Metformin and Esomeprazole in Preterm Pre-eclampsia

NCT ID: NCT06359015

Last Updated: 2025-05-31

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: TERMINATED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE4
• Total Enrollment: 4 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-02-11
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-08

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to better understand diagnosis and treatment of preterm preeclampsia. Currently, there are limited laboratory tests that can be used to diagnosis preeclampsia. Additionally, there are few treatments for this condition. This clinical trial will explore treatment options, Metformin and Esomeprazole, as well as serum markers that could improve the diagnosis and treatment of preterm preeclampsia.

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

The pathophysiology of preeclampsia

To achieve normal vascular function during pregnancy, the placental vascular endothelium secretes vasoactive substances and growth factors, most notably vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), sFlt-1, placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble endoglin (sEng). These substrates interact with maternal natural killer cells to promote remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries in order to create a uteroplacental interface. Circulating vasoconstrictors, such as Thromboxane A2, and vasodilators play an important role in regulating the vascular endothelium in response to the developing uteroplacental interface.

In patients with preeclampsia, however, trophoblast cells demonstrate insufficient invasion of the spiral arteries, leading to poor remodeling, narrow vessel diameter and high vascular resistance. The endothelial dysfunction occurs in two phases. In the first phase, defective placental trophoblastic invasion of the uterine spiral arteries occurs at 14-18 weeks of gestation. This dysfunctional invasion leads to poor uteroplacental blood flow and the release of antiangiogenic factors and vasoconstrictive substances in the second phase.

In Defense of Metformin, Esomeprazole

Lower sFlt1 levels were detected in placental villous explants from patients diagnosed with preterm preeclampsia and treated with metformin. Metformin downgraded endothelial cell secretion by 53% and placental cell secretion by 63%. Similarly, in a meta-analysis of patients on metformin for gestational diabetes (GDM), Kalafat and Sukur concluded that the use of metformin was associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia (relative risk (RR): 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.85; n = 1260 women)

A recent randomized controlled trial by Cluver et al included 180 women with preterm pre-eclampsia between 26+0 to 31+6 weeks' gestation undergoing expectant management: 90 were randomized to extended release metformin and 90 to placebo. Investigators found that extended release metformin (3g daily) can prolong gestation in women with preterm pre-eclampsia

In vitro studies show proton pump inhibitors decrease soluble fems like tyrosine kinase -1 (sFlt-1) and soluble endoglin and improve markers of endothelial dysfunction. Esomeprazole reduces blood pressure in a preeclampsia transgenic mouse model that overexpresses sFlt-1.

Combination metformin and esomeprazole has shown promise in the treatment of preeclampsia as both agents reduce placental and endothelial secretion of sFlt-1 and soluble endoglin, and reduce endothelial dysfunction. Kaitu'u-Lino et al found that combining metformin and esomeprazole was additive at reducing sFlt-1 secretion and expression of sFlt-1 e15a mRNA isoform in primary cytotrophoblast, placental explants and endothelial cells.

Safety of Metformin, Esomeprazole

Metformin is a biguanide that inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose absorption and stimulates glucose uptake in peripheral tissues.

In one large trial, 751 women with GDM were randomly assigned to receive insulin therapy or metformin. Both groups experienced similar rates of a composite outcome of perinatal morbidity, consisting of neonatal hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, need for phototherapy, birth trauma, prematurity, and low Apgar scores. Additionally, five randomized clinical trials showed the safety of metformin as well as its efficiency in dealing with GDM compared with insulin. A meta-analysis by Gui et al. demonstrated that metformin was superior to insulin in reducing the incidence of preeclampsia.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) such as esomeprazole have long-term safety data in the treatment of gastric reflux in pregnancy. The Motherisk Program conducted a meta-analysis on use of PPIs in 593 pregnancies and showed no increase in risk of malformations. Furthermore, in a large cohort study from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry on 955 infants whose mothers used PPIs during pregnancy showed no difference in birth weights, rates of congenital malformations, perinatal death, or low Apgar scores.

Conditions

Preeclampsia Severe; Pre-Eclampsia; Preeclampsia; Preeclampsia Second Trimester; Preeclampsia Complicating Childbirth; Preeclampsia Puerperium; Preterm

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Metformin and Esomeprazole

Patients diagnosed with preterm preeclampsia receive expectant management with additional metformin/esomeprazole.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Metformin

Intervention Type: DRUG

Oral Metformin schedule:

Day 1: 500 milligrams in morning Day 2: 500 milligrams two times a day Day 3: 1000 milligrams in morning, 500 milligrams in evening Day 4 onwards: 1000 milligrams two times a day based on individual tolerance

Oral Esomeprazole schedule:

40 milligrams Oral Esomeprazole daily until delivery which can be tapered down to 20 milligrams daily based on individual tolerance.

Esomeprazole

Intervention Type: DRUG

40 milligrams Oral Esomeprazole daily until delivery which can be tapered down to 20 milligrams daily based on individual tolerance.

No Intervention

Patients diagnosed with preterm preeclampsia receive expectant management only.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Metformin

Oral Metformin schedule:

Day 1: 500 milligrams in morning Day 2: 500 milligrams two times a day Day 3: 1000 milligrams in morning, 500 milligrams in evening Day 4 onwards: 1000 milligrams two times a day based on individual tolerance

Oral Esomeprazole schedule:

40 milligrams Oral Esomeprazole daily until delivery which can be tapered down to 20 milligrams daily based on individual tolerance.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Esomeprazole

40 milligrams Oral Esomeprazole daily until delivery which can be tapered down to 20 milligrams daily based on individual tolerance.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Women 18 years or older
• Women diagnosed with preeclampsia or preeclampsia with severe features or superimposed preeclampsia with chronic hypertension
• Candidates for expectant management and had no clinical indication for immediate delivery

Exclusion Criteria

• Delivery within 48hr is highly likely
• Maternal or fetal compromise that necessitated immediate delivery
• Diabetes or gestational diabetes currently on metformin therapy
• Reflux disease or other conditions currently on esomeprazole
• Contraindications to metformin, esomeprazole
• Baseline creatinine >124 μmol/L
• Hypersensitivity to metformin or esomeprazole
• Current use of metformin or esomeprazole
• Metabolic acidosis
• Use of drugs that might interact with metformin (glyburide, furosemide, or cationic drugs)
• Multiple gestations

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Christiana Care Health Services

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Kendall Bielak, MD

Resident Physician

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Derek Bowden, MA,CIP,CHRC

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

ChristianaCare Institutional Review Board

Locations

Christianacare Health System

Newark, Delaware, United States

Countries

United States

References

Cluver CA, Hiscock R, Decloedt EH, Hall DR, Schell S, Mol BW, Brownfoot F, Kaitu'u-Lino TJ, Walker SP, Tong S. Use of metformin to prolong gestation in preterm pre-eclampsia: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. BMJ. 2021 Sep 22;374:n2103. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n2103.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 34551918 (View on PubMed)

Kaitu'u-Lino TJ, Brownfoot FC, Beard S, Cannon P, Hastie R, Nguyen TV, Binder NK, Tong S, Hannan NJ. Combining metformin and esomeprazole is additive in reducing sFlt-1 secretion and decreasing endothelial dysfunction - implications for treating preeclampsia. PLoS One. 2018 Feb 21;13(2):e0188845. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188845. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 29466360 (View on PubMed)

Rowan JA, Hague WM, Gao W, Battin MR, Moore MP; MiG Trial Investigators. Metformin versus insulin for the treatment of gestational diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2008 May 8;358(19):2003-15. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0707193.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 18463376 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

605095

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

41138

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id