Clinical Trials

Numerous clinical trials spanning Early Phase 1 through Phase 4 evaluate deoxycholic acid and related bile acid regimens across metabolic and hepatobiliary conditions, including obesity, primary biliary cirrhosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, transthyretin amyloidosis, toxic hepatitis, and end-stage kidney disease. Sponsored by various commercial entities and academic institutions, these studies encompass completed, active, recruiting, terminated, and withdrawn statuses. These investigations primarily assess lipid profiles, adipokine dynamics, and lipoprotein metabolism following therapeutic intervention.

NCT Number Recruitment Conditions Sponsor/Collaborators Start Date Phases
NCT06755541 RECRUITING
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases
2024-01-30 PHASE3
NCT07296458 RECRUITING
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases
2025-12-15 PHASE3
NCT06842472 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Breast Cancer
Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
2025-02 PHASE2
NCT07378761 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Immune-Mediated Cholestasis
University Hospital, Montpellier
2026-12 PHASE2
NCT07717242 RECRUITING
Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma; Bladder Cancer
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
2026-07-01 PHASE2
NCT06591468 ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
Han Ying
2024-10-30 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT05925309 RECRUITING
Biliary Atresia; Cholangitis; Anti-Bacterial Agents
Children's Hospital of Fudan University
2023-07-01
NCT05751967 RECRUITING
Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases
2023-02-22 PHASE3
NCT07664020 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Chronic Liver Disease
Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, India
2026-06-18
NCT04924868 RECRUITING
Acute Pancreatitis Due to Gallstones
Hospital General Universitario de Alicante
2021-11-10 PHASE3
NCT07273734 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE); TIPS
West China Hospital
2026-01-01
NCT06884748 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Clostridioides Difficile Infection
Medical College of Wisconsin
2026-05-01 EARLY_PHASE1
NCT06294847 RECRUITING
Retinal Detachment
Hopital Foch
2024-08-20 PHASE3
NCT06922669 RECRUITING
Drug Induced Liver Injury
General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region
2025-06-24
NCT07110987 RECRUITING
Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal Indirect
Tishreen University Hospital
2025-06-26
NCT06756490 RECRUITING
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Sichuan Huiyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
2024-12-26 PHASE1
NCT06684106 RECRUITING
Hyperlipidemia; Ursodeoxycholic Acid; Statin Therapy; Glucose Intolerance
First Affiliated Hospital Xi'an Jiaotong University
2024-11-25
NCT06610760 RECRUITING
Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia
Yongquan Shi
2024-11-12 PHASE4
NCT07525401 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Hepatitis A; Hepatitis E Virus Infection
Combined Military Hospital, Pakistan
2026-04
NCT07672860 RECRUITING
Kidney Cancer
Jinling Hospital, China
2026-06-01 PHASE2
NCT06517862 RECRUITING
Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia
Amira Adel Fouly
2024-09-01 PHASE4
NCT07014163 RECRUITING
Lipoma
Espad Pharmed
2024-05-21
NCT03724175 TERMINATED
Ulcerative Colitis; Pouchitis
Stanford University
2019-08-26 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT07102979 TERMINATED
Liver Fibrosis
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
2024-01-01
NCT06260748 WITHDRAWN
Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatoses
Leadiant Biosciences, Inc.
2024-05-27 PHASE3
NCT03004118 UNKNOWN
Functional Dyspepsia
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
2017-01 PHASE4
NCT06591455 COMPLETED
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
Han Ying
2024-09-14 EARLY_PHASE1
NCT06132165 COMPLETED
Neurofibromatosis 1
Massachusetts General Hospital
2024-03-01 PHASE1
NCT07068191 RECRUITING
Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD); Hepatomegaly; Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL); Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD); Fatty Liver; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic; Fatty Liver, Nonalcoholic; Fatty Liver Disease
Phenomen Pharma
2025-06-19
NCT06918080 ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD); Obesity and Overweight; Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Ain Shams University
2023-11-19 PHASE4
NCT04650243 RECRUITING
Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Peking Union Medical College Hospital
2020-01-21 PHASE4
NCT04810156 UNKNOWN
Hepatitis, Drug-Induced
Inge Marie Svane
2021-04-07 PHASE2
NCT05753852 UNKNOWN
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Humanitas Mirasole SpA
2021-10-25 PHASE3
NCT05467553 UNKNOWN
Hepatitis D
National Taiwan University Hospital
2023-02-24 PHASE2
NCT06120036 COMPLETED
Neurofibromatosis 1
Massachusetts General Hospital
2022-12-06 PHASE1
NCT04407650 ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Gestational Diabetes
King's College London
2021-07-01 PHASE4
NCT07004010 COMPLETED
Flank Fat
Espad Pharmed
2024-08-01
NCT06091787 COMPLETED
Liver Regeneration; Ursodeoxycholic Acid; Partial Liver Resection
Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, India
2023-09-01
NCT05902468 UNKNOWN
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Tanta University
2023-06-28 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT05416580 UNKNOWN
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
University of Banja Luka
2022-09-12 PHASE3
