The Life Improvement Trial (LIFT) has officially begun!
Conducting a proper clinical trial and ensuring all logistics are set up takes time, so we are excited to share that Open Medicine Foundation’s Life Improvement Trial (LIFT) has officially launched. Recruitment and screening began in August and the first participants have now been enrolled.
What is the LIFT?
The LIFT is a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating the effect of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) and pyridostigmine (Mestinon) on functional capacity, physiological response, and the symptoms of ME/CFS. Placebo-controlled means that the study compares the effect of the drugs to placebo treatments—treatments that look like the drug, but don’t have the active ingredients that the drug does. A double-blind trial means that neither the study team nor the participant knows whether the participant is taking the drug or the placebo until after the trial is complete. This helps reduce any biases involved with the data collection.
Why conduct this trial?
LDN and Mestinon have both shown promise in relieving patients’ symptoms, but there isn’t a lot known about why they might help people with ME/CFS or which people they might help. We know that LDN and Mestinon won’t help everyone, but importantly, the LIFT is designed so the team can try to identify differences between responders and non-responders.
Ultimately, if the trial indicates that these drugs can help relieve symptoms of ME/CFS, the study will provide scientific evidence that both doctors and patients can use to support decisions about treatment. We also hope that if we can better understand what makes someone respond positively to either drug, then this information can help guide more personalised treatment plans for patients in the future.
Want to learn more about the LIFT? Click here.
Interested in participating in the trial if you are eligible?
The LIFT study is seeking eligible participants within 100 miles of Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. Recruitment will be conducted through OMF’s StudyME registry and among patients within the Harvard Medical School system. To be considered for this and other studies, please sign up for OMF’s StudyME today.
