An Early Phase 1 interventional study of AvoMax (Low Dose) and AvoMax (High Dose) in Obesity, Avocado and Overnutrition, sponsored by University of Guelph. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-04-03.
Sponsored by University of Guelph · Early Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment
Obesity and diabetes are a significant global burden and there is an immediate need for novel treatments and management strategies. Our laboratory determined that avocado derived 17 carbon polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs) are inhibitors of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) that impart minimal toxicity in mice. FAO is altered in numerous disease states including obesity and diabetes. In these chronic diseases, excessive FAO in muscle and liver mitochondria cause metabolic overload and inefficiency which drives obesity-associated glucose intolerance and insulin insensitivity. The increased FAO that occurs in obese and diabetic individuals depletes several substrates and intermediates of the Krebs cycle, making them less efficient at using oxidative phosphorylation for energy, which can ultimately lead to glucose insensitivity and weight gain. For these reasons, inhibition of FAO is now an established therapeutic approach for the treatment of type II diabetes as reducing FAO: i) improves cellular metabolism to shift towards the more thermogenic oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, and ii) reduces hyperglycemia via inhibiting liver gluconeogenesis while improving glucose homeostasis.
In collaboration with an industry partner, Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR; Calgary, AB), the investigators have developed a supplement containing a blend of 17-carbon PFAs found inside a commercially available food grade avocado powder. The primary objective of this clinical trial is to determine if the avocado derived supplement is safe for oral consumption compared to a placebo-controlled group.
This is a single center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. 30 healthy subjects are planned. After screening and recruitment, subjects will be randomly allocated to treatment groups (low dose avocado powder or high dose avocado powder) or placebo control group. Once recruitment, randomization, baseline measurements as well as treatment allocation is completed (on the first site visit), each subject will orally consume one scoop (30-35g of material) of the avocado supplement, blended in 12-16 ounces of a smoothie like diluent, once per day for 60 days. The placebo group will also consume one scoop (30-35g of material) containing only non-medicinal ingredients used in the test product. Primary and secondary endpoint evaluations will be taken at baseline (site visit 2), day 30 (site visit 3) and day 60 (site visit 4) at each of the 3 study site visits as well as via weekly telephone calls to participants. Total duration of subject participation will be 60 days. Total duration of the study is expected to be 61 days.
11,522 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 2,033 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 67 across 9,006 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.
Browse Obesity studies →University of Guelph is the lead sponsor of 70 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
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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.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
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.
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.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Placebo powder containing only non-medicinal ingredients used in the test product: Oryza sativa (rice) bran extract (65-70% w/w of total placebo formulation), sodium bicarbonate, rosemary extract, xylitol, silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose, rice hull powder, strawberry flavour. Participants in the placebo group will ingest 1 scoop of the placebo material per day (30-35g). Placebo powder is to be dissolved/blended in 12-16 ounces of a smoothie like diluent (e.g., 2% milk (with or without lactose), soy milk, coconut milk, or fruit juice of the participant's choice) and consumed orally. Placebo will be consumed once per day for 60 days.
Other: Placebo
All Participants randomized to the low dose group will be consuming food grade avocado pulp powder (AvoMax) that will deliver a 50 mg dose of bioactive polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), avocadyne and avocadene. Participants in the low dose group will ingest 1 scoop of this test product per day (30-35g). Low dose test product is to be dissolved/blended in 12-16 ounces of a smoothie like diluent (e.g., 2% milk (with or without lactose), soy milk, coconut milk, or fruit juice of the participant's choice) and consumed orally. Low dose test product will be consumed once per day for 60 days.
Dietary Supplement: AvoMax (Low Dose)
All Participants randomized to the high dose group will be consuming food grade avocado pulp powder (AvoMax) that will deliver a 200 mg dose of bioactive polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), avocadyne and avocadene. Participants in the high dose group will ingest 1 scoop of this test product per day (30-35g). High dose test product is to be dissolved/blended in 12-16 ounces of a smoothie like diluent (e.g., 2% milk (with or without lactose), soy milk, coconut milk, or fruit juice of the participant's choice) and consumed orally. High dose test product will be consumed once per day for 60 days.
Dietary Supplement: AvoMax (High Dose)
AvoMax (Low Dose) is a natural spray-dried avocado powder, which contains 50 mg of a combination of bioactive polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), avocadyne and avocadene.
AvoMax (High Dose) is a natural spray-dried avocado powder, which contains a total of 200 mg of a combination of bioactive polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), avocadyne and avocadene.
Placebo product is powder containing only non-medicinal ingredients used in the test product: Oryza sativa (rice) bran extract (65-70% w/w of total placebo formulation), sodium bicarbonate, rosemary extract, xylitol, silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose, rice hull powder, strawberry flavour.
Incidence and severity of Adverse Events (AE)
Number of treatment emergent adverse events according to CTCAE v5.0.
Time frame: During treatment period (Day 1 to Day 60)
Hematology
Number of clinically relevant changes in hematology markers as assessed by: hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white blood cell count (WBC), differential blood count (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils), reticulocytes absolute count, and mean platelet volume (MPV). Assessments will be performed at screening and during treatment period.
Time frame: At screening and during treatment period (day 30 and day 60)
Biochemistry
Number of clinically relevant changes in serum biochemistry. Enzymes: alanine transaminase, creatine phosphokinase. Substrates: bilirubin (total), creatinine. Assessments will be performed at screening and during treatment period.
Time frame: At screening and during treatment period (day 30 and day 60)
Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c)
Mean absolute glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) change from baseline
Time frame: At screening and during treatment period (day 30 and day 60)
Body Weight
Mean absolute body weight change from baseline
Time frame: At screening and during treatment period (day 30 and day 60)
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Mean absolute body mass index (BMI) change from baseline
Time frame: At screening and during treatment period (day 30 and day 60)
Ran from Nov 2017 to primary completion in Jun 2018, 7 months.
Of 105 non-industry phase 1 interventional studies under Obesity, half reached primary completion within 32 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 57. This study's 7 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 439 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 24.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Guelph