Pilot Trial of Fisetin in Healthy Volunteers and Older Patients With Multimorbidity (Fisetin HIGH)

Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Efficacy of Fisetin - A Phase I and Pilot Phase IIa Study

The accumulation of senescent cells with age is a central mechanism that contributes to the development of chronic diseases, primarily by driving systemic chronic inflammation. Senolytic compounds such as fisetin can selectively target senescent cells for elimination and reduce multiple age-related pathologies in animal models.

We will conduct a clinical trial in healthy volunteers and older patients with multiple chronic diseases. The participants will receive fisetin or placebo for two days, after which they will be examined at regular intervals for up to three months. We will investigate how fisetin is absorbed and metabolized by the body, and whether fisetin is safe. We will also identify methods to best measure the effect of fisetin on chronic inflammation, senescent cells, and general health.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy; Multimorbidity
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Fisetin; Drug: Placebo

Detailed Description

The goal of this pilot trial is to conduct a controlled clinical study to gather data on the pharmacokinetic profile of fisetin and its metabolites and on the safety and tolerability of fisetin in healthy volunteers as well as in older medical patients. Furthermore, we aim to identify potential outcome measures and perform sample size calculations for these outcomes, with the intent to conduct a larger scale effect study, at later date, given the result from this pilot study suggests that this would be feasible and safe.

The trial consists of:

• a single-arm open-label study, in which healthy volunteers (n=20) will receive fisetin corresponding to 20 mg/kg/day for two consecutive days.

• a 2-arm triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled study, in which older medical patients (n=40) will receive either:

  • 20 mg/kg/day fisetin for two consecutive days, or
  • placebo for two consecutive days.

Each of the studies (open-label study and randomized placebo-controlled study) consists of three sub-studies:

• Sub-study I aims to investigate the pharmacokinetic properties of fisetin and its main metabolites following oral administration at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day in healthy volunteers and in older medical patients.
• Sub-study II aims to assess the safety and tolerability of oral treatment with fisetin at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day fisetin for two consecutive days in healthy volunteers and in older medical patients.
• Sub-study III aims to gather representative measurements to assess the utility of inflammation, SASP, senescence, senolysis, and aging biomarkers, as well as measures of frailty, clinical parameters, physical and cognitive function, and quality of life as potential outcomes in future clinical trials; additionally, to perform sample size calculations for future trials based on these data.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Juliette Tavenier; Phone Number: +4538620640; Email: juliette.tavenier@regionh.dk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Line Jee Hartmann Rasmussen; Phone Number: +4538620640; Email: line.jee.hartmann.rasmussen@regionh.dk

Study Locations

• Denmark
  • Hvidovre, Denmark, 2650
    • Recruiting
    • Department of Clinical Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager & Hvidovre
    • Contact: Line Jee Hartmann Rasmussen; Phone Number: +45 38620640; Email: line.jee.hartmann.rasmussen@regionh.dk
    • Contact: Juliette Tavenier; Phone Number: +45 38620640; Email: juliette.tavenier@regionh.dk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Healthy volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 20-35 years
• suPAR levels <3.5 ng/mL (± 15% corresponding to assay variation)
• Able to cooperate cognitively
• Able to read and understand Danish
• Women of childbearing potential must use effective contraception

Exclusion Criteria:

• Body weight >100 kg
• Inability to swallow pills
• Pregnant and/or lactating
• Known hypersensitivity or allergy to fisetin or excipients in the placebo capsules
• Presence of any condition that the investigator believes would put the subject at risk or would preclude the participant from successfully completing all aspects of the trial
• Presence of known chronic diagnosis
• Active acute illness
• Prescribed medication, except contraceptives
• Previous cancer diagnosis or treatment
• Use of senolytic and other "anti-aging" supplements

Older patients with multimorbidity:

Inclusion Criteria:

At screening #1 during hospital admission:

• Acutely hospitalized medical patient
• Age ≥65 years
• suPAR >5 ng/mL (± 15% corresponding to assay variation)
• Multimorbidity (≥2 chronic diagnoses)
• Able to cooperate cognitively
• Able to read and understand Danish

At screening #2 28 days after hospital discharge:

• suPAR >5 ng/mL (± 15% corresponding to assay variation)

Exclusion Criteria:

At screening #1 during hospital admission:

• Body weight >100 kg
• Inability to swallow pills
• Known human immunodeficiency virus infection, active hepatitis B or C infection, invasive fungal infection
• Uncontrolled (as per clinical judgment) pleural/pericardial effusions or ascites
• New/active invasive cancer except non-melanoma skin cancers
• Active cancer treatment or disseminated cancer
• Known condition associated with major immunodeficiency
• Known hypersensitivity or allergy to fisetin or excipients in the placebo capsules
• Use of senolytic and other "anti-aging" supplements

At screening #2 28 days after hospital discharge:

