ALS drug trial halted early: did lithium fail?

NCT ID NCT06008249

Terminated Disease control Sponsor: Stichting TRICALS Foundation Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase 3 trial tested lithium carbonate against placebo in 88 people with ALS to see if it could improve survival and daily function. The study was terminated early, so the full results are not available. The trial aimed to find a treatment that slows the disease, but its early end limits what we can learn.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: lithium carbonate
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward a treatment that slows ALS progression and extends survival.
What could go wrong: The trial was terminated early with only 88 participants, so results are limited. Lithium has known side effects and may not work for all ALS patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

Contacts and locations

Locations

Bellvitge University Hospital

Barcelona, 08907, Spain
Calvary Health Care Bethlehem

Parkdale, VIC 3195, Australia
Concord hospital Sydney

Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
Flinders Medical Centre

Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
Karolinska University Hospital

Stockholm, 171 64, Sweden
King's College Hospital

London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
Perron Institute

Perth, WA 6009, Australia
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
The University of Sydney (Royal prince Alfred hospital)

Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
University College London Hospital NHS

London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
University Hospital Leuven

Leuven, 3000, Belgium
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 6QG, United Kingdom
University Medical Center Utrecht

Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CX, Netherlands

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