Decision brief · what the records say, not our assessment
Metformin Hydrochloride in Preventing Breast Cancer in Patients With Atypical Hyperplasia or In Situ Breast Cancer
NCT01905046 · Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology · PHASE3 · active not recruiting · Breast cancer · Open Targets disease: breast carcinoma
Six questions a reader deciding whether to spend more time on this asks, each answered with flags: yes, no, or not published (hatched), each with its rule and source record. Flags are never added up into a score or a verdict, because published success rates disagree by a factor of two and more.
1. Is the biology right?
- Somatic driver evidence: no · None of MT-ND6, NDUFA10, NDUFS8 has somatic-mutation evidence in breast carcinomaRule: Open Targets has somatic-mutation evidence for the target in this cancer. Source: Open Targets: MT-ND6 in breast carcinoma, 2026-11-11
- Human genetic evidence: no · No germline or somatic evidence for MT-ND6, NDUFA10, NDUFS8 in breast carcinomaRule: Any germline or somatic human genetic evidence for the target in this cancer, counted apart from animal-model and literature evidence. Source: Open Targets: MT-ND6 in breast carcinoma, 2026-11-11
- Pediatric target: no · Not on the FDA listRule: Target is on FDA's Pediatric Molecular Target List (relevant targets); membership alone neither requires nor waives a study. Source: FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)), 2026-11-11
- Haematologic cancer: no · Solid tumourRule: From the indication, or the registry conditions when no indication matches. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046, 2026-11-11Published context: Likelihood of approval from phase 1: 7.5% haematologic vs 4.6% solid (BIO / Informa / QLS 2021, 2011–2020). Population-level, not a prediction.
- MT-ND6 (via metformin hydrochloride): Evidence types in breast carcinoma: literature; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: europepmc. · Open Targets: MT-ND6 in breast carcinoma
- NDUFA10 (via metformin hydrochloride): Open Targets has no association between NDUFA10 and breast carcinoma. · Open Targets: NDUFA10 in breast carcinoma
- NDUFS8 (via metformin hydrochloride): Evidence types in breast carcinoma: literature; literature listed separately from human genetics. Datasources: europepmc. · Open Targets: NDUFS8 in breast carcinoma
- Not loaded on this app yet: Normal-tissue expression in vital organs. Source: Human Protein Atlas (ticket 36).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Pan-essential in cell lines. Source: DepMap (ticket 36).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Approved drug on this target. Source: Drugs@FDA (ticket 30).
2. Can the result be trusted?
- Randomised: yes · Randomised allocationRule: Registry allocation field. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046, 2026-11-11
- Small denominator: no · 86 enrolled; each patient moves a rate by 100 ÷ 86 = 1.2 pointsRule: Enrolment under 30; the arithmetic is shown, not a benchmark. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046, 2026-11-11
- Primary endpoint is overall survival: no · Test for the Presence or Absence of Cytological Atypia in Unilateral or Bilateral RPFNA Aspirates After 12 Months.Rule: A registered primary outcome measure names overall survival. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046, 2026-11-11Published context: Non-OS primary endpoint: odds ratio 2.79 for a positive phase 3 (Otsuka 2021, 400 phase 3 oncology trials, to 2020). Shown with the next figure: a surrogate is easier to hit, and often a weak guide to survival.Published context: 52% of surrogate-to-OS correlations are low (Prasad 2015, published to 2014). Shown with the figure above.
- Results overdue: no · Results posted 2025-04-13Rule: Primary completion (actual) more than 12 months ago and no results posted to the registry. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046, 2026-11-11
- Not loaded on this app yet: Treated and evaluable counts, assessor, confirmed response, follow-up and data cutoff. Source: Readout extraction (ticket 32).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Primary endpoint changed between registry versions. Source: Registry versions in the store (ticket 32).
3. What must it beat?
- Not loaded on this app yet: Control-arm result and approved therapies for the same segment, with label links. Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA labels and readouts (tickets 30, 32).
