Possibilities today...Treatments Tomorrow

FALL 2025

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Greetings friends of NorCal!

Welcome to the FALL edition of our newsletter! As the leaves turn and the air grows crisp, it's a perfect time for reflection, renewal, and re-focusing on your health goals.

We are currently recruiting participants for an exciting new weight loss study that is investigating a novel weight loss compound, eloralintide, for sustainable weight loss in persons with Type 2 diabetes. Eloralintide belongs to a new generation of weight loss drugs being developed to improve tolerance and efficacy and also to expand weight loss medications options. Eloralintide is a long-acting form of the pancreatic hormone amylin, which is co-secreted with insulin, and helps regulate both appetite and glucose control in healthy individuals. Amylin is deficient in many persons with diabetes. New formulations of amylin slow digestion, suppress hunger and have been shown to have similar benefits as the GLP-1s in studies so far.

If you've been looking for a structured, science-backed program to help you achieve your health and weight goals and improve your HA1C, this could be your opportunity. See below for more details on the study's requirements and check out the NorCal Knowledge Nugget section below for more detailed information about the hormone amylin and how it works in our bodies.

We are also still enrolling individuals in our thyroid study and we are seeking patients who might be looking for safe alternative treatment options for hypothyroidism. This thyroid study compares replacement of thyroid hormone using Armour purified thyroid extract (combination of T3/T4) to standard replacement therapy with synthetic thyroid hormone as levothyroxine (T4 only). If you are currently on stable T4 (levothyroxine) for hypothyroidism but are interested in trying Armour, call us to find out more about participating and see below for more details.

NorCal’s mission is to contribute to a healthier future for patients in the San Francisco Bay area by advancing treatment innovations and improving patient opportunities through meticulous clinical research. Even when treatments already exist, clinical research studies keep medicine moving forward. Clinical trials help discover and expand options that are safer, more effective, and more accessible for patients everywhere. Learn how you can get involved in clinical research with our experienced staff. We’ve been doing this work since 1988!

Get to know us better at NorCalMedicalResearch.com, or contact us directly at 415-461-1585 (Jesse) or at Info@NorCalMedicalResearch.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and NextDoor !

Best in health,

Dr. G

Linda Gaudiani MD FACE FACP

NORCAL Medical Director

CURRENTLY ENROLLING STUDIES

NEW TYPE 2 DIABETES WEIGHT LOSS STUDY

This Phase 3 clinical trial will study an experimental weight loss drug, eloralintide, which has helped some study participants lose up to 11.5% of their body weight at 12 weeks in an early-stage trial. The drug is a long-acting form of the gluco-regulatory hormone amylin which has benefits similar to the GLP-1s in studies so far. The study drug might result in fewer side effects and provide an additional treatment option for patients. This is why we are always searching for better alternatives to current therapies.

There will be 9 groups of patients treated with different doses or placebo (about 18% only). All participants will receive ongoing diet, lifestyle and activity coaching throughout the study.

You may be eligible to participate if you:

Have been diagnosed with T2D for at least 6 months
Have an A1C under 10.0%
Have been on stable treatment with
either diet/exercise alone or
up to 3 oral meds for diabetes
Are 18 years of age or over
Are not currently on insulin or other weight loss meds.

Just give us a call at 415-461-1585 to see if you might qualify.

HYPOTHYROID? OPTIONS FOR REPLACEMENT

This study compares naturally derived thyroid replacement therapy as Armour thyroid LT3/T4 to synthetic levothyroxine LT4 for individuals with hypothyroidism. Armour is made from purified thyroid extract and contains both T4 and T3 thyroid hormones.

All participants start on Armour thyroid for two months and are then randomized to receive either LT4 synthetic or Armour T3/T4. Thyroid levels are closely monitored and both thyroid hormone replacement doses are adjusted in both groups to keep thyroid levels (TSH) optimal throughout the entire study in all participants.

This study will help determine equivalent doses of LT4 (levothyroxine) and Armour extract (T4/T3) for patients who may wish to change therapies in the future.

You may be eligible to participate if you:

Are 18 to 75 years old
Have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism for at least one year
Have not had thyroid surgery within past 12 months
Have been on continuous thyroid replacement therapy with LT4 (levothyroxine) for the last 6 months
Have had a normal TSH documented in the past year. (If not we can get one!)

Click here to get acquainted with our physicians

and here to meet the rest of our staff.

Left to right: Dr. Linda Gaudiani, Dr. Irene Teper, Dr. Elizabeth Lowe

NORCAL KNOWLEDGE NUGGETS

AMYLIN: A NEW OPPORTUNITY IN OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY AND TYPE 2 DIABETES TREATMENT

The first wave of obesity drugs focused mainly on the gut hormone GLP-1, but drug developers are also looking for medicines that target other hormones, such as the pancreatic hormone amylin, to slow digestion and suppress hunger.

Amylin is a fascinating molecule, both a natural hormone and now the basis for therapeutic drugs.

Amylin as a Hormone

What it is: Amylin is a naturally occurring hormone.
Secretion: It is co-secreted with insulin by the pancreatic beta-cells in response to food intake, acting as a helper-hormone to insulin.
Physiological Roles: It helps regulate blood glucose levels after a meal by:
Slowing gastric emptying: This reduces the rate at which food (and thus glucose) is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Suppressing post-meal glucagon secretion: Glucagon is a hormone that raises blood sugar, so suppressing it prevents the liver from releasing too much glucose.
Reducing appetite.
Relevance to Diabetes: Amylin is often deficient in people with diabetes.

Amylin as a Weight Loss Drug

Drugs designed to act like amylin are called amylin analogs. The identification of amylin as a glucoregulatory peptide hormone sparked a surge of experimental development which culminated in the amylin mimetic drug pramlintide. Pramlintide was approved by the FDA in 2005 for the treatment of insulin-requiring diabetes and was also explored as a novel anti-obesity treatment. Despite its exciting potential, early efforts to develop an amylin-based anti-obesity therapeutic stalled owing to challenges around dosage and formulation which have now been addressed.
Eloralintide, the new long-acting form of amylin we are studying in our upcoming trial, has helped some patients lose up to 11.5% of their body weight in 12 weeks in an early-stage study . The data on eloralintide looks strong in terms of weight loss, safety and side effects.

Contact us at (415) 461-1585 or Info@NorCalMedicalResearch.com with any questions or feedback. We'd love to hear from you. Please share this newsletter with anyone you think might benefit from receiving it and finding out about our work.

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