Brigham Research Institute (BRI) - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Without an explanation for severe and sometimes life-threatening symptoms, patients and their families are left in a state of unknown. Many individuals find themselves being passed from physician to physician, undergoing countless and often repetitive tests in the hopes of finding answers and insight about what the future may hold. This long and arduous journey to find a diagnosis does not end for many patients- the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) notes that 6% of individuals seeking their assistance have an undiagnosed disorder. In 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) was established with the goal of providing care and answers for these individuals with mysterious conditions who have long eluded diagnosis. The NIH UDP is a joint venture of the NIH ORDR, the National Human Genome Research Institute Intramural Research Program (NHGRI-IRP), and the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) (1-3). The goals of the NIH UDP are to: (1) provide answers for patients with undiagnosed diseases; (2) generate new knowledge about disease mechanisms; (3) assess the application of new approaches to phenotyping and the use of genomic technologies; and (4) identify potential therapeutic targets, if possible. To date, the UDP has evaluated 3300 medical records and admitted 750 individuals with rare and undiagnosed conditions to the NIH Clinical Center. The NIH UDP has identified more than 70 rare disease diagnoses and several new conditions. The success of the NIH UDP prompted the NIH Common Fund to support the establishment of a network of medical research centers, the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), for fiscal years 2013-2020. The clinical sites will perform extensive phenotyping, genetic analyses, and functional studies of potential disease-causing variants. The testing performed on patients involves medically indicated studies intended to help reach a diagnosis, as well as research investigations that include a skin biopsy, blood draws, and DNA analysis. In addition, the UDN will further the goals of the UDP by permitting the sharing of personally identifiable phenotypic and genotypic information within the network. By sharing participant information and encouraging collaboration, the UDN hopes to improve the understanding of rare conditions and advance the diagnostic process and care for individuals with undiagnosed diseases.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2015

open study

The goal of this research study is to evaluate how well and safely the study drugs sasanlimab, palbociclib, and axitinib work for treatment of participants with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) or translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC). The name of the study drugs involved in this research study is: - Sasanlimab (a type of monoclonal antibody) - Palbociclib (a type of kinase inhibitor) - Axitinib (a type of Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2025

open study

The purpose of the study is to explore the safety and effects of the study drug (PF-08046876) in people diagnosed with advanced cancer of the bladder, lung, head and neck, esophagus, or pancreas. PF-08046876 is an investigational anticancer therapy called an 'antibody drug conjugate' or 'ADC'. ADCs are anticancer drugs designed to stick to cancer cells and kill them. The study drug will be given to participants through a needle in a vein (intravenous infusion). This study includes multiple parts. In the first part of the study, there will be different groups of people receiving different doses of the study drug. The study may also test different schedules.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

The ELEVATE III Pivotal Study is a prospective, multi-center, open-label, interventional, randomized, controlled study with an active control group. The study is intended to assess the safety and efficacy of the Elevate™ percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device System in patients referred to high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HR-PCI).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

AGENT DCB STANCE is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, 1:1 randomized controlled study designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of a treatment strategy with the AGENT Drug-Coated Balloon compared to standard of care percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment with drug eluting stent (DES) and/or balloon angioplasty in patients with de novo coronary lesions. Subjects must have a de novo target lesion located in a native coronary artery.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Aug 2025

open study

In this study, researchers will learn more about the use of felzartamab in participants with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). This study will focus on participants who have protein in their urine (proteinuria) as a result of damaged kidneys. The main goal of the study is to learn about the effect felzartamab has on proteinuria. The main question that researchers want to answer is: • How much does the amount of protein in the urine change from the start of the study to Week 36? Researchers will learn about the effect felzartamab has on the kidneys' ability to filter blood. They will also learn more about the safety of felzartamab and how it is processed by the body. The study will be done as follows: - Participants will be screened to check if they can join the study. - Participants will be randomized to receive either felzartamab or a placebo. A placebo looks like the study drug but contains no real medicine. - Neither the researchers nor the participants will know what the participants will receive. - Participants will receive felzartamab or placebo as intravenous (IV) infusions. The treatment period will last 24 weeks. - Afterwards, participants will enter a follow-up period which will last 80 weeks. - In total, participants will have 17 study visits. Participants will stay in the study for about 2 years.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

A prospective, single-arm, open-label, multi-center IDE study with up to 55 US sites

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study

The main objective of this study is to assess the safety and tolerability of AMG 691 as single doses (healthy participants only) and multiple doses in healthy participants and participants with mild-to-moderate asthma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2024

open study

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in participants with chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps treated with intranasal corticosteroids. The study will last about 18 months.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

