Clinical trials

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the impact of an integrated smart voice platform on quality of life and local healthy aging among community-dwelling older adults in both urban and rural areas. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the smart voice platform, integrating healthcare, long-term care, and health promotion resources, improve the community life quality of elderly participants? Participants will: Receive access to and training on an existing smart voice platform system that connects healthcare, long-term care, and local cross-domain resources (businesses, NPOs, and NGOs). Complete assessments evaluating their quality of life, digital capability, and healthy aging outcomes.

Breast cancer and its treatment can cause ongoing emotional distress, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, stress-related reactions, and difficulties adjusting to life after treatment. This study evaluates an 8-week Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program designed to support psychological adjustment and improve quality of life among adults with stage I-III breast cancer who have completed primary cancer treatment. Approximately 100 participants will be randomly assigned to either an ICBT group or a control group. Participants in the ICBT group will receive treatment as usual together with the 8-week online program, while participants in the control group will receive treatment as usual alone during the main study period. The study will compare changes in anxiety, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and quality of life between the two groups.

Phase I trial, Multiple centers, open-label, non-randomized single-arm study

The goal of this observational study is to examine the associations between assistive device approval and acquisition modality (rental or purchase), long-term care service utilization, and family caregiver burden among individuals receiving long-term care services in Taiwan. The study will use de-identified nationwide long-term care administrative data from 2021 to 2022. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What individual, disability-related, socioeconomic, residential, and caregiving factors are associated with assistive device approval, the number and type of approved devices, and rental or purchase modality? 2. Are assistive device approval and utilization patterns associated with the use of formal long-term care services and with family caregiver burden?

Background: Insomnia is a prevalent and growing public health issue, with one in three adults affected globally and one in five Taiwanese adults reporting significant sleep disturbances. Long-term use of sedative-hypnotic medications remains common in Taiwan despite clinical guidelines recommending short-term use only, contributing to adverse outcomes such as impaired sleep architecture, cognitive deficits, and elevated dementia risk. Non-pharmacological interventions-particularly light-based therapies-offer promising alternatives but existing bright-light therapy is limited by melatonin suppression and the need for precise daytime timing. Recent advances in photobiomodulation (PBM) suggest that red and near-infrared light, which do not suppress melatonin, may enhance sleep quality and support glymphatic clearance when applied during sleep. Preliminary findings from our prior NSTC-funded industry-academia project demonstrated that 850-nm PBM applied during sleep improved subjective sleep quality and sleep duration among older adults with insomnia who were not using hypnotics. Building on these results, the present study aims to evaluate whether sleep-period PBM can improve sleep quality, enhance daytime alertness and cognitive function, and reduce sedative-hypnotic medication use among adults with chronic insomnia who regularly use these medications. Methods: The study will employ an 8-week, single-blind, randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: (1) PBM intervention and (2) inactive sham control. We will develop an engineer-certified wearable PBM prototype integrating near-infrared LEDs. Sixty adults who use sedative-hypnotics ≥4 days per week will be recruited. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio and instructed to use the assigned device applied at acupoints Ex-HN 22 continuously during the sleep period. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Primary outcomes include changes in subjective sleep quality (PSQI), hypnotic use frequency, and objective sleep parameters measured by wrist actigraphy. Secondary outcomes include daytime sleepiness (KSS), emotional symptoms (BDI and BAI), and psychomotor vigilance task performance. Expected contributions: This study is expected to generate clinical evidence in Taiwan evaluating nighttime PBM for insomnia in hypnotic-using populations, address the unmet need for portable, home-based, non-pharmacological sleep interventions, and support future commercialization of a sleep-compatible light therapy device. Results will inform device optimization, regulatory approval strategies, and market expansion efforts in the growing global sleep-health industry.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a smart wearable wristband-based care system can improve the quality of care and physical activity levels among older adults with disabilities receiving home-based care. The study population includes older adults with disabilities, their family caregivers, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation service providers. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Whether the use of a smart wearable wristband can improve functional performance, as measured by Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), and Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) assessments? 2. Whether the intervention can increase physical activity levels and improve overall care quality, while reducing caregiver burden and enhancing satisfaction? Participants will: 1. Wear a smart wearable wristband continuously for 8 weeks to record physical activity data, including step count, activity level, heart rate, and fatigue index. 2. Undergo assessments at baseline and after the 8-week intervention, including Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE), and the Chinese Version of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE-C). 3. Provide data on caregiver stress, satisfaction, and service utilization for the analysis of care quality.

