Emory clinical trial to test potential ways to remove PFAS from humans’ bodies

Researchers from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health announced a new clinical trial Tuesday that will test if a commonly used medication can effectively remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” from the body.

The study, which represents one of the first large-scale trials to test a way to medically remove the dangerous chemicals from the body, will be conducted in the northwest Georgia communities of Rome and Calhoun. A previous Rollins School of Public Health study in these communities found that nearly all 200 residents tested had PFAS levels in their blood within the range to warrant prioritized medical screening, per clinical guidelines published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

The five-year clinical trial is supported by a $6.57 million grant awarded this month to Emory University researchers by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funding will allow researchers to build on their earlier work in northwest Georgia and test a potential treatment in a large, community-based trial.

“This project gives us an extraordinary opportunity to move beyond simply documenting PFAS exposure to actually doing something about it. If this intervention is successful, we could provide people with one of the first approaches to substantially reduce PFAS levels already in their bodies, which is paradigm-shifting in how we address exposure to these persistent environmental contaminants,” says Dana Barr, PhD, professor of environmental health at the Rollins School of Public Health.

The study is open to adults 18 and older who have lived in Gordon or Floyd counties for at least five years and are in generally good health, without a recent hospitalization and without certain medical conditions, such as advanced kidney disease or specific gastrointestinal conditions. Individuals interested in enrolling in the clinical trial are encouraged to fill out this form or email ngapfas@emory.edu.

The initiative builds upon a foundation laid by local organizations and community leaders who have worked for years to address contamination concerns. Ongoing collaboration with community members will remain central to the initiative's work.

“The people of Rome and Calhoun have lived with concerns about PFAS in their environment for many years, and they deserve answers about what can be done to reduce the levels already in their bodies,” says Stephanie Eick, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the Rollins School of Public Health. “We hope the community will turn out strongly for this study, just as they did for the earlier study. With their partnership, we have an opportunity not only to determine whether this intervention works, but to generate findings that could ultimately help PFAS-exposed communities across the country.”

This research was supported by federal funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and/or other sponsoring agencies under award number R01ES038976. Author affiliations, collaborator contributions, and funding acknowledgments have been reviewed to promote transparency and compliance with applicable sponsor requirements, including publication and public communication disclosure obligations. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.