# Metformin IN Asthma for overweight and obese individuals (MINA)

> **NIH NIH R34** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $242,120

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
More than 40% of the 250 million people living with asthma in the United States are obese. Obese individuals
with asthma are more likely to develop “obesity-associated asthma,” a phenotype that is exacerbation-prone
and resistant to treatment. While weight loss is an effective treatment, this is difficult to attain and sustain, and
consequently there are few effective and specific treatment options for this prevalent asthma phenotype.
Obesity-induced metabolic inflammation, insulin resistance, and pre-diabetes may explain some of the excess
morbidity of obesity-associated asthma. Metformin, the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, comprehensively
treats these conditions. Preclinical data suggest that metformin improves airways hyperresponsiveness and
allergic airway inflammation among animal models of obese asthma, and observational data have shown an
inverse relationship between metformin use and risk of asthma exacerbation, suggesting that metformin may
be beneficial among patients with asthma and elevated body mass index. The objective of this application is to
conduct a pilot, six-month, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, two-center trial of metformin among
overweight and obese individuals with physician-diagnosed asthma recruited from Baylor College of Medicine
and Johns Hopkins University. The pilot RCT will determine (1) feasibility of a study design that utilizes remote
methods for research participation and (2) preliminary estimates of the effect of metformin on core patient-
centered and physiologic outcomes. Completion of these aims will inform the decision to proceed with a pivotal
multi-center efficacy RCT testing metformin among overweight and obese participants with asthma and inform
specifics of its design and enrollment strategies. This project will provide findings that address an urgent
research priority relevant to the millions of Americans with obesity-associated asthma.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10930872
- **Project number:** 5R34HL166438-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MEREDITH C MCCORMACK
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $242,120
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-18 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10930872

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10930872, Metformin IN Asthma for overweight and obese individuals (MINA) (5R34HL166438-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10930872. Licensed CC0.

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