Maintenance Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD) Versus Active Surveillance for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients Who Had Controlled Disease After Standard Anthracycline-based Treatment (MELODY)

We will use the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to identify genomic alterations of Taiwanese HPV positive and negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) for novel biomarker development and the study design of potential clinical trials or translational research.

This study evaluates the effects of a social prescribing intervention on health promotion outcomes in community-dwelling older adults. The intervention consists of a 4-week mindfulness meditation program followed by a 12-week walking-pole exercise program. The purpose of the study is to determine whether this combined intervention improves physical function, psychological well-being, and sleep quality. Eligible participants aged 55 years and older will be enrolled from community settings and will receive the same 16-week intervention. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, after the mindfulness phase, after completion of the full intervention, and 3 months after the intervention ends. Study outcomes include physical function, mood, well-being, sleep quality, and indicators of continued participation and lifestyle change. The investigators hypothesize that the combined social prescribing intervention will lead to improvements in physical and psychological health among community-dwelling older adults and support healthy aging.

This prospective cohort study aims to develop and validate a personalized disease risk prediction model for adults by integrating multiple sources of health data. The study will recruit community-dwelling adults aged 18 years and older in Taiwan. After providing informed consent, participants will complete a structured questionnaire, undergo pure tone hearing testing, and wear a smartwatch for 2 weeks to collect continuous physiological data, including heart rate and physical activity. With participant authorization, the study will also collect data from personal health records and national health insurance databases to allow longer-term follow-up of health outcomes. The main goals of the study are to examine the relationships among hearing, lifestyle factors, and wearable device data; to identify combinations of risk factors associated with progression from health to subclinical or chronic disease states; and to develop analytical methods for integrating heterogeneous health data from questionnaires, physiological monitoring, hearing tests, and medical databases. Machine learning methods will be used to identify important predictors and build risk prediction models. The study hypothesis is that combining hearing measures, lifestyle information, wearable physiological data, and longitudinal medical record data will improve the ability to identify individuals at higher risk of future disease compared with using a single source of information alone. The long-term objective is to support early risk identification, personalized health management, and prevention strategies in community adults.

This study is a randomized, parallel-group, observer-masked clinical trial. A total of 200 obese participants with MetS will be enrolled. Eligible subjects will be randomly assigned to the ILI group or ULI group with an allocation ratio of 2:1. The ILI group will be instructed to eat in 8 hours while fasting in 16 hours on daily basis over 24 weeks. Furthermore, enhanced daily physical activities with walking more than 10,000 steps will be implemented. The enrolled participants will be instructed to follow a diet with reduction of daily intake of 500 kcals per day. ILI group will be asked to use the Health2Sync mobile app to track self-measured outcomes and daily diet control. The investigators objectively measure step counts for participants of ILI group during 24-week intervention period using a wearable device (Fitbit Inspire 2). Participants are asked to attach the pedometer on their waist belt, except while bathing and sleeping. The ULI group will be instructed to follow habitual meal timing. In addition, all participants of both groups will receive the health education. Anthropometric, sociodemographic data, biochemical variables, and metabolic variables will be measured at baseline and during follow-up visit. DEXA and MRI of abdomen will be measured at baseline and during following up visits. The proposed trial is designed to provide 85% statistical power to detect a significant difference in changes in the metabolic syndrome severity score after reduction \> 5% body weight over 24 weeks. After completion of the initial 24-week lifestyle intervention, which often has limited weight loss efficacy when used alone, a second-phase intervention will be conducted from week 26 to week 52. Participants in both the ILI and ULI groups will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive one of two evidence-based oral weight control medications: a GLP-1 receptor agonist (Rybelsus) or an SGLT-2 inhibitor (Forxiga), for a duration of 26 weeks. The ILI group will continue with the daily 8-hour time-restricted eating and 16-hour fasting regimen, along with walking more than 10,000 steps per day. This phase aims to evaluate the effects of these two medications on weight reduction and liver fat content, with or without prior 26-week intensive lifestyle intervention. After the 26-week medication intervention, all participants will be followed for an additional 52 weeks to assess the sustainability of weight loss.

