Clinical trial Recruiting at 37 sites Phase 3 Interventional Ages 18 and up

Larsucosterol for people with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis

Official title: RE-AHFIRM (RandomizEd Study of Larsucosterol in Alcohol-associated Hepatitis to Confirm saFety and effIcacy of tReatMent)

Run by Bausch Health Americas, Inc. · NCT07428538 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This trial will test whether larsucosterol helps people with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis survive 90 days without needing a liver transplant.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 3
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment350 (estimated)
SponsorBausch Health Americas, Inc.
Industry-sponsored
Locations92 sites (Birmingham, Alabama and 91 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJanuary 29, 2026
Main results expectedNovember 2027
Study endsFebruary 2028
Registry record updatedOctober 15, 2026
Trial IDNCT07428538 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are hospitalized adults with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis (Maddrey DF ≥32 and MELD 21–30), recent heavy alcohol use, and bilirubin >3 mg/dL who can provide informed consent or have a legally acceptable representative.

Probably not a fit

Patients with milder disease, MELD scores outside the 21–30 range, non-alcohol causes of liver injury, or those who do not meet the alcohol-use or lab criteria are unlikely to benefit from this trial.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This Phase 3 randomized interventional trial compares larsucosterol to placebo in adults hospitalized with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis. The primary outcome is transplant-free survival through Day 90, and participants are randomized to receive larsucosterol or placebo and followed for safety and clinical outcomes. Eligible patients have severe AH defined by pre-treatment Maddrey Discriminant Function ≥32 and MELD scores of 21–30, with recent heavy alcohol use and elevated bilirubin. The study is conducted at multiple U.S. hospital centers and collects clinical labs and event data over the 90-day follow-up period.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, larsucosterol could reduce short-term mortality and lower the need for liver transplantation in people with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis.

How similar studies have gone: Earlier-phase studies and preclinical data suggested potential benefit for larsucosterol, but large-scale Phase 3 evidence is still limited.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria-

A participant will be eligible for inclusion in this study if he/she meets all the following criteria:

1. Able to provide written informed consent (either from participant or participant's legally acceptable representative).
2. Onset of jaundice within 8 weeks before hospital admission.
3. Average daily consumption of greater than (\>) 40 (females) or \>60 (males) grams alcohol for 6 months or longer, with less than (\<) 8 weeks of abstinence before the onset of jaundice. Judgment regarding daily and long-term alcohol use and onset of jaundice will be made and documented by the site Investigator.
4. The determination of AH will be based on typical serum chemistry (as determined by local laboratory):

   1. Serum total bilirubin \>3.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (required at randomization)
   2. ALT \<400 international unit per Liter (IU/L) (required at randomization)
   3. 50 \<AST \<400 IU/L
   4. AST \<400 IU/L (required at randomization)
   5. AST \>50 IU/L (at any time since current hospital admission or leading to this current hospitalization)
   6. AST/ALT \>1.5 (at any time since current hospital admission or leading to this current hospitalization)
5. Maddrey discriminant function (MDF) \>=32, assuming a control prothrombin time of 12 seconds.

   NOTE: If a local laboratory's control time differs from 12 seconds, then the local laboratory's control time should be used. If control time is not stated or is stated as a range, the control time should be calculated by the formula prothrombin time/INR.
6. Original Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD; not MELD-Na) score: 21-30 (inclusive).
7. Male or female participants 18 years of age or older.
8. Women of child-bearing potential (defined as females who are not surgically sterile or who are not over the age of 52 and amenorrheic for at least 12 months) must utilize appropriate birth control throughout the 90-day portion of the study. Acceptable methods that may be used are abstinence, birth control pills ("The Pill") or patch, diaphragm, IUD (coil), vaginal ring, condom, surgical sterilization or progestin implant or injection, or sexual activity limited to a sterile (e.g., vasectomized) male partner.
9. Male participants must agree to use a medically acceptable method of contraception/birth control and refrain from sperm donation throughout the 90-day portion of the study.
10. Participants must agree to participate in an alcohol abstinence support program recommended by the local institution's addiction specialists.
11. Participants must be dosed within 9 calendar days (216 hours) of hospital admission inclusive of time spent in other hospital(s)

Exclusion Criteria-

A participant will be excluded from the study if he or she meets any of the following criteria:

1. Participants using systemic corticosteroids for current AH before enrollment or having a history of using systemic corticosteroids for more than 8 days in the last 30 days prior to screening.

