Evaluating HuHuangLianzonggan Capsule for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Efficacy and Safety of HuHuangLianzonggan Capsule in Subjects With Nonalcoholic steatoHEPAtitis: a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multi-center, Phase 2 tRial(HHL-HEPAR)

This study is testing if a new capsule can help people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) feel better and improve their liver health.

Quick facts

• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 76 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 75 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd (Industry-sponsored)
• Drugs / interventions: methotrexate, prednisone
• Locations: 20 sites (Hefei, Anhui and 19 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT05632861 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of the HuHuangLianzonggan capsule in patients diagnosed with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Participants will receive either the active capsule or a placebo, and the study will determine the most effective dosage. Eligible individuals must have a confirmed diagnosis of NASH through liver biopsy and meet specific criteria regarding liver fat content and disease severity. The trial is designed to provide insights into potential new treatments for this liver condition.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are males and females aged 18-75 with a confirmed diagnosis of NASH and specific liver biopsy results.

Not a fit: Patients with advanced liver disease or those who consume alcohol excessively may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could offer a new therapeutic option for patients suffering from NASH.

How similar studies have performed: While there is ongoing research in NASH treatments, the specific approach using HuHuangLianzonggan capsules is novel and has not been extensively tested in prior studies.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Males and females between 18-75 years of age inclusive(including boundary values).
2. Must have had a liver biopsy proven NASH within 6 months or in screening test. The following two requirements must be met at the same time: ① a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (NAS) of ≥ 4 with at least a score of 1 in each of the following NAS components: Steatosis≥1, Lobular inflammation≥1, Ballooning degeneration≥1;② fibrosis stage 1 to 3.
3. Must have confirmation of ≥ 8% liver fat content on magnetic resonance imaging- proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) at screening.
4. No alcohol consumption or history of excessive alcohol consumption: less than 210 g of ethanol per week for men and 140 g for women in the past 12 months.
5. Patients who are taking chronic drugs(including but not limited to antihypertensive drugs, antiatherogenic drugs, oral hypoglycemic drugs, insulin) need to have a steady dose for at least 3 months before liver biopsy.
6. Weight was stable(the change is no more than 5%) during the 6 months prior to Screening.
7. No attempt to change lifestyle (diet and/or exercise) during the 3 months prior to Screening.
8. Ability to understand the requirements of the study and willingness to provide written informed consent.
9. Have no pregnancy program and take effective contraceptive measures voluntarily.
10. Abide by the experimental protocol and cooperate with the data collection according to the researcher's judgment.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Treatment with drugs that may cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) administered for at least 2 weeks within 12 months prior to qualifying liver biopsy (e.g. valproic acid, tamoxifen, methotrexate, amiodarone, oral corticosteroids, \>5 mg/day of prednisone equivalent \[one short (\<2 weeks) course of oral corticosteroids, more than 3 months before the liver biopsy is allowed\], or oestrogens \[at doses greater than those used for contraception or hormone replacement\]).
2. Documented causes of fatty liver disease other than NASH including, but not restricted to: HCV-associated fatty liver (genotype 3), hepatolenticular degeneration, autoimmune hepatitis, total parenteral nutrition, abetalipoproteinemia, lipoatrophy , Coeliac disease, Primary sclerosing cholangitis, Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Drug-induced liver disease.
3. Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score \>12.
4. Histologically documented liver cirrhosis (fibrosis stage F4), history or current diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma HCC.
5. History of or planned liver transplant.
6. Viral hepatitis：Positive hepatitis A antibody，Positive hepatitis D antibody，Positive hepatitis E antibody，Positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) ，Positive hepatitis C antibody.
7. Abnormal liver function as defined by Screening central laboratory evaluation of any of the following: ALT or AST \>5 × ULN; Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) \>2 × ULN; albumin below the lower limit of the normal range; total bilirubin level \>1.5 × ULN (patients with a documented history of Gilbert's syndrome can be enrolled if the direct bilirubin is within normal reference range).
8. In patients who are not anticoagulated, INR ≥ 1.3 times ULN or other evidence of impaired coagulation.
9. Renal impairment measured as estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) value \<30 mL/min/1.73 m2.
10. Patient currently receiving any approved treatment for NASH.
11. HbA1c ≥9% or fasting blood-glucose\>13.9 mmol/L at Screening.
12. Diabetes mellitus other than type 2 (e.g. type 1, diabetes caused by drugs or chemicals, and immune-mediated diabetes).
13. Those who are underweight, of normal weight, or severely obese, i.e BMI\<23 kg/m2 or BMI≥40 kg/m2.
14. Bariatric surgery or tumor surgery are not allowed within 5 years of the qualifying liver biopsy.
15. Uncontrolled hypertension (values ≥160/100 mm Hg) or hypotension（values \<80/50 mmHg）.
16. Acute vascular events including ACS, stroke, peripheral vascular disease worsened, or any vascular/cardiac surgery within the 6 months prior to Screening.
17. Concomitant mental illness and poor condition control, which affects the signing of informed consent or presentation of adverse events.
18. Do not have a liver biopsy within the 6 months prior to Screening and refuse to take liver biopsy at Screening.
19. Allergic constitution, or allergic to the test drug or its ingredients.
20. Women who are pregnant or lactating.
21. Participate in clinical trials of other drugs within 3 months before screening.
22. The researchers did not consider it appropriate to participate in this study.

Where this trial is running

Hefei, Anhui and 19 other locations

• Anhui Provincial Hospital — Hefei, Anhui, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
• The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University — Hefei, Anhui, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
• Peking University Third Hospital — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (Recruiting)
• The first affiliated hospital of Fujian medical university — Fuzhou, Fujian, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
• Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University — Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
• The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen — Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (Recruiting)
• The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology — Luoyang, Henan, China (Recruiting)
• Union Hospital Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology — Wuhan, Hubei, China (Recruiting)
• The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang — Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China (Recruiting)
• The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University medical school，Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital — Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
• The Second Hospital of Nanjing — Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Recruiting)
• The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University — Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China (Recruiting)
• General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University — Yinchuan, Ningxia, China (Not_yet_recruiting)
• Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital — Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Recruiting)
• Tianjin Second People's Hospital — Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, China (Recruiting)
• The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University — Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (Recruiting)
• Ningbo Huamei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences — Ningbo, Zhejiang, China (Recruiting)
• Ningbo Medical Center Lihuili Hospital — Ningbo, Zhejiang, China (Recruiting)
• Taizhou Municipal Hospital — Taizhou, Zhejiang, China (Recruiting)
• Rui'an People's Hospital — Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China (Recruiting)

Conditions NASH