This prospective study investigates the health effects of vegetarian and plant-based diets in middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan, specifically, recruiting 5000 Tzu Chi volunteers. Previous Tzu Chi cohorts found vegetarian diets were protectively associated with incidences of diabetes, stroke, gout, cataracts, insomnia, and gallstones, while reducing healthcare costs. The study also aims to clarify dietary patterns-particularly plant-based and vegetarian diets-and determine how potential deficiencies or excesses of various nutrients influence common aging-related health issues, including healthy cognitive decline, sarcopenia, and the risk of age-related diseases, in order to inform dietary and lifestyle recommendations that promote healthy aging and maintain physical function.

Despite recent progress in chemotherapy and targeted therapy for ovarian cancer, the 5-year survival rate remains around 40% because of rapid development of treatment resistance and recurrence. The sensitivity to platinum agents or BRCA genes mutation has been the prerequisite for improved survival using PARP inhibitors, though only 15-20% ovarian cancer patients harbor BRCA mutations through germline or somatic variants. Bevacizumab can only delayed disease recurrence but failed to improve overall survival. Several approved cancer therapeutics with established safety and toxicity profiles should be assessed in the immediate future based on biomarkers of platinum resistant, BRCA wild type recurrent ovarian cancer. Furthermore, the proportion high grade serous and clear cell adenocarcinoma of ovary cancer in Taiwan increased substantially in recent 10 years. Genetic factors (such as homologous recombination deficiency, mismatch repair genes mutation), environmental factors (such as oral contraceptives, nulliparity/low parity) as well as comorbidity including endometriosis may be associated with the changing pattern and clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer in Taiwan. Next-generation sequencing technology has enabled cancer genome sequencing in screening and searching for new cancer genes in an efficient manner. This massive sequencing technique not only help to identify new altered genes for novel biomarker development, but also reveal gene alterations sensitive or resistant to specific therapies. The specific aims of this project are (1) to systemically explore genomic profiling of Taiwanese primary or platinum-resistant or -sensitive recurrent (or recurrent) ovarian cancer focusing on high grade serous and clear cell adenocarcinoma; (2) to collect clinical data regarding comorbidity, survival time and responses to major types of anticancer therapy; and (3) to establish a comprehensive ovarian cancer cohort for additional translational studies. The long-term goals of this study are to help implement personalized therapy, to develop novel therapy, and to improve outcomes of patients with ovarian cancer.

Primary Objectives * In phase 1b cohort, to determine MTD (maximum tolerated dose) of nal-IRI (ONIVYDE®) in combination with Ramucirumab (Cyramza®) and TAS-102 (LONSURF®) * In phase II cohort, to evaluate disease objective response rate (ORR) of Ramucirumab (Cyramza®), nal-IRI (ONIVYDE®) in combination with TAS-102 (LONSURF®) Secondary Objectives * To evaluate disease control rate (DCR) * To evaluate progression-free survival (PFS) * To evaluate overall survival (OS) * To assess the safety profile * To study the blood biomarkers