   NOTE: Inhaled, topical, or local corticosteroid injections are permitted NOTE: A participant who has a confirmed diagnosis of hypoadrenalism and is taking a physiological replacement dose of hydrocortisone (or equivalent) is permitted to take part in the trial
2. Participants experiencing or considered at high risk for alcohol withdrawal seizures or delirium tremens.
3. Active infection (such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis \[SBP\], urinary tract infection \[UTI\], cellulitis, pneumonia, bacteremia, acute viral hepatitis, uncontrolled HIV, and active SARS CoV2 infection).

   1. Participants who are febrile with leukocytosis are also excluded until active infection has been excluded to the satisfaction of the PI in consultation with the medical monitor.
   2. Participants with bacterial infections may be enrolled provided they remain in the enrollment window and the infection is adequately treated. For example, participants with bacterial peritonitis may be considered for enrollment once the infection has been treated and follow up paracentesis confirms the absence of SBP.
   3. Participants with systemic fungal infection of any kind cannot be considered for this trial.
4. Serum creatinine \>2.5 mg/dL.
5. Participants undergoing continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVH).
6. Gastrointestinal bleeding not controlled by local therapy (i.e., band ligation or injection sclerotherapy). Participant who are at high risk of rebleeding or likely in need of TIPS insertion should be excluded.
7. TIPS insertion or variceal embolization within the last 4 weeks.
8. Known portal vein occlusion.
9. A history of pre-admission refractory ascites defined as more than 4 paracenteses in the previous 8 weeks despite diuretic therapy.
10. Liver biopsy (if carried out) with findings not compatible with AH. NOTE: A post-dose liver biopsy that is not compatible with AH will not be considered a protocol deviation.
11. Stage \>=3 hepatic encephalopathy by West Haven criteria.
12. Participants with medical conditions that are expected to pose a high risk of short-term (less than or equal to \[\<=\] 90 days) mortality unrelated to alcohol-associated hepatitis, or that may confound assessment of 90-day survival in the Investigator's judgement. Examples include, but are not limited to:

    1. Severe concomitant cardiopulmonary disease (e.g., New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] Class III or IV heart failure)
    2. Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia (e.g., sustained ventricular tachycardia, unmanaged atrial fibrillation, QTc \>=500 msec, or high-grade AV block)
    3. Ventilator-dependent respiratory failure, or Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease \[GOLD\] Stage III or IV chronic obstructive pulmonary disease \[COPD\])
    4. End-stage renal disease requiring chronic, ongoing dialysis
    5. Severe uncontrolled endocrine or metabolic disorders
    6. Severe psychiatric illness likely to interfere with study participation
    7. Hypotension/shock as defined by the North American Consortium for the study of End-stage Liver Disease (NACSELD) criteria (i.e., Mean Arterial Pressure \[MAP\] \<60 millimeter of mercury (mmHg), despite adequate fluid resuscitation and cardiac output)
13. Other concomitant cause(s) of liver disease as a result of:

    1. Autoimmune liver disease
    2. Ischemic hepatitis
    3. Wilson disease or alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency
    4. Vascular liver disease (e.g., Budd-Chiari)
    5. Drug induced liver disease
    6. Surface antigen positive hepatitis B (HBsAg+). NOTE: Participants with isolated core antibody (anti-HBc) or who are on stable antiviral medication with known viral suppression are not excluded, but appropriate HBV prophylaxis should be considered if steroid dosing \>4 weeks is anticipated.
    7. Acute hepatitis A (if test performed per SOC)
    8. Acute HCV or chronic hepatitis C with a history of decompensated cirrhosis. NOTE: participants with stable chronic HCV or successfully treated HCV are not excluded
    9. Acute hepatitis E (if test performed per SOC)
    10. Acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral hepatitis (if test performed per SOC)
14. Any known active malignancy or any malignancy diagnosed within the last five years other than curable skin cancer (basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas).
15. Existing or intended pregnancy or breast feeding.
16. Participation in another interventional clinical trial within 30 days of Screening.
17. History of organ transplantation other than corneal transplant.
18. Underlying disease that, in the opinion of the site Investigator, might be complicated or exacerbated by proposed treatments or might confound assessment of study drug.
19. Participant listed for liver transplant (LT) prior to study drug administration.
20. Concern of participant's willingness and ability to be compliant with the schedule of protocol assessments, per the Investigator's judgement.

