Pharmacist-led Targeted Urate Lowering Therapy for Gout in Veterans
Official title: Pharmacist-Led Treat-to-Target Urate Lowering Therapy in Patients in Gout (Pharm-UP) Study
Funded at Omaha VA Medical Center · NIH-11182124 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pharmacist-led program will use a target-uric-acid approach to improve gout control in Veterans receiving care at VA centers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Omaha VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01CX002995-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11182124 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with gout receiving care within the VA system who can participate at one of the five participating VA medical centers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not meeting eligibility or lacking access to follow-up within the VA network may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a pharmacist-led, treat-to-target strategy for lowering urate levels in Veterans with gout across five VA medical centers. Over four years, 310 participants will be enrolled and followed to see if proactive urate lowering reduces flares and improves overall gout management. The study reflects real-world VA care, aiming to shorten delays in adjusting therapy and improve accessibility for veterans in rural or underserved areas. If successful, it could lead to more consistent urate monitoring and better long-term outcomes for patients with gout.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Veterans with gout could experience fewer flares, reduced pain, and improved quality of life from better, more proactive urate management.
How similar studies have gone: Previous gout management strategies show promise, but this pragmatic, pharmacist-led treat-to-target approach in a VA multicenter setting is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Omaha VA Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mikuls, Ted Richard — Omaha VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mikuls, Ted Richard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Treat-to-Target Urate in Gout: A New Approach for Better Pain and Health
A large clinical trial tests whether aiming for a specific uric acid level in gout patients improves symptoms and health outcomes compared with avoiding symptoms.
-
Translational Genomics in Gout: Linking GWAS Signals to Mechanisms
Aims to understand why some people with high uric acid develop gout by connecting genetic clues to the biology of joint inflammation.
-
Genetic clues to gout flares through cell gene activity in blood and joint fluid
Researchers will study how genes turn on or off in immune cells from blood and joint fluid during gout flares to understand why flares happen.
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Uric acid skin sensor to guide gout treatment and diet
A skin patch that measures uric acid in sweat is being tested to help people with gout manage their diet and medications better.
-
Wearable skin patch that tracks uric acid and metabolites for people with gout
A wearable skin patch will measure uric acid and other metabolites around meals to help people with gout make better diet and medication choices.
-
Gout and Kidney Disease: How gout changes as kidney disease gets worse and after kidney transplant
This project follows people with gout as their kidney disease progresses toward dialysis or transplant, using national kidney data to understand how often gout flares happen and how care needs change.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.