This is an Open-Label Phase I/II Study of daily cabozantinib plus lanreotide every 4 w eeks to treat advanced G1-2 gastroentero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET) patients who failed to one line or more than one line of small molecule kinase inhibitor or well-differentiated (W-D) G3 GEP-NET who failed to one line of small molecule kinase inhibitor or chemotherapy.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the top three most common cancers in Taiwan. Targetable driver mutations in NSCLC are more prevalent in Asian population compared to those in Western population, which offers chances to apply suitable targeted therapies worldwide. For patients who failed to the treatment of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the genetic mutations from next-generation sequencing (NGS) reports can serve as the reference of treatment selection. Moreover, the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 serves as a helpful indicator for the response of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). On the other hand, patients with wild-type EGFR/ALK mutations and PD-L1-negative NSCLC who received chemotherapy had relative poorer survival than those received suitable targeted therapies and ICIs. To further elucidate the underlying molecular genomic aberrations, as well as the clinical demographics and therapeutic outcomes in above subpopulations, it is necessary to have a national, multi-centers and population-focused research project to collect data completely. Tumor tissue will be collected from advanced NSCLC patients with wild-type EGFR/ALK or with EGFR/ALK mutation after resistant to TKIs for next-generation sequencing analysis in a platform of data storage and sharing. The purpose of the precision medicine project is to establish tumor molecular profiling of specific NSCLC populations in Taiwan, to facilitate patients to have corresponding potential targeted therapeutics and suitable clinical trials, and to extend the median overall survival.

To address muscle weakness, sensory degradation, functional decline, and pain caused by geriatric syndromes in older adults and stroke survivors, this project proposes a series of studies aimed at improving neuromuscular performance, muscle strength, proprioceptive gain, functional outcomes, and pain relief through the use of a precise vibration system. In the first phase, a vibration exercise system will be implemented to recruit frail older adults and older adults with stroke for clinical trials. The goal is to verify the benefits of vibration intervention on limb muscle strength, proprioception, and movement function. In the third phase, quantitative pain assessments and related scales will be used to evaluate chronic pain thresholds and affected regions in older adults and stroke survivors, and to validate the effectiveness of vibration intervention in alleviating their pain.

Lower limb circulatory insufficiency and the associated chronic wounds are common health problems among the elderly. These issues not only affect the individual's mobility and quality of life but also potentially increase medical costs and caregiving expenses. Traditional treatment methods often employ medications to enhance blood circulation, but these clinical approaches have limited effectiveness and induce the risk of side effects. Utilizing exercise as an intervention strategy can help improve lower limb blood circulation in the elderly while reducing the side effects associated with medications. However, due to physical frailty, elderly individuals often cannot participate in high-intensity exercises to improve their circulatory performance. Therefore, this study will develop a lower limb circulation enhancement exercise system to improve the circulatory performance in individuals with poor lower limb circulation. It will compare the effects of lower limb circulation enhancement exercise, vibration exercise, and mixed exercise on improving blood circulation and functional performance in the elderly or individuals with poor lower limb circulation. Participants will be randomly assigned into three groups: the lower limb circulation enhancement exercise group, the vibration exercise group, and the mixed exercise group. In addition, a separate group of young adults (control group) will serve as a reference for baseline comparisons. Initially, all participants will undergo a one-time exercise test, followed by a 12-week intervention. The lower limb circulation enhancement exercise group will perform a 30-minute leg press rowing exercise three times a week, while the vibration exercise group will engage in vibration exercise at the same frequency, and the mixed exercise group will perform group-based mixed exercise training at the same frequency. The young adult control group will not receive any intervention but will undergo the same assessments. Outcome evaluations before and after the intervention include lower limb blood perfusion monitoring, pain scales, and functional performance assessments.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) combined with treatment as usual (TAU) for adults diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) in Taiwan. CBT is a proven treatment for anxiety and depression, but traditional face-to-face sessions require frequent clinic visits, which may be costly and time-consuming. ICBT delivers similar therapy content online, allowing participants to complete sessions at their own pace, reducing barriers such as travel and scheduling. A total of 160 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either TAU alone or TAU plus an 8-week ICBT program delivered via a secure national research platform. The program includes 12 online modules covering cognitive restructuring, emotion regulation, and behavioral activation techniques. Participants will complete assessments before, during, and after the program, with follow-up at 3 months. The results will help determine whether ICBT can improve symptoms, enhance treatment accessibility, and support the integration of digital mental health interventions into clinical practice in Taiwan.