4. Too crowded, or too late?
- Stopped on this target: 2 terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of drugs against MT-ND6. Reasons are quoted as the registry gives them on the target page. · MT-ND6: what already stopped
- Not loaded on this app yet: Programs on the target by phase and months behind the leader. Source: Programs and Drugs@FDA (ticket 33).
5. Can it be approved, and stay approved?
- Single-country: yes · All 27 sites in United StatesRule: All listed sites are in one country; the share of US sites is shown. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046, 2026-11-11
- EU paediatric investigation plan: yes · EMEA-001352-PIP01-12-M01 (metformin hydrochloride, Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome): PM: decision on the application for modification of an agreed PIP, 29 Sept 2014; EMEA-002732-PIP02-20 (sitagliptin (hydrochloride monohydrate);metformin hydrochloride, Treatment of type II diabetes mellitus): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 15 Jul 2020; EMEA-001151-PIP02-17 (dapagliflozin;metformin hydrochloride, Treatment of type II diabetes mellitus): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 16 Mar 2018; EMEA-002249-PIP01-17 (dapagliflozin;saxagliptin;metformin hydrochloride, Treatment of type II diabetes mellitus): W: decision granting a waiver in all age groups for all conditions or indications, 16 Mar 2018; +14 moreRule: An EMA PIP decision (agreement, modification or waiver) lists the drug as its active substance, exact name. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- EU orphan designation: yes · EU/3/16/1803 positive 12 Dec 2016: Treatment of progressive myoclonic epilepsy type 2 (Lafora disease); EU/3/17/1965 positive 17 Jan 2018: Treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophyRule: An EU orphan designation lists the drug as its active substance (exact name) or belongs to a medicine that does; withdrawn and expired designations are listed with their status. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- Authorised in the EU: yes · Vokanamet: authorised since 23 Apr 2014; Synjardy: authorised since 27 May 2015; Sitagliptin / Metformin hydrochloride Mylan: authorised since 16 Feb 2022; Jentadueto: authorised since 19 Jul 2012; +20 moreRule: An EMA medicine record lists the drug as its active substance or INN, exact name; national-only authorisations are not in this file. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- FDA orphan designation: not published · FDA's orphan designation database turns away automated requests, so this app does not read it; search it by hand at the linkRule: Would be: an FDA orphan designation names the drug. Source: FDA orphan designations search
- FDA pediatric oncology approval: no · FDA's table lists no pediatric approval of metformin hydrochlorideRule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-11
- Registered studies open to children: yes · 195 interventional studies of metformin hydrochloride include patients under 18; 28 are recruiting, not yet recruiting or activeRule: The registry's age group includes Child (birth to 17 years), which also counts studies that set no minimum age. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search, 2026-11-11
- Caveat: Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where the sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality.
- Rare pediatric disease voucher: FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. · FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs
- Not loaded on this app yet: Precedent approvals for target, modality and endpoint; accelerated-approval status. Source: Drugs@FDA and FDA accelerated-approval tables (ticket 30).
6. Can the sponsor finish?
- Sponsor: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (academic or other) · ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046
- study chair: Victoria Seewaldt, MD, City of Hope Medical Center · Person page
- Not loaded on this app yet: Filed cash, quarterly spend and the runway arithmetic. Source: SEC XBRL company facts (ticket 37).
- Not loaded on this app yet: Sponsor's completed vs stopped oncology trials and results-reporting record. Source: Registry, by company (ticket 37).
What public data cannot tell you
Public records cannot show: sales forecasts; a probability of success for this asset; full deal terms and net prices; FDA designations and action dates before approval (shown only as company-reported); clinical holds unless the company disclosed them; manufacturing; patents on unapproved drugs; whether preclinical findings have been replicated.
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01905046 (2026-11-11); Open Targets Platform (2026-11-11); FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)) (2026-11-11). JSON: /api/brief/trial/NCT01905046. Not medical advice.