet
Glucose Transporter Deficiency Syndrome Clinical Trial 2023: Triheptanoin Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT03301532 — Phase 2
Triheptanoin (Other) 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT03301532 — Phase 2
~1 spots leftby Sep 2025