Gastroparesis means the stomach empties too slowly, causing nausea, vomiting, bloating, and unpredictable blood sugar in people with diabetes. It affects roughly 4% of people in the U.S., with causes ranging from diabetes nerve damage to post-viral infections to unknown origins. Treatment relies mainly on diet changes, anti-nausea drugs, and medications that help the stomach move.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that target different receptors controlling stomach movement, including ghrelin agonists like relamorelin and newer prokinetic agents. Researchers are studying gastric electrical stimulation devices, botulinum toxin injections into the pyloric valve, and stem cell approaches to repair damaged nerves. Studies also explore whether certain antibiotics or anti-inflammatory treatments help post-viral gastroparesis.
Ghrelin pathway drugs
Relamorelin and similar drugs mimic ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates stomach emptying and reduces nausea. Phase 3 trials tested relamorelin in diabetic gastroparesis, showing symptom improvement in some patients.
Pyloric treatments
The pyloric valve at the stomach outlet sometimes stays too tight in gastroparesis. Trials are testing botulinum toxin injections and a procedure called gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) to relax this valve.
Stem cell therapy
Small studies are injecting stem cells into the stomach wall to see if they can regenerate damaged nerves that control movement. Early results suggest some patients experience faster emptying and fewer symptoms.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on confirmed delayed stomach emptying on testing, symptom severity, underlying cause (diabetic vs. idiopathic vs. post-surgical), and whether standard treatments have failed.
What types of trials are currently open
- Drug trials — Testing medications that speed stomach emptying or reduce nausea, including ghrelin agonists, 5-HT4 agonists, and dopamine antagonists.
- Device trials — Studies of gastric electrical stimulation devices implanted like pacemakers to help coordinate stomach contractions.
- Procedure trials — Testing endoscopic approaches like G-POEM or pyloric botulinum toxin injection to improve stomach outlet function.
- Regenerative medicine — Trials of stem cell injections or other approaches aimed at repairing the damaged stomach nerves.
- Natural history studies — Following people with gastroparesis over time to understand how symptoms change and what factors predict improvement or worsening.
Recently added Gastroparesis trials
Receive ultrasound stimulation to test stomach function improvement
This randomized, sham-controlled crossover pilot study will evaluate whether noninvasive gastric focused ultrasound stimulation is associated with changes in postprandial gastric electrical activity and gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying. Participants will complete one active FUS visit and one sham-stimulation visit in randomized order, separated by at least 48 hours. At each visit, electrogastrography will be recorded before and after a standardized liquid nutritional drink, during active or sham stimulation, and during recovery. Gastrointestinal symptoms will be assessed at prespecified time points using the Total Symptom Score questionnaire.
Complete ultrasound scans to measure stomach function during tube feeding
This study investigates whether the dose of vasopressor medications (drugs that maintain blood pressure in shock) affects gastric emptying during tube feeding in the intensive care unit (ICU). Critically ill patients receiving vasopressors often develop impaired gastric motility, which reduces the effectiveness of enteral nutrition and increases the risk of aspiration. Gastric emptying will be objectively measured using bedside point-of-care ultrasound - a safe, painless imaging method - at three time points: before feeding (T0), at 1 hour (T1), and at 2 hours (T2) after restarting enteral nutrition following a 2-hour fasting period. Patients will be stratified into three groups based on norepinephrine equivalent dose (NEQ): Group 1 (no vasopressor, NEQ=0), Group 2 (low-to-moderate dose, NEQ \>0 to \<0.3 μg/kg/min), and Group 3 (high dose, NEQ ≥0.3 μg/kg/min). The primary outcome is gastric emptying rate (GER = (T0 volume - T2 volume) / 2 hours). Gastroparesis is defined as GER ≤0 mL/hour. Secondary outcomes include antrum cross-sectional area, agreement between ultrasound and aspirated gastric residual volume (Bland-Altman analysis), and enteral nutrition intolerance incidence. A subgroup analysis by shock type (septic, cardiogenic, hypovolemic, obstructive) will also be performed. The study aims to identify the vasopressor dose threshold at which gastric emptying is significantly impaired, and to support the use of bedside gastric ultrasound as an objective, non-invasive monitoring tool for enteral nutrition management in the ICU.
Find Gastroparesis trials matched specifically to you
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll show you trials that fit your situation.