Trial · NCT03651895

Metformin to Reduce Airway Glucose in COPD Patients

NCT03651895, Phase 2, Completed, Imperial College London; results first posted 2025-02-18

3 sourcestrials-2026-11-12-0.5.0

Cite this record

ConductScience Library. Metformin to Reduce Airway Glucose in COPD Patients. Trials, record NCT03651895. Release trials-2026-11-12-0.5.0, 12 Nov 2026. https://conductscience.org/library/trials/NCT03651895

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Trial

As registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, in the graph's capture of the registry.

Title: Metformin to Reduce Airway Glucose in COPD Patients
NCT number: NCT03651895
Status: Completed
Phases: Phase 2
Enrollment: 14 participants, actual
Lead sponsor: Imperial College London
Conditions: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Interventions: Metformin, Placebo
First posted: 2018-08-29
Last updated: 2025-02-18
Other registries' IDs: eudract:2018-001755-12
Results first posted: 2025-02-18

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

Registered outcomes7

Each outcome the trial registered, primary first, in ClinicalTrials.gov's words.

List	Outcome	Time frame	Description
Primary	Sputum Glucose Concentration	3 months	The median concentration of glucose in sputum following 3 months treatment with metformin or placebo.
Secondary	Nasal Glucose Concentrations	3 months	The median concentration of glucose in nasal samples following 3 months treatment with metformin or placebo.
Secondary	Sputum Bacterial Load	3 months	The bacterial load in sputum using qPCR was not measured. Therefore, data were not collected
Secondary	Sputum Inflammatory Markers	3 months	The median concentration of inflammatory cells and cytokines in sputum was not measured. Therefore, data were not collected.
Secondary	Quality of Life Score (COPD Assessment Test)	1 month	The COPD Assessment Test (CAT): the CAT features 8 questions ranked from 0-5 with a minimum score of 0 and maximum possible score of 40. Higher scores indicate a greater impact on patient health due to their COPD, a difference of ≥2 is considered meaningful. The questionnaire's were completed by every participant at every visit up to 8 times: V1 is at the baseline, then V2-4 are at monthly intervals. V5 is at the baseline after crossing arms -1 month washout, V6-8 are monthly after that.
Secondary	Quality of Life Score (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire)	1 month	St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ): the SGRQ contains 50 items with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 100. Higher scores indicate a greater impact on quality of life due to COPD and a difference of ≥4 is meaningful The questionnaire's were completed by every participant at every visit up to 8 times: V1 is at the baseline, then V2-4 are at monthly intervals. V5 is at the baseline after crossing arms -1 month washout, V6-8 are monthly after that.
Secondary	Lung Function	1 month	FEV1(Forced Expiratory Volume Test) was performed up to 8 times: V1 is at the baseline, then V2-4 are at monthly intervals. V5 is at the baseline after crossing arms -1 month washout, V6-8 are monthly after that.

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

Outcomes7

Each outcome the trial posted results for, in ClinicalTrials.gov's words.

Type	Outcome	Time frame	Population	Units	Measured as
PRIMARY	Sputum Glucose Concentration	3 months		µM	MEDIAN
SECONDARY	Nasal Glucose Concentrations	3 months		µM	MEDIAN
SECONDARY	Sputum Bacterial Load	3 months	Data were not collected. Participants with infection were excluded from the study.
SECONDARY	Sputum Inflammatory Markers	3 months	Data were not collected. Participants with infection were excluded from the study.
SECONDARY	Quality of Life Score (COPD Assessment Test)	1 month		Score on a scale	MEDIAN
SECONDARY	Quality of Life Score (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire)	1 month		Score on a scale	MEDIAN
SECONDARY	Lung Function	1 month		Litres (L)	MEDIAN

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

Results by group10

Each measurement the trial posted, group by group, in the words and numbers it posted.

Outcome	Group	Value	Spread	Units
Sputum Glucose Concentration	Treatment Group	68.92	Inter-Quartile Range 16.3 to 131.1	µM
Sputum Glucose Concentration	Placebo Group	12.2	Inter-Quartile Range 10 to 13	µM
Nasal Glucose Concentrations	Treatment Group	12.56	Inter-Quartile Range 5.92 to 28.28	µM
Nasal Glucose Concentrations	Placebo Group	13.5	Inter-Quartile Range 6.19 to 27.83	µM
Quality of Life Score (COPD Assessment Test)	Treatment Group	16.6	Inter-Quartile Range 6.4 to 26.8	Score on a scale
Quality of Life Score (COPD Assessment Test)	Placebo Group	13.2	Inter-Quartile Range 3.3 to 23.1	Score on a scale
Quality of Life Score (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire)	Treatment Group	42.7	Inter-Quartile Range 24.4 to 61	Score on a scale
Quality of Life Score (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire)	Placebo Group	36.4	Inter-Quartile Range 18.6 to 54.2	Score on a scale
Lung Function	Treatment Group	69.2	Inter-Quartile Range 51 to 87.4	Litres (L)
Lung Function	Placebo Group	66.1	Inter-Quartile Range 46.7 to 85.5	Litres (L)

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

Participant flow18

How many started, completed or left each group, period by period.

