ALS drug trial halted early: did lithium fail?

NCT ID NCT06008249

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.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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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.

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