This phase II clinical trial tests how well the cytomegalovirus-modified vaccinica Ankara (CMV-MVA) Triplex vaccine given to human leukocyte antigens (HLA) matched related stem cell donors works to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant. The CMV-MVA Triplex vaccine works by causing an immune response in the donors body to the CMV virus, creating immunity to it. The donor then passes that immunity on to the patient upon receiving the stem cell transplant. Giving the CMV-MVA triplex vaccine to donors may help prevent CMV infection of patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2024

open study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan (AAA617) in participants with oligometastatic prostate cancer (OMPC) progressing after definitive therapy to their primary tumor. The data generated from this study will provide evidence for the treatment of AAA617 in early-stage prostate cancer patients to control recurrent tumor from progressing to fatal metastatic disease while preserving quality of life by delaying treatment with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2024

open study

The purpose of this clinical trial is to learn the safety and effects of the study medicine (PF-07799544) alone or in combination as a potential cancer treatment for adults with advanced solid tumors. The study will be conducted in two parts: PF-07799544 as a single agent (Phase 1a) and PF-07799544 in combination with another study medicine called PF-07799933 (Phase 1b). Phase 1a is no longer open for enrollment. In Phase1b (noted as "this study"), we are seeking participants who have: - a solid tumor which is metastatic or recurrent (excluding colorectal cancer) - tumor with the mutation (abnormal gene) called "BRAF V600" - received required prior treatment for cancer per cohort assigned. All participants in this study will receive both study medicines. Both study medicines are tablets that are taken by mouth at home twice a day. Participants will receive study medicines until their cancer is no longer responding, unacceptable side effects, or 2 years. Participants may continue to receive study therapy beyond 2 years. We will examine the experiences of people receiving the study medicines. This will help us determine if the study medicines are safe and effective.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy, safety, PK, and PD of satralizumab in participants with NMDAR and LGI1 encephalitis.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2022

open study

The objectives of this study are to collect the long-term safety and effectiveness data of performing thalamotomy for tremor dominant Parkinson's Disease (TDPD) using the Exablate Neuro system.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Apr 2022

open study

The purpose of this research study is to learn more about variants in the TP53 gene both associated with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a hereditary cancer risk condition, and TP53 variants found in the blood for other reasons (e.g. ACE/CHIP and mosaicism).

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Sep 2020

open study

This research study is studying the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for brain metastases (spread of the breast cancer to the brain).

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2019

open study

To compile characteristics of real-world clinical outcomes for Boston Scientific commercially approved neurostimulation systems for pain in routine clinical practice, when used according to the applicable Instructions for Use - and - To evaluate the economic value and technical performance of Boston Scientific commercially approved neurostimulation systems for pain in routine clinical practice

Type: Observational

Start Date: Nov 2012

open study

This research study is a Phase I clinical trial. Phase I clinical trials test the safety of an investigational intervention. Phase I studies also try to define the appropriate dose of the investigational therapy to use for further studies. "Investigational" means that the intervention is still being studied and that research doctors are trying to find out more about it. Retroperitoneal sarcomas are soft tissue tumors located at the far back of the abdomen. Typically, patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas either have surgery for the removal of their tumors alone, or have their tumors removed, followed by standard radiation therapy, or have pre-operative radiation followed by surgery. When conventional radiation therapy is delivered after surgery, it can damage normal tissue. In this study, you will undergo proton beam radiation therapy or IMRT before undergoing surgery for the removal of your tumor. Proton radiation and IMRT are FDA approved radiation delivery systems. Protons are tiny particles with positive charge that can be controlled to travel a certain distance and stop inside the body. In theory, this allows better control of where the radiation dose is delivered as compared to photons. Since proton radiation is more targeted, it may help to reduce unwanted side effects from radiation. In this study, a standard dose of radiation will be given to the majority of the tumor, while a simultaneously integrated boost of additional radiation will be given to certain areas of the tumor identified as higher risk. This means that a higher radiation dose will be given to the higher risk areas of the tumor. The purpose of this study is to determine the highest dose of radiation therapy with protons or IMRT that can be delivered safely in patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas and the effectiveness of proton beam radiation therapy as an intervention for patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Dec 2012

open study

The purpose of this research study is to test the safety and efficacy of a new drug combination with three agents, azacitidine, venetoclax and tagraxofusp. Leftover (residual) leukemia disease that is not visible by eye can be increase the chance of disease recurrence. This research study is to determine if the combination therapy can safely help to control residual Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and to prevent disease recurrence. The names of the study drugs involved in this study are: - Tagraxofusp (a type of CD123-directed cytotoxin) - Azacitidine (a type of standard of care cytidine nucleoside analog) - Venetoclax (a type of standard of care BCL-2 inhibitor)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2026