Period	Milestone	Group	Participants
First Drug Assignment	STARTED	Metformin First (Before Crossover), Placebo Second (After Crossover)	7
First Drug Assignment	STARTED	Placebo First (Before Crossover), Metformin Second (After Crossover)	7
First Drug Assignment	1 Month	Metformin First (Before Crossover), Placebo Second (After Crossover)	6
First Drug Assignment	1 Month	Placebo First (Before Crossover), Metformin Second (After Crossover)	6
First Drug Assignment	3 Months	Metformin First (Before Crossover), Placebo Second (After Crossover)	3
First Drug Assignment	3 Months	Placebo First (Before Crossover), Metformin Second (After Crossover)	2
First Drug Assignment	COMPLETED	Metformin First (Before Crossover), Placebo Second (After Crossover)	3
First Drug Assignment	COMPLETED	Placebo First (Before Crossover), Metformin Second (After Crossover)	2
First Drug Assignment	NOT COMPLETED	Metformin First (Before Crossover), Placebo Second (After Crossover)	4
First Drug Assignment	NOT COMPLETED	Placebo First (Before Crossover), Metformin Second (After Crossover)	5

1 to 10 of 18Source ClinicalTrials.gov

See all 18 participant flow

Adverse events16

Each adverse event the trial posted, group by group: the participants affected out of those at risk.

Type	Event	Organ system	Group	Affected	At risk
other	Nausea	Gastrointestinal disorders	Treatment Group	2	14
other	Nausea	Gastrointestinal disorders	Placebo Group	0	14
other	Vomiting	Gastrointestinal disorders	Treatment Group	1	14
other	Vomiting	Gastrointestinal disorders	Placebo Group	1	14
other	Diarrhoea	Gastrointestinal disorders	Treatment Group	2	14
other	Diarrhoea	Gastrointestinal disorders	Placebo Group	1	14
other	Abdominal cramps	Gastrointestinal disorders	Treatment Group	1	14
other	Abdominal cramps	Gastrointestinal disorders	Placebo Group	0	14
other	Lower respiratory tract infection	Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders	Treatment Group	3	14
other	Lower respiratory tract infection	Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders	Placebo Group	3	14

1 to 10 of 16Source ClinicalTrials.gov

See all 16 adverse events

Adverse event totals6

The totals the trial posted for each group.

Total	Group	Affected	At risk
Total, all-cause mortality	Treatment Group	0	14
Total, all-cause mortality	Placebo Group	0	14
Total, other adverse events	Treatment Group	7	14
Total, other adverse events	Placebo Group	7	14
Total, serious adverse events	Treatment Group	0	14
Total, serious adverse events	Placebo Group	1	14

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

Papers0

The papers the trial lists on ClinicalTrials.gov.

None in this release.

Grants0

The grants NIH RePORTER links to the trial, newest funded first: NIH's, and some of AHRQ's, CDC's, FDA's and VA's. Each shows its title, principal investigators, organization and funder in its newest year.

None in this release.

Trial comparisons2

Comparisons of the trial's two groups, calculated by ConductScience from the counts it posted.

Comparison	Source
Treatment Group vs Placebo Group: deaths from any cause	Trial comparisons
Treatment Group vs Placebo Group: serious adverse events	Trial comparisons

Tests0

The ConductCognition tests this trial's registered outcomes name, as ScienceGraph matched them in trial-tests-2026-11-12-0.2.1.

None in this release.

Data dates

The day each source was copied for this release.

ClinicalTrials.gov: 2026-11-12; ClinicalTrials.gov
Results, from AACT: 2026-03-23; AACT
NIH grant links: 2026-11-13; NIH RePORTER

Sources 3

ClinicalTrials.gov's posted results, through CTTI's AACTFreely available. Acknowledgement requested
ClinicalTrials.govNo license stated
NIH RePORTER's clinical studies and project filesPublic domain

Each source's terms

ClinicalTrials.gov's posted results, through CTTI's AACTClinicalTrials.gov data via Aggregate Analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov (AACT), CTTI. CTTI makes its materials freely available and requests acknowledgement. https://aact.ctti-clinicaltrials.org/documentation/299
ClinicalTrials.govnone stated
NIH RePORTER's clinical studies and project filesPublic domain (NIH RePORTER)

ClinicalTrials.gov's data carry an international copyright outside the United States: https://clinicaltrials.gov/about-site/terms-conditions.

For software

Read this trial from software.

The record and each of its lists are JSON, twenty rows a page. No key.

GET https://conductscience.org/api/trials/v1/NCT03651895

GET https://conductscience.org/api/trials/v1/NCT03651895/registered

API reference For AI assistants