Study of Oral Idebenone to Treat Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

A Pilot Study to Treat Adults With Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis With Oral Idebenone

This is a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1/2a study to investigate the safety and tolerability of Idebenone in patients 18 years of age or older with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, with stage 1-3 fibrosis. As secondary end point target engagement and fibrosis improvement will be assessed.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Fibrosis; Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Idebenone; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

This is a prospective phase 1/2a, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single center study of safety and efficacy of oral idebenone in adults 18 years of age or older with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Following IRB approval and written informed consent, 45 participants will be enrolled in the study and randomized in a 1:2 ratio on REDCap data capturing software. Participants will be randomized to two groups and receive the following tablets: placebo, idebenone at escalating doses of 200mg by mouth (P.O.) once a day for 2 weeks, then 200 mg twice a day for 2 weeks, then 3 times per day for the remainder of the study (up to 48 weeks). Monitoring and safety evaluation will continue for 12 weeks after the final dose. The study will investigate the safety and tolerability as primary end point and assess target engagement and fibrosis improvement as secondary end points.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 53
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Redwood City, California, United States, 94063
      • Digestive Health Center, Stanford University
    • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
      • Stanford University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1) Male or non-pregnant/ non-lactating women ≥ 18 years of age

• 2) Diagnosis of NASH: NAFLD activity score (NAS) of 4 or greater with a score of 1 for each of the following (steatosis scored 0-3, lobular inflammation scored 0-3, ballooning scored 0-2):

  • Steatosis
  • Lobular inflammation
  • Hepatocyte ballooning 3) Fibrosis (Ishak fibrosis score ≥1 on liver biopsy) within 6 months of enrollment with MELD<10, or based on MRE

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of any other form of liver disease, including viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, genetic causes of chronic liver disease):
• Subjects with other etiologies of chronic liver disease, such as chronic hepatitis B and C; autoimmune hepatitis; and inherited liver disease.
• ALT>300 U/l
• Total serum bilirubin ≥ to 1.3 mg/dL (Gilbert's Syndrome patients excepted)
• International Normalized Ratio (INR) ≥ 1.3
• MELD>10
• Serum creatinine >2.0mg/dl

• Known alcohol abuse or alcohol use disorder:

  • >20 g/day for women
  • >30 g/day for men
• Active substance abuse
• Any medical condition that prevents MRE, MR-PDFF
• Platelet count ≤100//mm3
• Decompensated cirrhosis
• Hemoglobin <11 g/dl in females or <12 g/dl in males
• Presence/history of HCC
• History of liver transplantation
• History of bariatric surgery
• History of inflammatory bowel disease
• History of cardiovascular disease, long QT syndrome.
• Subjects who have participated in investigational drug trials and took any investigational drugs within 60 days prior to the first dose of Idebenone. History of receiving other investigations drug within 30 days prior to enrollment
• Any concerns regarding compliance by enrolling physician

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Idebenone; Participants will take Idebenone 200 mg for 48 weeks, with study visits in clinic for physical and laboratory assessments at weeks 0, 2, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks during treatment period and at 4, and 12 weeks after the last dose.	Drug: Idebenone; Idebenone, initially 200mg by mouth (P.O.) once a day for 2 weeks, then 200 mg twice a day for 2 weeks, then 200 mg three times per day for the remainder of the study will be used.; Other Names: Placebo
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Participants will take Placebo for 48 weeks, with study visits in clinic for physical and laboratory assessments at weeks 0, 2, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 weeks during treatment period and at 4, and 12 weeks after the last dose.	Drug: Placebo; Placebo to match Idebenone once a day for 2 weeks, then twice a day for 2 weeks, then three times per day for the remainder of the study will be used.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants With Treatment-Related Adverse Events as Assessed by CTCAE v4.0	Number of Participants with Treatment-Related Adverse Events (Assessed by CTCAE v4.0), and number of participants with abnormal Physical exams and abnormal laboratory tests results are reported.	60 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) as a Measure of Change in Fibrosis Stage	MR elastography is a standard of care technique to assess liver stiffness, that is a highly accurate non-invasive method. MRE creates elastograms (stiffness maps) and data generated in kilopascals (kPa) are correlated to fibrosis stage. Change in stiffness values indicate change in fibrosis. < 2.5 kPa: normal; 2.5 to 3.0 kPa: normal or inflammation; 3.0 to 3.5 kPa: stage 1-2 fibrosis; 3.5 to 4.0 kPa: stage 2-3 fibrosis; 4.0 to 5.0 kPa: stage 3-4 fibrosis; > 5.0 kPa: Stage 4 fibrosis or cirrhosis.	Week 48

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stanford University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Natalie Torok, MD, Stanford University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 30, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 5, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): July 5, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 8, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): December 16, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Digestive System Diseases; Liver Diseases; Fatty Liver; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Fibrosis; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Protective Agents; Antioxidants; idebenone
• Other Study ID Numbers: 52212; R21DK111217 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No