open study

This is a single center, open label (i.e. participants and study staff will not be masked to the intervention) single ascending dose study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmaokinetics and pharmacodynamics of MIB-725 in community dwelling, healthy adults. Up to 4 successive groups (cohorts) of 8 subjects each will be enrolled in this trial. This study will determine the safety and tolerability of orally administered single ascending (increasing) doses (100, 200, 400, and 800 mg) of MIB-725 in healthy adults. The safety will be assessed by evaluating physical examination that includes an external eye examination, vital signs, adverse events, and changes in blood counts, EKG, urinalysis, coagulation measures, and blood chemistries, including but not limited to blood glucose, electrolytes, creatinine, liver function tests, uric acid, and creatine kinase.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a disease where the normally occurring transthyretin (TTR) protein falls apart and forms amyloid, a sticky plaque- like substance that accumulates in different organs in the body and can cause damage to the organ. There are two ways that the TTR protein can fall apart. One way occurs as a person ages, where the normal TTR protein can fall apart and form amyloid that may no longer be sufficiently cleared by the body. This type of ATTR is known as wild-type ATTR (ATTRwt). The other way occurs when a person inherits a defective TTR gene that causes the TTR protein to spontaneously fall apart. This form of the disease is known as variant ATTR (ATTRv) and can be detected in adults by a genetic test of their TTR gene before they age. Amyloid build-up in the heart causes the heart wall to become thick and stiff and can result in heart failure and even death. Accumulation of TTR amyloid in the heart is known as transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy or ATTR-CM. Amyloid can also deposit in the nerve tissues leading to nerve problems. Accumulation of TTR in the nerves is known as transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy or ATTR-PN. Acoramidis is an experimental drug designed to bind tightly to TTR in the blood and stabilize its structure, so it does not form the harmful amyloid plaques that can cause damage to organs. This study is intended to determine if treatment with acoramidis in participants with ATTRv who have not yet developed any symptoms of disease can prevent or delay the development of ATTR-CM or ATTR-PN disease. If adults with an inherited defective TTR gene are treated early before any of the symptoms of disease have developed, it may be possible to delay the onset or prevent the disease entirely.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

The objective of the study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of an argon plasma-based therapy - HEAPE - in treating H. pylori infections during endoscopic procedures. By filling the stomach with sodium chloride solution that is treated with APC (PAL), the Investigators hypothesize a significant reduction in H. pylori. The use of PAL instead of direct application of APC allows for a broader and more homogeneous application throughout the stomach and a faster procedure time, as the fluid bypasses the thermal effects typically associated with higher electrical power settings and focuses on the bactericidal action of PAL. It is a procedure that does not involve thermal ablation of the stomach lining. Thus, side effects should be expected to be as low as possible. Two different PAL generation modalities will be compared in this study: 1. HEAPE direct: This modality is the direct generation of PAL in the stomach. The stomach is filled with sodium chloride solution which is then treated with APC. With HEAPE direct a potential decrease of reactive species is avoided, as the treatment happens directly at the intended location in the H. pylori infected stomach. 2. Pre-HEAPE: This modality features the treatment of sodium chloride with APC outside of the patient in a sterile container. After the APC treatment, the generated PAL is administered into the stomach with a syringe through the working channel of the endoscope. Pre-HEAPE allows an easier handling of the APC probe as the treatment of the sodium chloride solution can be done without an endoscope. To evaluate the immediate effect of this novel treatment approach the metabolic activity of H. pylori will be assessed using a urea breath test (UBT) before and after treatment. A reduction in H. pylori levels can be detected by a reduction in urease activity in the breath test. After the HEAPE procedure, patients are treated with antibiotics (best practice) as they would be under normal circumstances. Four weeks after treatment, another UBT is performed to determine if H. pylori has been eradicated or if additional antibiotic treatment is indicated. This two-arm, randomized, pilot, single-center, prospective clinical study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and proof of concept that PAL has the ability to eradicate or reduce the bacterial load of H. pylori in humans.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

Prospective, multi-center, randomized, controlled trial of the eShunt System in the treatment of patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2024

open study

The purpose of this research study is to test the safety and efficacy of the combination of PD-L1 t-haNK (modified immune cells), NAI (a manufactured protein that stimulates the immune system), and cetuximab (a targeted antibody) in treating advanced head and neck cancer. The names of the therapies involved in this study are: - PD-L1 t-haNK cell therapy (a NK cell therapy infusion) - NAI (a type of recombinant human superagonist) - Cetuximab (a type of antibody)

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2024

open study

The goal of this observation study is to assess whether endoscopic ultrasound shear wave elastography (EUS-SWE) may be a useful tool for liver fibrosis screening in patients with elevated body mass index and non alcoholic fatty liver disease as compared to other non-invasive screening modalities, which have traditionally had less accurate results in this population. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Determine accuracy of EUS-SWE for liver fibrosis screening compared to other non-invasive scoring systems, such as the FIB-4 score and Fibroscan in patients with elevated body mass index - Establish optimal stiffness (kPa) cutoffs for liver fibrosis grading for EUS-SWE for this patient population in reference to the gold standard liver biopsy, as no standard cutoffs currently exist. Participants will undergo routine endoscopic ultrasound as part of their standard clinical care and indication. Participants are consented for the procedure and undergoing the shear wave elastography. In addition to their standard ultrasound test, it takes on average an extra 2-3 minutes to perform the shear wave elastography. The procedure itself adds no additional risk to the patient and does not expose them to radiation.

Type: Observational [Patient Registry]

Start Date: Jun 2021

open study