Xanthohumol as an Adjuvant Therapy in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

June 26, 2025 updated by: Wojciech Dąbrowski, Medical University of Lublin

Humulus Lupus Extract Rich in Xanthohumol Improves Clinical Course in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

It has been well documented that coronavirus COVID-19 disease is associated with massive inflammatory response and cytokine storm. Several medications have been used to ameliorate COVID-19-related inflammation. Xanthohumol, a natural medication extracted from hop cones, possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce the severity of inflammatory response. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of Xanthohumol on clinical course, inflammatory response and outcome in patients admitted to the ICU due to COVID-related acute respiratory failure with an oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2) less than 150.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

Xanthohumol inhibits proinflammatory pathways in different independent mechanisms. Ir inhibits farnesoid X receptor activity, and reduces the synthesis and release of different proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, TNFα and interferon γ. The pathomechanism of its anti-inflammatory activity is associated with the suppression of nuclear factor-kappa B. Additionally, Xanthohumol inhibits inflammatory-induced endothelial disorders, which are associated with an improvement in blood velocity and a reduction in the risk of arterial thrombosis, especially in pulmonary arteries. An increase in proinflammatory release, known as cytokine storm, as well as increased incidences of vascular thrombosis, are observed in coronavirus infection. Hence, Xanthohumol may reduce the severity of the clinical course in COVID-19 patients.

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 (Estimated)

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.
50

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.
  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Poland
      • Lublin, Poland, 20-059
        • Medical University of Lublin

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 and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 with acute respiratory failure (PaO2/FiO2 below 150).

Exclusion Criteria:

History of chronic cardiovascular, liver or/and kidney diseases. History of chronic pulmonary diseases with prolonged oxygen supplementation or domestic mechanical ventilation.

Pregnant women, Neoplastic diseases, Immunologic diseases Patients received immunomodulatory treatment.

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: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Group Xn
Patients who received extract from Humulus lupus L rich in Xanthohumol (Hop-RXn™, BioActive-Tech Ltd, Lublin, Poland; http://xanthohumol.com.pl/) as an adjuvant therapy. Based on pharmacokinetics and bioactivity, Xn was administered enterally three times a day every 8 hours at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg body weight (4.5 mg/kg body weight/day) for 7 days. The first dose of Xn was administered within 4 hours after admission to the ICU.
Biological: Xanthohumol - prenylated chalcone extracted from female inflorescences of hop cones (Humulus lupus). Hop-RXn™, BioActive-Tech Ltd, Lublin, Poland; http://xanthohumol.com.pl/
The appropriate dose of Xanthohumol was solved in 1 mL of propylene glycol
Placebo Comparator: Group C
Patients who received 0.9% NaCl at the oral volume 1 mL (similar to Xn volume) three times a day every 8 hours. The first dose of Xn was administered within 4 hours after admission to the ICU.
Biological: Xanthohumol - prenylated chalcone extracted from female inflorescences of hop cones (Humulus lupus). Hop-RXn™, BioActive-Tech Ltd, Lublin, Poland; http://xanthohumol.com.pl/
The appropriate dose of Xanthohumol was solved in 1 mL of propylene glycol

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Xanthohumol reduces coronavirus-induced inflammatory response
Time Frame: one week after regular supplementation
Xanthohumol possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties. It can reduce the production and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, it inhibits inflammatory-induced endothelial dysregulation and exerting antiangiogenic and anti-inflammatory effects.
one week after regular supplementation
Xanthohumol improves clinical course in critically ill COVID-19 patients
Time Frame: 28 days mortality
Reduction the severity of inflammatory response should affect clinical course. Strong anti-inflammatory treatment can reduce a risk of poor outcome.
28 days mortality

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.
Medical University of Lublin

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.
  • Study Director: Andrzej Stepulak, Prof, Rector of the Medical University of Lublin, Poland

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.
October 1, 2020

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.
January 30, 2022

Study Completion (Estimated)

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 31, 2025

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).
July 15, 2022

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.
July 15, 2022

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.
July 19, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2025

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.
June 26, 2025

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.
December 1, 2024

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.
  • DS352/2020

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings