ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02083692Updated May 15, 2025

Pilot Study of Metformin in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer and Its Effects on Stromal-epithelial Metabolic Uncoupling

An Early Phase 1 interventional study of Metformin in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer, sponsored by Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-05-15.

Sponsored by Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 5 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Sep 2013, registered Mar 2014).
Phase
Early Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
50
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of metformin in tumor metabolism in patients with head and neck cancer by evaluating metformin's ability to decrease TOMM20 expression in squamous carcinoma cells and decrease MCT4 expression in fibroblasts.

02

Conditions studied

  • Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer
03

In context

Neoplasms, Squamous Cell

111 studies on the registry are indexed under Neoplasms, Squamous Cell; 19 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 50 is close to the median of 48 across 93 interventional studies indexed under Neoplasms, Squamous Cell.

Browse Neoplasms, Squamous Cell studies →

Lead sponsor

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University is the lead sponsor of 120 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Of its 23 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 7 (30%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of head and neck cancer proven, and who have a scheduled appointment for definitive resection of the tumor at TJUH
  • Age ≥ 18 years of age and ≤80 years old.
  • Newly diagnosed with HNSCC cancer.
  • No prior therapy for HNSCC cancer is permitted for enrollment in the trial.
  • All subjects must be able to comprehend and sign a written document.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or may become pregnant during metformin administration.
  • On metformin for any reason during the preceding 4 weeks.
  • Diabetic patients are eligible if they are not taking metformin, insulin or sulfonylureas.
  • Received iodinated contrast dye less than 48 hours prior to screening meet a temporary exclusion criteria to receive metformin. These patients cannot start metformin until 48 hours have elapsed from contrast administration. Subjects who are scheduled for iodinated contrast dye administration within 48 hours of definitive surgery are excluded.
  • Plasma greater than 40 IU/dL.
  • Plasma aspartate aminotransferase greater than 45 IU/dL.
  • Plasma creatinine level greater than 1.3 mg/dL.
  • Plasma alkaline phosphatase greater than 190 IU/dL.
  • Plasma bicarbonate less than 22 mEq/L or history of lactic or any other metabolic acidosis.
  • History of congestive heart failure.
  • Myocardial ischemia or peripheral muscle ischemia.
  • Sepsis or severe infection.
  • History of lung disease currently requiring any pharmacologic or supplemental oxygen treatment.
  • Scheduled for definitive HNSCC cancer surgical resection less than two weeks from enrollment or greater than five weeks from enrollment.
  • History of hepatic dysfunction or hepatic disease.
  • Excessive alcohol intake which is defined in accordance with CDC definitions as more than 1 drink per day for women and more than 2 drinks per day for men.

All medications are permitted except those that are with metformin under current FDA recommendations.

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Biopsy and archival tissue

A biopsy takes a small piece of tissue to examine. “Archival tissue” is a sample already taken, for example at diagnosis, and kept by the hospital.

Whether a stored sample will do depends on when it was taken, how much there is and what the study needs. Ask whether the study accepts your stored sample or needs a new biopsy.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Early Phase 1
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
50 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Metformin

    Drug: Metformin

Interventions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in TOMM20 and MCT4 expression from tumor cells from date of biopsy and date of surgery

    Time frame: date of biopsy and date of surgery (9-28 days)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Thomas Jefferson University
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Crist M, Yaniv B, Palackdharry S, Lehn MA, Medvedovic M, Stone T, Gulati S, Karivedu V, Borchers M, Fuhrman B, Crago A, Curry J, Martinez-Outschoorn U, Takiar V, Wise-Draper TM. Metformin increases natural killer cell functions in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through CXCL1 inhibition. J Immunother Cancer. 2022 Nov;10(11):e005632. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005632. PubMed 36328378 ↗
  • Amin D, Richa T, Mollaee M, Zhan T, Tassone P, Johnson J, Luginbuhl A, Cognetti D, Martinez-Outschoorn U, Stapp R, Solomides C, Rodeck U, Curry J. Metformin Effects on FOXP3+ and CD8+ T Cell Infiltrates of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Laryngoscope. 2020 Sep;130(9):E490-E498. doi: 10.1002/lary.28336. Epub 2019 Oct 8. PubMed 31593308 ↗
  • Curry J, Johnson J, Tassone P, Vidal MD, Menezes DW, Sprandio J, Mollaee M, Cotzia P, Birbe R, Lin Z, Gill K, Duddy E, Zhan T, Leiby B, Reyzer M, Cognetti D, Luginbuhl A, Tuluc M, Martinez-Outschoorn U. Metformin effects on head and neck squamous carcinoma microenvironment: Window of opportunity trial. Laryngoscope. 2017 Aug;127(8):1808-1815. doi: 10.1002/lary.26489. Epub 2017 Feb 10. PubMed 28185288 ↗
09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Sep 2013 to primary completion in May 2016, 32 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 4, 2014
First posted
Mar 11, 2014
StartActual
Sep 5, 2013
Primary completionActual
May 9, 2016
CompletionActual
Apr 6, 2017
Last update
May 15, 2025
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 15, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02083692
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 11, 2014
Start date
Sep 5, 2013
Primary completion
May 9, 2016
Completion
Apr 6, 2017
Last update
May 15, 2025

Study contacts

Joseph Curry, MD
principal investigator · Thomas Jefferson University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Studies of the drug tested here: Metformin

Start the discussion