NCT07072949 COMPLETED
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
University of Banja Luka
2023-01-03 PHASE1
NCT06509438 COMPLETED
Submental Fullness
Espad Pharmed
2023-04-10
NCT05526807 TERMINATED
Clostridioides Difficile Infection
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
2019-05-08
NCT05973370 COMPLETED
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Tanta University
2023-05-01 PHASE2
NCT04542473 UNKNOWN
SEPSIS; MALNUTRITION, CHILD
University of Oxford
2021-07-01 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT05690646 COMPLETED
Cardiac Surgery
China National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases
2023-01-28 PHASE4
NCT05659654 COMPLETED
COVID-19
Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, China
2022-12-16 PHASE1; PHASE2
NCT05832697 COMPLETED
Healthy Subject
Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. LTD.
2022-01-27 PHASE1
NCT04617561 UNKNOWN
Hepatitis, Autoimmune; Primary Biliary Cholangitis
West China Hospital
2020-11-01 PHASE4
NCT06180057 COMPLETED
Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatoses
Humanis Saglık Anonim Sirketi
2022-06-12 PHASE1
NCT02936596 UNKNOWN
Hepatitis, Autoimmune; Cholangitis; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary; Cholestasis
Xiaoli Fan
2016-12
NCT04834557 COMPLETED
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Tanta University
2021-11-01 PHASE2
NCT02967250 COMPLETED
Parkinson Disease
University of Minnesota
2020-04-01 PHASE1
NCT06127355 COMPLETED
Gestational Diabetes
Fundacion para la Formacion e Investigacion Sanitarias de la Region de Murcia
2021-03-03 PHASE3
NCT04786795 UNKNOWN
Patients With Dyspeptic Symptoms After Cholecystectomy
Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
2021-03-01 PHASE4
NCT03602976 TERMINATED
Hepatic Sarcoidosis, Elevated Alkaline Phosphatase
Ethan Weinberg
2018-08-20 PHASE2
NCT04910178 COMPLETED
Diabetes Type 2; NAFLD
Asmaa Abdelfattah Elsayed
2020-12-01 PHASE4
NCT04640571 COMPLETED
Bile Salt Export Pump (BSEP) Transporter; Polysorbate 80
University of Maryland, Baltimore
2021-04-01 PHASE4
NCT03678480 WITHDRAWN
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis; Cholangitis; Cholangitis, Sclerosing; Bile Duct Diseases; Biliary Tract Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Adolescent
HighTide Therapeutics (Hong Kong) Limited
2021-03-01 PHASE2
NCT05043194 UNKNOWN
Cholestasis of Parenteral Nutrition
Wei Liu
2021-01-01
NCT02965911 WITHDRAWN
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Beijing 302 Hospital
2016-01 PHASE1; PHASE2
NCT04751188 UNKNOWN
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social
2020-10-02 PHASE3
NCT03664596 COMPLETED
Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Medical Centre Hospital of the President's Affairs Administration, Republic of Kazakhstan
2018-08-01
NCT03665519 COMPLETED
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
National Scientific Medical Center, Kazakhstan
2018-01-03
NCT04089722 COMPLETED
Brassiere Strap Fat (BSF); Bra Strap Fat (BSF)
Juva Skin & Laser Center
2019-07-26 PHASE4
NCT03284034 TERMINATED
Upper Back Fat
Northwestern University
2017-11-27
NCT04977661 COMPLETED
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
Kafrelsheikh University
2020-02-01 PHASE4
NCT04054011 COMPLETED
Adiposity
University of California, San Diego
2019-07-05 EARLY_PHASE1
NCT03201952 TERMINATED
Glucose Intolerance; Gastric Bypass Surgery
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2018-02-01 PHASE1
NCT03056274 UNKNOWN
Intrahepatic Cholestases; Pregnancy Complications
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
2019-01 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT03168555 COMPLETED
Bile Acid Malabsorption; Cholelithiasis
Zealand University Hospital
2017-06-22 PHASE4
NCT02937012 UNKNOWN
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran
2016-10 PHASE3
NCT02721862 UNKNOWN
Cholelithiasis
American University of Beirut Medical Center
2016-03 PHASE3
NCT03659058 COMPLETED
Fibrosis, Liver
Zagazig University
2016-03-02
NCT02952963 COMPLETED
Severe Obesity
Hvidovre University Hospital
2016-10 PHASE4
NCT03489889 COMPLETED
Ursodeoxycholic Acid; Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
University of Sao Paulo General Hospital
2016-12
NCT01149304 COMPLETED
Colorectal Cancer; Liver Metastases; Irradiation Damage; Radiation Induced Liver Disease
University of Magdeburg
2009-06 PHASE2
NCT02943707 UNKNOWN
Liver Diseases
Wenzhou Medical University
2016-10 PHASE2
NCT02472509 TERMINATED
Hemolytic Disorders; Gallstones
Shaare Zedek Medical Center
2014-12 PHASE4
NCT02841306 COMPLETED
Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
Francine Behar-Cohen
2016-07 PHASE1
NCT03000218 UNKNOWN
Overweight; Abnormal Liver Function Tests
Seoul National University Hospital
2016-08 PHASE1
NCT02876484 COMPLETED
Severe Obesity
Hvidovre University Hospital
2016-06 PHASE4
NCT02338635 UNKNOWN
End-Stage Kidney Disease
Ewha Womans University
2015-07 PHASE4
NCT02033876 COMPLETED
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Mayo Clinic
2013-10 PHASE2
NCT01088607 COMPLETED
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
University of Tennessee
2010-10 PHASE1
NCT02789644 UNKNOWN
Aged
Seoul National University Hospital
2016-05 PHASE1
NCT02420496 WITHDRAWN
Cholestasis; Liver Disease
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
2016-06 PHASE2
NCT01974336 COMPLETED
Short Bowel Syndrome
Jinling Hospital, China
2013-01 PHASE4
NCT02622685 COMPLETED
Healthy
Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. LTD.
2015-05 PHASE1
NCT02163902 COMPLETED
Submental Fat; Healthy
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2013-12 PHASE3
NCT02654496 Completed
Obesity