This randomized controlled trial will examine the effects of mindfulness-based interventions and brain stimulation interventions on cognitive function and psychological well-being in older adults. The study will employ a comprehensive assessment approach incorporating psychological evaluations, behavioral assessments, psychophysiological measurements, and neuroimaging analyses to characterize the outcome of nonpharmaceutical interventions in improving geriatric well-being or reducing depression severity.

1. To investigate the efficacy and safety of cabozantinib in patients with progressive HCC after ICI-based combination treatment. 2. To explore potential tissue and peripheral blood biomarkers associated with clinical benefits of cabozantinib, and resistance mechanisms of prior ICI and cabozantinib.

Glioma is a major histological subtype of primary malignant brain tumors in Taiwan, with distinct epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features comparing to the other common cancer diseases. The disease rarely appears with metastatic disease at diagnosis, and with the most malignant subtype, glioblastoma, occurs with preference in mid- to old-age. For decades, primary malignant brain tumors has been known as one of the most desperate disease without successful improvement regarding of the treatment. Surgical resection is the principle for the primary treatment of gliomas. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are often applied to patients for adjuvant therapy of surgery to pursue the treatment effect. Disappointedly, vast majority of the patients would eventually develop disease recurrence, leaving only limited choice for salvage treatment thereafter. The prognosis of these patients remains desperate, and thus a better understanding of this deadly disease is crucial for finding better therapeutic strategies for these patients.

Primary treatment strategies for ATC have included surgical resection combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Despite these aggressive approaches, disease recurrence or progression remains frequently observed. Recent advances in molecular diagnostics and targeted therapy development have expanded treatment options for ATC patients with actionable genetic alterations, such as BRAF mutations or NTRK fusions. Nevertheless, for patients lacking identifiable targetable mutations, therapeutic options remain limited and clinical outcomes are poor. To address this unmet clinical need, the investigators aim to analyze baseline characteristics, treatment outcomes, and biomarker profiles from a larger cohort of ATC patients, with the goal of identification of predictive biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Given the rarity of ATC, conducting comprehensive studies at a single institution is challenging. Therefore, the investigators propose to establish a multi-center registry to systematically collect clinical data and tumor specimens from ATC patients.

Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive malignancy in skin cancers. Cutaneous melanoma is a rare disease in Taiwan with an incidence rate of around 1/100,000. Acral lentiginous melanoma is the most common subtype and comprises more than half of cutaneous melanoma in Asia including Taiwan but only 1% in Caucasians. In addition, mucosal melanoma accounts for more than 20% of malignancy melanoma in Taiwan but only 1% in Caucasians. Acral and mucosal melanomas have distinct epidemiological, clinical, pathological and genetic features from non-acral melanoma which is commonly seen in Western countries. Comparing with melanoma in Caucasians, Asian melanoma has higher recurrence rate after primary surgery, lower response rate to immunotherapy, and shorter progression-free survival for immunotherapy and targeted therapy leading generally poor survival outcomes regardless stage.

For continuous variables, mean, median, minimum, and maximum will be used for the descriptive purpose. For categorical variables, frequency and percentage will be used for descriptive statistics. The variables of OS will be estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences between groups will be calculated using the log-rank test for univariate analysis. Cox's proportional hazards model will be employed to test independent prognostic factors. All calculations will be performed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences software, version 17.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The level of statistical significance will be set at 0.05 for all tests.