Mapping the Clinical Trial Landscape in Anorexia Nervosa: A Registry-Based Analysis of Research Activity and Translational Gaps

Mapping the Clinical Trial Landscape in Anorexia Nervosa: A Registry-Based Analysis of Research Activity and Translational Gaps | medRxiv Skip to main content Home About Submit ALERTS / RSS Search for this keyword Advanced Search Mapping the Clinical Trial Landscape in Anorexia Nervosa: A Registry-Based Analysis of Research Activity and Translational Gaps Bogdan Galusca , Natacha Germain , Manish Sarkar , Bérénice Gandit , Dimitrije Milunov , Kingsley Urakpo , Moutayam Khaddour , View ORCID Profile Soham Saha doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.19.26348323 Bogdan Galusca 1 TAPE Laboratory, University Jean Monnet , Saint Etienne 2 Endocrinology Unit, CHU Saint Etienne , Saint Etienne Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site For correspondence: soham.saha{at}medinsights.fr Natacha Germain 1 TAPE Laboratory, University Jean Monnet , Saint Etienne 2 Endocrinology Unit, CHU Saint Etienne , Saint Etienne Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Manish Sarkar 3 MedInsights SAS , 24 Boulevard Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Bérénice Gandit 3 MedInsights SAS , 24 Boulevard Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Dimitrije Milunov 3 MedInsights SAS , 24 Boulevard Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Kingsley Urakpo 3 MedInsights SAS , 24 Boulevard Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris 4 NADDBio LLC , 245 First Street, Suite 1800, Cambridge, MA 02142-1292, United States Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Moutayam Khaddour Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Soham Saha 3 MedInsights SAS , 24 Boulevard Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Soham Saha For correspondence: soham.saha{at}medinsights.fr Abstract Full Text Info/History Metrics Supplementary material Data/Code Preview PDF Abstract Background Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder associated with profound malnutrition, multisystem medical complications, and one of the highest mortality rates among mental illnesses. Despite decades of research into its biological and neurocognitive mechanisms, effective pharmacological treatments remain limited. While systematic reviews synthesize results from published studies, clinical trial registries offer a complementary perspective by capturing ongoing research efforts, discontinued studies, and emerging therapeutic strategies that may not yet be reflected in the published literature. Objective This study aimed to characterize the landscape of clinical research in AN by systematically analyzing studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov . Methods We conducted a structured analysis of studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov related to AN. Trial characteristics, including study design, intervention type, phase classification, geographic distribution, and recruitment status, were extracted and analyzed using an automated text-based classification pipeline. Results Nearly 400 studies investigating AN were identified over the past 25 years. Approximately 71% were classified as interventional studies; however, a large proportion were not associated with conventional clinical trial phases, suggesting that many registered trials correspond to mechanistic or exploratory investigations rather than therapeutic development programs. The geographic distribution of studies revealed a strong predominance of North America and Western Europe. A substantial proportion of trials were terminated or discontinued, highlighting the significant challenges associated with conducting interventional studies in this population. Observational studies generally included larger sample sizes than interventional trials. Conclusions Registry-based analyses provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of clinical research in AN. Despite considerable scientific activity, important gaps remain between mechanistic knowledge and the development of therapeutic interventions. Understanding these gaps may help inform future translational research strategies aimed at improving treatment options for this severe disorder. Competing Interest Statement The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Manish Sarkar and Dimitrije Milunov are employees of MedInsights SAS. Soham Saha is the founder and CEO of MedInsights SAS. Dr. Kingsley Urakpo is a medical advisor and board member to MedInsights SAS and owns NADDBio LLC. Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov . I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Footnotes Contact : bogdan.galusca{at}chu-st-etienne.fr ; natacha.germain{at}chu-st-etienne.fr ; manish.sarkar{at}medinsights.fr ; berenice.gandit{at}medinsights.fr ; dimitrije.milunov{at}medinsights.fr ; kingsley.urakpo{at}naddbio.com ; moutayam.khaddour{at}gmail.com ; soham.saha{at}medinsights.fr Data Availability The analytical pipeline in this study was executed using ClinForecast(TM). Because this tool is a protected commercial product, the associated source code and proprietary algorithms are strictly confidential and are not available for public sharing. However, the aggregated datasets generated during the current study are available in the results and supplementary materials. The dataset can be found in Supplementary table 1. Abbreviations 5HT1A/2A Serotonin 1A/2A receptor AAV Adeno-associated virus AN Anorexia nervosa APA Adapted physical activity API Application Programming Interface BEST Biomarkers, Endpoints, and other Tools BMI Body mass index CAR-T Chimeric antigen receptor T cells CBT Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CRP C-reactive protein CTX C-telopeptide of type I collagen DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition GPT Generative pre-trained transformer ICTRP International Clinical Trials Registry Platform IL-6 Interleukine 6 LLM Large language model mAbs Monoclonal antibody MoA Mechanism of Action MRI Magnetic resonance imaging P1NP Intact N-Terminal Propeptide of Type I Procollagen PRO Patient reported outcomes PROTAC Proteolysis-targeting chimera PTSD Post traumatic stress disorder QaLY Quality adjusted life years TNF-α Tumor necrosis factor alpha xAI Explainable AI Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Back to top Previous Next Posted March 19, 2026. Download PDF Supplementary Material Data/Code Email Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about medRxiv. NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article. Your Email * Your Name * Send To * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. You are going to email the following Mapping the Clinical Trial Landscape in Anorexia Nervosa: A Registry-Based Analysis of Research Activity and Translational Gaps Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from medRxiv Message Body (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the medRxiv website. Your Personal Message CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. 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