Vermont Paid Clinical Trials

Patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) often have concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) which may adversely affect prognosis. There is uncertainty about the benefits and the optimal timing of revascularization for such patients. There is currently clinical equipoise regarding the management of concomitant CAD in patients undergoing TAVR. Some centers perform routine revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (either before or after TAVR), while others follow an alternative strategy of medical management. The potential benefits and optimal timing of PCI in these patients are unknown. As TAVR expands to lower risk patients, and potentially becomes the preferred therapy for the majority of patients with severe aortic stenosis, the optimal management of concomitant coronary artery disease will be of increasing importance. The COMPLETE TAVR study will determine whether, on a background of guideline-directed medical therapy, a strategy of complete revascularization involving staged PCI using drug eluting stents to treat all suitable coronary artery lesions is superior to a strategy of medical therapy alone in reducing the composite outcome of Cardiovascular Death, new Myocardial Infarction, Ischemia-driven Revascularization or Hospitalization for Unstable Angina or Heart Failure. The study will be a randomized, multicenter, open-label trial with blinded adjudication of outcomes. Patients will be screened and consented for elective transfemoral TAVR and randomized within 96 hours of successful balloon expandable TAVR. Complete Revascularization: Staged PCI using third generation drug eluting stents to treat all suitable coronary artery lesions in vessels that are at least 2.5 mm in diameter and that are amenable to treatment with PCI and have a ≥70% visual angiographic diameter stenosis. Staged PCI can occur any time from 1 to 45 days post successful transfemoral TAVR. Vs. Medical Therapy Alone: No further revascularization of coronary artery lesions. All patients, regardless of randomized treatment allocation, will receive guideline-directed medical therapy consisting of risk factor modification and use of evidence-based therapies. The COMPLETE TAVR study will help address the current lack of evidence in this area. It will likely impact both the global delivery of health care and the management and clinical outcomes of all patients undergoing TAVR with concomitant CAD. Read Less

This study will integrate mobile hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and treatment with expanded syringe access in order to improve uptake of HCV testing and treatment, and reduce syringe sharing behavior in rural northern New England. The intervention aims to reach rural opioid injectors with HCV and to fill service gaps identified around access to syringe services and HCV testing and treatment, while limiting the burden on local partners. If effective, this mobile model of HCV telehealth integrated with syringe services will provide a promising approach for local public health authorities seeking to curb opioid injection, syringe sharing and HCV rates in rural America, and reduce the risk environment for HIV outbreaks in those communities. Read Less

The investigational study drug, JNJ-64281802, is being developed for the prevention and treatment of dengue infection. This study is hypothesizing that the highest dose of the investigational study drug is superior to receiving a placebo with respect to its antiviral activity in healthy adult participants inoculated with Dengue Serotype 3. Read Less

In a prospective, observational pilot study of patients scheduled for an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation at the University of Vermont Medical Center the investigators will compare exercise capacity before and four months after AF ablation. Read Less

Constipation is a common and debilitating non-motor symptom of Parkinson disease (PD) that often precedes the onset of classic motor symptoms by decades. There is no standardized algorithm for managing constipation in this patient population, nor are there dedicated treatments. Studies suggest that constipation can affect quality of life to a significant degree, in many cases just as much as motor symptoms. There is an unmet need for effective treatment options for constipation in this patient population. The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of pyridostigmine as a treatment for chronic constipation in patients with PD. Read Less

This is an observational study of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) patients to be investigated prospectively in order to assess responsiveness of a set of outcome measures in an international multi-center study. Read Less

Thrombosis is common and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. At least 20% of patients with cancer develop venous thromboembolism (VTE) and another 5% will experience acute arterial thromboembolism (ATE) due to cancer and its treatment. Current guidelines recommend VTE thromboprophylaxis in high-risk outpatients. Thromboprophylaxis strategies are inadequate as 50% of high-risk patients on prophylaxis still develop a VTE, the rate of recurrent VTE is \~24% with a case fatality rate of 14.8%, and the incidence of major bleeding is \~13% with a case fatality rate of 8.9%. We and others have implicated platelets in both the pathogenesis of VTE as well as cancer growth and metastasis. To investigate a new biomarker of risk in patients with cancer, we propose a pilot study to determine whether quantification of platelet FcɣRIIa expression can discriminate risk of VTE and cancer progression. We chose platelet FcɣRIIa expression because we have found that quantifying platelet surface expression of FcγRIIa identifies patients at high and low risk of thrombotic arterial events. Thus, we hypothesize that elevated platelet expression of FcγRIIa will identify patients with cancer who are greater risk of VTE as well as cancer progression. The proposed studies leverage a clinical research program that was established in 2015 at the University of Vermont Cancer Center (Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in the Ambulatory Care Clinic \[VTEPACC\]) and will allow simultaneous access to research samples, thrombosis complications and cancer outcomes in order to achieve the following specific aims: 1) To determine whether platelet expression of FcγRIIa identifies cancer patients at high and low risk of VTE, and 2) To determine whether increased platelet expression of FcγRIIa is associated with a) advanced stage cancer at the time of enrollment and b) greater progression of cancer. Platelet reactivity is increased in patients with cancer and has been associated with VTE risk. Platelet expression of FcγRIIa can increase the risk of thrombosis by both increasing platelet reactivity and by promoting the procoagulant potential of platelets. In addition, platelets promote cancer by facilitating tumor vascularization, growth, and metastasis. FcγRIIa has been shown to be a key mediator of platelet secretion and cross-talk between platelets and tumor cells. Thus, we propose that increased platelet FcγRIIa expression will be linked to enhanced tumor growth and metastasis by facilitating cancer-tumor cell cross-talk and thereby the activation of platelets that leads to the release of platelet products. Identification of a biomarker capable of discriminating high and low risk of VTE will provide an important precision tool that could be combined with existing tools to guide therapy and improve outcomes. Results from aim 2 will provide key preliminary data in support of novel antiplatelet treatments to limit cancer progression. Read Less

The goal of this study is to test the feasibility of guiding as-needed pharmacological rate control of atrial fibrillation (AF) by implantable cardiac monitors and to assess the impact of continuous beta-blocker therapy versus as-needed rate control on the following outcomes: (1) exercise capacity, (2) AF burden, (3) symptomatic heart failure, (4) biomarker assessment of cardiac filling pressures and cardio-metabolic health, and (5) quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation and stage II or III heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Read Less

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) has developed the Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life) Program. This is a 16-hour program for immigrants/refugees, ages 14 to 24. The program is designed to help young immigrants and refugees prepare for a successful life in the United States. The program is taught by USCRI program staff and is being implemented at eight sites across the U.S.: Cleveland, Ohio; Colchester, Vermont; Des Moines, Iowa; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Twin Falls, Idaho. The project also includes a rigorous evaluation component, featuring a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design. Read Less