The Efficacy and Safety of Ornithine Aspartic Acid Granules in NAFLD Against Silymarin Capsules

March 13, 2026 updated by: Jiangao Fan, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

The Efficacy and Safety of Ornithine Aspartic Acid Granules in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Against Silymarin Capsules: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter Clinical Trial

This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, and positive control clinic trial which explores the efficacy and safety of ornithine aspartate granules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease against silymarin capsules. The hypothesis is that the ornithine aspartate granules have similar or better efficacy than the silymarin capsules.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
237

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shanghai Municipality
      • Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China, 200092
        • Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 1. Consistent with NAFLD diagnosis criteria, and during previous one month, the B-mode ultrasonography showed diffuse fatty liver and Fibroscan test showed that CAP value > 248 db/m;
  • 2. During previous one month, serum ALT level was higher than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal.
  • 3. BMI is not more than 30 kg/m2.
  • 4. Voluntary to participate in the research and signed a written informed consent to comply with the trial protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 1. Hereditary metabolic or autoimmune liver disease, hepatotropic and non-hepatotropic virus infection, drug/toxic/alcoholic/biliary liver injury, or any end-stage liver disease; fatty liver disease caused by one of the following reasons: total parenteral nutrition, inflammatory bowel disease, hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, beta-lipoprotein deficiency and some insulin resistance (IR) related syndromes (lipid atrophic diabetes, Mauriac syndrome);
  • 2. Hepatic or extrahepatic malignant tumors;
  • 3. Severe heart failure or renal failure (serum creatinine > 3mg/100mL);
  • 4. Allergic constitution, or allergic to amino acid drugs or to ornithine aspartate and its constituents or to silymarin;
  • 5. ALT or γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) are greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal, or total bilirubin (TBIL) > 51 umol/L.;
  • 6. Confirmed liver cirrhosis or Fibroscan test showed E value > 12.5 kilopascal (KPa);
  • 7. Triglyceride > 5.6mmol/L;
  • 8. Diabetes diagnosed for more than 5 years, combined with current insulin therapy or taking hypoglycemic drugs with poorly controlled condition (HbA1c > 9%).
  • 9. Women who are pregnant, nursing or preparing for pregnancy;
  • 10. Suspected or confirmed excessive drinking (equivalent alcohol amount: male, > 40g/d; female, > 20g/d), or history of drug abuse;
  • 11. Combined use of drugs with liver protection and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as any Chinese patent medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, or health products that may have liver protection or liver damage effects;
  • 12. Taking weight-loss drugs or receiving weight-loss treatment;
  • 13. Situations of inappropriate participation judged by researchers.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: ornithine aspartate granule group
Patients in this group will be given aspartate ornithine granules (3 g po tid, after three meals) and silymarin capsule simulant (140 mg po bid, before breakfast and dinner).
Drug: Ornithine aspartate granule
Ornithine aspartate granules in the experimental arm.
Drug: Silymarin capsule simulant
Silymarin capsule simulant in the experimental arm.
Active Comparator: silymarin capsule group
Patients in this group will be given silymarin capsule (140 mg po bid, before breakfast and dinner) and aspartate ornithine granules simulant (3 g po tid, after three meals) .
Drug: Silymarin capsule
Silymarin capsules in the active comparator arm.
Drug: Ornithine aspartate granule simulant
Ornithine aspartate granule simulant in the active comparator arm.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The proportion of patients whose controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) value returned to normal or changed by more than 10%
Time Frame: Assessed at 24 weeks
Assessed at 24 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The changed degree of quality-of-life measured by the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ)-NAFLD/NASH
Time Frame: Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
The proportion of patients whose alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level returned to normal or changed by more than 50%
Time Frame: Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The changed amount of blood ammonia
Time Frame: Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
An exploratory indicator
Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
The changed amount of body fat
Time Frame: Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
An exploratory indicator of body composition analysis
Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
The changed amount of body fat proportion
Time Frame: Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
An exploratory indicator of body composition analysis
Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
The changed amount of muscle mass
Time Frame: Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks
An exploratory indicator of body composition analysis
Assessed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Beijing YouAn Hospital
Beijing Ditan Hospital
First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University
Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jian G Fan, PHD, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 23, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 18, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 20, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 24, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 3, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 13, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 13, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • XH-19-005

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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