Where it's running

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital
    Birmingham, Alabama, United States
    Recruiting
  • Banner - University Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
    Phoenix, Arizona, United States
    Recruiting
  • Mayo Clinic - Phoenix
    Phoenix, Arizona, United States
    Recruiting
  • Cedars Sinai Medical Center
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • Sutter Health
    Palo Alto, California, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of California at Davis Medical Center
    Sacramento, California, United States
    Recruiting
Show 44 more locations
  • Mayo Clinic
    Jacksonville, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Tampa General Hospital
    Tampa, Florida, United States
    Recruiting
  • Piedmont Atlanta Hospital - Piedmont Transplant Institute
    Atlanta, Georgia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Rush University Medical Center
    Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
    Iowa City, Iowa, United States
    Recruiting
  • Tulane University Health Sciences Center - Tulane Avenue
    New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
    Recruiting
  • Mercy Medical Center - The Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States
    Recruiting
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
    Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Recruiting
  • Boston University School of Medicine
    Boston, Massachusetts, United States
    Recruiting
  • UMass Chan Medical School
    Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Michigan
    Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
    Recruiting
  • Henry Ford Hospital System
    Detroit, Michigan, United States
    Recruiting
  • Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School
    Newark, New Jersey, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of New Mexico (UNM) Hospital
    Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
    Recruiting
  • Northwell Health Physician Partners Sandra Atlas Bass Center for Liver Diseases
    Manhasset, New York, United States
    Recruiting
  • NYU Langone Health
    New York, New York, United States
    Recruiting
  • Montefiore Medical Center
    The Bronx, New York, United States
    Recruiting
  • Levine Cancer Institute / Atrium Health
    Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
    Recruiting
  • The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC)
    Columbus, Ohio, United States
    Recruiting
  • Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
    Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
    Recruiting
  • VA Medical Center - Philadelphia
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Pennsylvania Hospital
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
    Recruiting
  • Medical University of South Carolina
    Charleston, South Carolina, United States
    Recruiting
  • The Liver Institute at Methodist Dallas Medical Center
    Dallas, Texas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) - Baylor Clinic
    Houston, Texas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Clinical Trial Network - Houston
    Houston, Texas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Methodist Healthcare - Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant
    San Antonio, Texas, United States
    Recruiting
  • Intermountain Transplant Clinic
    Murray, Utah, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of Virginia Health
    Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Bon Secours Liver Institute of Richmond
    Richmond, Virginia, United States
    Recruiting
  • Richmond VA Medical Center
    Richmond, Virginia, United States
    Recruiting
  • University of South Alabama
    Mobile, Alabama, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Southern California GI & Liver Centers - Coronado
    Coronado, California, United States
    Withdrawn
  • Fresno Clinical Research Center (FCRC)
    Fresno, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Scripps
    La Jolla, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • UC San Diego School of Medicine
    La Jolla, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • UCLA Health - Ronald Reagan Medical Center
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Stanford Medicine - Clinical and Translational Research Unit - Redwood City
    Redwood City, California, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Yale School of Medicine
    New Haven, Connecticut, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Georgetown University Medical Center
    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • University of Florida (UF)
    Gainesville, Florida, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • University of Miami
    Miami, Florida, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • Reliant Medical Research
    Miami, Florida, United States
    Not yet recruiting
  • AdventHealth Transplant Institute
    Orlando, Florida, United States
    Not yet recruiting

+42 more sites. See ClinicalTrials.gov for the full list.

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.