• Body weight >100 kg
• CRP >30 mg/L (± 15% corresponding to assay variation)
• Inability to swallow pills
• Presence of any condition, or abnormal routine biochemistry test, that the investigator believes would put the subject at risk or would preclude the patient from successfully completing all aspects of the trial
• Unstable (as per clinical judgment) major disorders, e.g., cardiovascular, renal, endocrine, immunological, hepatic disorder, or cancer
• Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <15 ml/min/1.73 m2 or as per clinical judgment (e.g., risk of acute kidney injury)
• Human immunodeficiency virus infection, known active hepatitis B or C infection, invasive fungal infection
• Uncontrolled (as per clinical judgment) pleural/pericardial effusions or ascites
• New/active invasive cancer except non-melanoma skin cancers
• Active cancer treatment or disseminated cancer
• Known condition associated with major immunodeficiency
• Known hypersensitivity or allergy to fisetin or excipients in the placebo capsules
• Subjects taking strong inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4 or as per clinical judgment
• Subjects taking specified substrates with a narrow therapeutic range for CYP3A4 or as per clinical judgment
• Subjects taking specified inhibitors, inducers, or substrates of CYP2D6, CYP2C9, or CYP2C8, or as per clinical judgment
• Subjects regularly using drug classes or specific medications or as per clinical judgment
• Use of senolytic and other "anti-aging" supplements

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Single-arm open-label study in healthy volunteers; Healthy volunteers will receive fisetin.	Drug: Fisetin; Subjects will receive fisetin corresponding to 20 mg/kg/day for two consecutive days.
Experimental: RCT - Treatment group; Older patients with multimorbidity will receive fisetin.	Drug: Fisetin; Subjects will receive fisetin corresponding to 20 mg/kg/day for two consecutive days.
Placebo Comparator: RCT - Placebo group; Older patients with multimorbidity will receive placebo.	Drug: Placebo; Subjects will receive a corresponding number of placebo capsules for two consecutive days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Population-based pharmacokinetic model for fisetin and metabolites	To develop a population-based pharmacokinetic (popPK) model for fisetin and its main metabolites in healthy volunteers and older patients, covariates such as body weight, body composition, age, and CYP inducers/inhibitors will be tested for influence on interindividual variability.	24 hours
Adverse events	Number of participants to experience adverse events	Day 1 to 3
suPAR	The change in plasma levels of suPAR and a sample size calculation based on these data.	Day 1 to 29

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Population-based PKPD model for fisetin	Changes in any of the measured biomarkers and the relationship between the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of fisetin will be investigated using population PKPD modeling.	24 hours
Renal excretion of fisetin and its main metabolites	Urinary levels of fisetin and its main metabolites	24 hours
Symptoms and adverse events	Number of participants to experience symptoms and clinically significant changes in vital signs (i.e., blood pressure, pulse).	Day 1 to 3
SASP factors and inflammation markers	The change in plasma levels of SASP factors and inflammation markers (e.g., cytokines, chemokines, proteases, growth factors).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 2, 29. Older patients: day 1, 2, 8, 15, 29, 57, 84.
Senescence	The change in expression levels of senescence markers (e.g., p16INK4a, p21CIP1/WAF1, SA-B-gal) in immune cells and tissue biopsies (skin and adipose tissue).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 8, 15, 29, 84.
Senolysis	The change in expression levels of senolysis markers (e.g., leukotriene B4, dihomo-15d-PGJ2 (oxylipin or 1a,1b-dihomo-15-deoxy-D12,14-prostaglandin J2), and 15-Deoxy-delta 12, 14-prostaglandin J2).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 2, 29. Older patients: day 1, 2, 8, 15, 29, 84.
Aging markers	The change in plasma levels of aging markers (e.g., α-klotho, fibroblast growth factor 21).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 2, 29. Older patients: day 1, 2, 8, 15, 29, 57, 84.
Clinical markers	The change in levels of routine biochemistry markers (e.g., alanine aminotransferase, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, coagulation factors II, VII and X and International Normalized Ratio, CRP, creatinine, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, neutrophils, potassium, sodium, thrombocytes, white blood cell count, cholesterol (total, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins), triglycerides, and hemoglobin A1c).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 2, 29. Older patients: day 1, 2, 8, 15, 29, 57, 84.
Frailty Index OutRef	The change in frailty status calculated as Frailty Index OutREF (FI-OutRef).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 2, 8, 15, 29, 57, 84.
Frailty Index	The change in frailty status calculated using a modified version of Fried frailty criteria.	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 2, 8, 15, 29, 57, 84.
Physical function	The change in physical function (e.g., gait speed, hand grip strength, chair stand test, balance).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 29, 84.
Cognitive function (Montreal Cogntive Assessment)	The change in cognitive function assessed using the MoCA score (0-30 with higher scores representing better cognitive function).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 29, 84.
Cognitive function (Digit Symbol Substitution Test)	The change in cognitive function assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (number of correct symbols).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 29, 84.
Quality of life	The change in quality of life assessed using the EuroQol-5D-5L (index value and VAS scale 0-100; with higher scores representing better quality of life).	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 29, 84.
Self-rated health	The change in self-rated health (score 1-5; 1:"excellent", 2:"very good", 3:"good", 4:"fair", or 5:"bad").	Healthy volunteers: day 1, 29. Older patients: day 1, 29, 84.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ove Andersen
• Collaborators: Mayo Clinic; University of Southern Denmark
• Investigators: Study Chair: Juliette Tavenier, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre; Study Chair: Line Jee Hartmann Rasmussen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre; Study Chair: Morten B Houlind, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre; Principal Investigator: Ove Andersen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre; Study Chair: Jan O Nehlin, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager and Hvidovre

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 24, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 21, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 29, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 19, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pharmacokinetics; Chronic inflammation; Senolytic
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: fisetin
• Other Study ID Numbers: Fisetin HIGH; 2023-506284-34-00 (Ctis)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Only aggregated data can be available for other researchers due to Danish Data Protection Law.

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.: Yes