A Pilot Study of Berberine (Soloways ™) in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Carrying TCF7L2 Polymorphisms

March 4, 2025 updated by: S.LAB (SOLOWAYS)
This pilot, genotype-stratified clinical trial aims to investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of berberine supplementation in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who carry a specific high-risk TCF7L2 polymorphism (e.g., rs7903146) in the homozygous state. The study will compare improvements in glycemic control and metabolic markers between two groups: (1) homozygous carriers of the TCF7L2 "unfavorable" variant and (2) non-carriers (wild-type). It is hypothesized that berberine will yield greater reductions in HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose among homozygous carriers, potentially due to their distinct TCF7L2-mediated insulin secretion and sensitivity pathways.

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.

Detailed Description

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is driven by a combination of insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Genetic polymorphisms in the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene have been strongly associated with an increased risk of T2DM, potentially through altered beta-cell function and incretin signaling. Berberine, a natural alkaloid derived from plants such as Coptis chinensis, has demonstrated hypoglycemic effects by modulating pathways like AMPK, thereby improving insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. This pilot trial aims to clarify whether berberine offers a more pronounced metabolic benefit to individuals homozygous for a "high-risk" TCF7L2 polymorphism by targeting their unique pathophysiological mechanisms. Results will inform future larger-scale, genotype-focused interventional trials.

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.
40

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.
  • Not Applicable

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

  • Russian Federation
      • Novosibirsk, Russian Federation, 630090
        • Center for New Medical Technologies

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults (age 30-70 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • On stable doses of metformin or other standard oral antihyperglycemic agents for at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
  • Willingness to undergo genetic testing for TCF7L2 polymorphisms. For the Homozygous Variant Cohort: confirmed homozygous high-risk TCF7L2 polymorphism (e.g., rs7903146) prior to enrollment.
  • For the Non-Variant Cohort: confirmed wild-type TCF7L2 genotype.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current use of insulin therapy or recent (within 4 weeks) change in diabetic medications.

Known hypersensitivity or intolerance to berberine or related compounds.

  • Significant renal or hepatic impairment.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Any other acute or chronic condition that, in the investigator's judgment, could compromise the patient's safety or the study's integrity.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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.
Active Comparator: Non-Variant (Control) Cohort
Dietary supplement: Berberine
Berberine 500-1000 mg, administered 2-3 times per day for 12 weeks, in addition to standard of care
Experimental: TCF7L2 Homozygous Variant Cohort
Dietary supplement: Berberine
Berberine 500-1000 mg, administered 2-3 times per day for 12 weeks, in addition to standard of care

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
Change in Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 weeks
Change in Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Adverse Events
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 weeks
Change in Patient-Reported Quality of Life as Measured by the World Health Organization
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Patient-reported quality of life will be assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF). This validated questionnaire provides scores ranging from 0 to 100 for each domain (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment), where higher scores indicate a better quality of life. The outcome will be reported as the mean change in the relevant domain scores from baseline to 12 weeks.
12 weeks
Change in HOMA-IR (Insulin Resistance Index)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 weeks
Change in Lipid Profile Triglyceride
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 weeks
Change in Lipid Profile LDL-C
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 weeks
Change in Lipid Profile HDL-C
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 weeks
Change in Body Weight or Body Mass Index (BMI)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
12 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.
S.LAB (SOLOWAYS)

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.
Center for New Medical Technologies, Novosibirsk, Russia

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.
May 3, 2024

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.
August 14, 2024

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.
October 22, 2024

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).
February 20, 2025

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.
March 4, 2025

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.
March 25, 2025

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 25, 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.
March 4, 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.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • SW020

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

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.

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