Understanding Graves’ Disease: Symptoms, Causes, and New Clinical Trial Opportunities in Central Florida

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system produces TSHR autoantibodies that attack the thyroid gland and drive it to overproduce thyroid hormone, a state called hyperthyroidism. Standard treatment is antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine, or surgery; the last two are permanent and usually require lifelong thyroid hormone replacement.

If you have been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, you already know how overwhelming the symptoms can be. From a racing heart and unexpected weight loss to feeling constantly exhausted yet unable to sleep, living with an overactive thyroid can deeply affect your daily life and overall well-being.

At West Orange Endocrinology in Ocoee, FL, we understand these frustrations. While there are standard medications available, they don’t work perfectly for everyone. That is why our Research Department is constantly looking for better, more effective ways to help our patients regain their health.

Here is what you need to know about Graves’ disease, and about a clinical trial we are currently conducting in the Orlando area.

What is Graves’ disease?

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes your thyroid gland to create too much thyroid hormone. In a healthy immune system, antibodies protect you from viruses and bacteria. But in Graves’ disease, your immune system mistakenly creates autoantibodies — specifically TSHR autoantibodies — that attack your thyroid, causing it to overwork. This condition is known as hyperthyroidism.

Common symptoms of Graves’ disease include:

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
• Unexplained weight loss despite normal eating habits
• Anxiety, irritability, or tremors in the hands
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• Sensitivity to heat and excessive sweating
• Difficulty sleeping

The need for new treatments

Currently, the standard treatments for Graves’ disease include antithyroid drugs (ATDs) such as methimazole or propylthiouracil, radioactive iodine therapy, or surgical removal of the thyroid gland.

While these options can be effective, they have limitations. Patients may rely on ATDs for years, and many still struggle to maintain normal thyroid hormone levels. Radioactive iodine and surgery, on the other hand, are permanent and anatomically invasive solutions that usually require patients to take lifelong daily thyroid hormone replacement medication.

The medical community is actively searching for new treatments that can target the root cause of the disease — the disease-causing autoantibodies — without having to permanently destroy the thyroid gland.

Clinical trials at West Orange Endocrinology

To help advance medical science and give our patients more options, our clinical research center in Ocoee is participating in a Phase 2b clinical research study.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is evaluating an investigational medication called IMVT-1402 for adults with Graves’ disease. IMVT-1402 is designed to work by blocking a specific receptor in the body, which helps increase the breakdown and decrease the levels of the disease-causing IgG autoantibodies in the blood. The goal of the study is to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of this medication in helping patients achieve normal thyroid function without the need for traditional antithyroid drugs.

Who can participate?

You may qualify for this research study if you meet certain criteria, including:

• You are an adult between 18 and 75 years of age.
• You have a documented diagnosis of Graves’ disease.
• You are currently experiencing hyperthyroidism despite taking antithyroid drugs (ATDs) for at least 3 months.
• You have not had your thyroid surgically removed (total thyroidectomy) or been successfully treated with radioactive iodine in the past.

Take the next step for your thyroid health

If you are struggling to control your Graves’ disease with your current antithyroid medication, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Taking part in a clinical trial gives you access to close medical monitoring by our team, and helps pave the way for future medical breakthroughs.

Interested in learning more? Contact the Research Department at West Orange Endocrinology to see if you qualify for this study. You can reach the research team directly at (407) 480-4836.