Could a gut antibiotic shrink fatty liver? small trial aims to find out

NCT ID NCT07185932

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Shanghai Changzheng Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This early-stage trial is testing whether the antibiotic rifaximin can reduce liver fat in people with metabolic fatty liver disease. About 40 adults will take rifaximin pills three times daily for up to 48 weeks, while maintaining diet and exercise. The main goal is to see if liver fat decreases on MRI scans.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: rifaximin (Xifaxan)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new treatment option for metabolic fatty liver disease using an existing antibiotic.
What could go wrong: This is a very early, small pilot study with only 40 people and no placebo group, so results may not be reliable or generalizable. Rifaximin can cause side effects like nausea or diarrhea.

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.

metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

As listed by the trial registrant

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

METABOLIC ASSOCIATED FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Contacts and locations

Locations

Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, shanghai, China
RECRUITING

Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200003, China

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