North Dakota State University
2016-01 --
NCT01899703 COMPLETED
Cholestasis, Intrahepatic
GlaxoSmithKline
2014-03-10 PHASE2
NCT02021110 COMPLETED
Polycystic Liver Disease; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant
Radboud University Medical Center
2013-12 PHASE2
NCT02123134 COMPLETED
Moderate to Severe Convexity of Submental Fat; Safety; Efficacy
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2014-04 PHASE3
NCT02415777 COMPLETED
Fatigue
Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. LTD.
2014-10 PHASE4
NCT02035267 COMPLETED
Moderate to Severe Convexity of Submental Fat; Safety; Efficacy
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2014-01 PHASE3
NCT02340247 COMPLETED
Severe Obesity
Hvidovre University Hospital
2014-11 PHASE4
NCT01904058 COMPLETED
PBC; Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2013-08 PHASE2
NCT02418130 COMPLETED
Fatigue
Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. LTD.
2014-10 PHASE4
NCT02016365 COMPLETED
Transthyretin Amyloidosis; Cardiomyopathy
Umeå University
2012-02 PHASE2
NCT02007434 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2013-12 PHASE3
NCT01097304 COMPLETED
Barrett Esophagus; Esophageal Carcinoma
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
2010-04 PHASE2
NCT01865812 Completed
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Intercept Pharmaceuticals
2013-12-03 Phase 2
NCT01440309 UNKNOWN
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Robert Chunhua Zhao, MD, PhD
2011-11 PHASE1
NCT01226823 WITHDRAWN
Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy
University of Bologna
2010-11 PHASE3
NCT01688375 UNKNOWN
Obstructive Jaundice
University Clinical Centre of Kosova
2012-12 PHASE2
NCT01666223 COMPLETED
Type 2 Diabetes; Obesity
University Hospital, Gentofte, Copenhagen
2012-11
NCT01426373 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2011-08 PHASE3
NCT01546142 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2012-03 PHASE3
NCT01542034 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2012-02 PHASE3
NCT00858858 COMPLETED
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
US Department of Veterans Affairs
2009-03
NCT01337440 UNKNOWN
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Chronic Liver Disease
Kanazawa University
2010-04 PHASE4
NCT01857284 COMPLETED
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Beijing Friendship Hospital
2009-09 PHASE3
NCT01829698 COMPLETED
Cholestatic Liver Disease
Beijing Trendful Kangjian Medical Information Consulting Limited Company
2009-08 PHASE3
NCT00873275 COMPLETED
Colorectal Cancer
City of Hope Medical Center
2009-03-11 PHASE1
NCT01294644 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2011-01 PHASE3
NCT01305577 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2010-12 PHASE3
NCT01674946 COMPLETED
Echolocation
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
2011-09 PHASE1
NCT00877604 COMPLETED
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta
2008-06 PHASE2
NCT00808743 COMPLETED
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis; Duodenal Neoplasms; Duodenal Polyps
Radboud University Medical Center
2009-05 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT01319916 Completed
Healthy
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2010-12 Phase 1
NCT01032889 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2009-12 PHASE2
NCT01510860 COMPLETED
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Dr. Falk Pharma GmbH
2008-11 PHASE4
NCT01141322 UNKNOWN
Hepatitis, Toxic
Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
2007-08 PHASE4
NCT00018694 WITHDRAWN
Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis
US Department of Veterans Affairs
1999-10
NCT01548079 COMPLETED
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Morbid Obesity
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
2008-10
NCT00912301 COMPLETED
Constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Mayo Clinic
2009-04 PHASE2
NCT00550862 TERMINATED
Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary
Intercept Pharmaceuticals
2007-10 PHASE2
NCT00134758 UNKNOWN
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli, Familial
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
2004-10 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT00618618 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2008-04 PHASE2
NCT00618722 COMPLETED
Moderate or Severe Submental Fullness
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2007-08 PHASE1; PHASE2
NCT00608842 COMPLETED
Lipoma
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2007-11 PHASE2
NCT00059202 TERMINATED
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
2002-07 PHASE2; PHASE3
NCT01073202 COMPLETED
Liver Transplantation; Ischemia-reperfusion Injury; Cholestasis
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
2005-05
NCT00422188 COMPLETED
Lipoma
Kythera Biopharmaceuticals
2007-01 PHASE1
NCT01576458 COMPLETED
Intrahepatic Cholestasis; Pregnancy
Turku University Hospital
1998-01 PHASE3
NCT00004442 TERMINATED
Infantile Refsum's Disease; Zellweger Syndrome; Bifunctional Enzyme Deficiency; Adrenoleukodystrophy
University of Cincinnati
NCT00465751 COMPLETED
Metabolic Syndrome; Familial Hypertriglyceridemia; Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
2004-10 EARLY_PHASE1
NCT00161083 COMPLETED
Cholecystolithiasis
UMC Utrecht
2001-11 PHASE4
NCT00285597 UNKNOWN
Heart Failure, Congestive
National Heart and Lung Institute
2004-05 PHASE2
NCT00200343 COMPLETED
Chronic Hepatitis C
Tanabe Pharma Corporation
2002-07 PHASE3
NCT00004441 COMPLETED
Cystic Fibrosis
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
1997-09
NCT00004346 UNKNOWN
Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
1996-01 PHASE2

