PBA Use for Treatment of ATF6-/- Patients

NCT04041232 · Status: SUSPENDED · Phase: EARLY_PHASE1 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 2

Last updated 2025-09-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Some patients with achromatopsia, an inherited disorder characterized by partial or complete loss of color vision, carry mutations in ATF6. ATF6 is a gene that is responsible for coding a protein that acts in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. When the ATF6 protein is mutated, retinal function decreases, contributing to color blindness. The study aims to investigate whether an already FDA-approved drug, glycerol phenylbutyrate (PBA), can improve retinal function inpatients with achromatopsia caused by ATF6 mutations. Patients will be instructed to take three doses of PBA per day at equally divided time intervals and rounded up to the nearest 0.5 mL. The total dose of PBA will be 4.5 to 11.2 mL/m2/day (5 to 12.4 g/m2/day) and will not exceed 17.5 mL/day (19 g/day). Their condition will be monitored over the course of a minimum of 3 clinic visits that will consist of a number of retinal function tests, fundus examinations, and imaging procedures. Findings from the study could elucidate the potential for PBA to serve as a treatment for patients with ATF6-mediated a chromatopsia.

Conditions

  • ACHROMATOPSIA 7
  • Achromatopsia

Interventions

DRUG

PBA

Glycerol phenylbutyrate (PBA) is a triglyceride that consists of three molecules of phenylbutyrate linked to a glycerol backbone. It is a nitrogen-binding agent that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of urea cycle disorders. Oral supplementation of PBA demonstrated no severe side effects, and are found to be therapeutically effective in reducing ER stress. Patients will be instructed to take three doses of PBA per day at equally divided time intervals and rounded up to the nearest 0.5 mL. The total dose of PBA will be 4.5 to 11.2 mL/m2/day (5 to 12.4 g/m2/day) and will not exceed 17.5 mL/day (19 g/day).

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Stephen Tsang, MD · Columbia University

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-04-08
Primary Completion
2027-08-31
Completion
2027-08-31
FDA Drug
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04041232 on ClinicalTrials.gov