(data from https://clinicaltrials.gov, updated on 2026-01-08)

Check the Deoxycholic acid product page for in-depth specifications, including solubility, stock solutions, MOA, and working concentrations.

Compliance for Clinical Use

Mechanism and Biochemical Profile

Deoxycholic acid acts as a cytolytic agent that disrupts cellular membrane integrity while selectively activating the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor TGR5 to stimulate downstream thermogenic signaling in brown adipose tissue. This dual mechanism causes localized adipocyte cell lysis and increased energy expenditure, providing the physiological rationale for its clinical investigation in obesity and metabolic hepatobiliary disorders.

Appendix RUO and cGMP Quality Standards

Quality Dimension RUO (Research Use Only) cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice)
Clinical Applicability Prohibited in human clinical trials or medical diagnostics. Mandatory for human clinical trials (Phase I–III) and therapies.
Regulatory Status Non-regulated grade; exempt from drug manufacturing laws. Legally enforced by health authorities (e.g., FDA, EMA, NMPA).
Facility Environment Unclassified analytical or research laboratories. Validated Cleanrooms (ISO Class 5–8) with continuous monitoring.
Quality Control Basic purity and activity testing. Rigorous safety release testing (Sterility, Endotoxin, Mycoplasma).
Process Validation Basic equipment calibration; no process validation required. Full qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ) and complete batch records.
Quality Assurance Vendor self-declared without required formal QMS. Mandatory QA/QC unit, Change Control, CAPA, and vendor audits.
Regulatory Impact High risk of IND rejection if used as a critical raw material. Required for IND/NDA filings, supported by Drug Master Files (DMF).

Footnotes

Regulatory Note: Governed by FDA (21 CFR Parts 210/211/312), EMA (EudraLex Vol 4), ICH Guidelines (E6/Q7/Q9/Q10), and compendial standards (USP <71>/<85>/<1043>).

Note: Technical data last updated: Sep 1, 2026.