Can a charcoal pill delay dialysis?

NCT ID NCT00500682

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Tanabe Pharma Corporation Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jan 11, 2026 · Last updated Jun 22, 2026 · Updated 23 times

Summary

This Phase 3 trial tested whether AST-120, a spherical carbon adsorbent taken as a powder, can slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. Over 1,000 adults with moderate to severe kidney disease received either AST-120 or a placebo alongside their usual care. The main goal was to see if the drug could delay the need for dialysis, kidney transplant, or a doubling of creatinine levels.

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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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Contacts and locations

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Locations

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Phoenix, Arizona, United States
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Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
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Alhambra, California, United States
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Covina, California, United States
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Glendale, California, United States
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Los Angeles, California, United States
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Stamford, Connecticut, United States
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Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
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Hudson, Florida, United States
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Miami, Florida, United States
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Ocala, Florida, United States
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Orlando, Florida, United States
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Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States
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Spring Hill, Florida, United States
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Tampa, Florida, United States
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Winter Park, Florida, United States
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Kansas City, Kansas, United States
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New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
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Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
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Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States
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Kansas City, Missouri, United States
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St Louis, Missouri, United States
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Camden, New Jersey, United States
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Eatontown, New Jersey, United States
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Port Washington, New York, United States
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Springfield Gardens, New York, United States
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Asheville, North Carolina, United States
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Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
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Dayton, Ohio, United States
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Toledo, Ohio, United States
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Portland, Oregon, United States
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States
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Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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Arlington, Texas, United States
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Dallas, Texas, United States
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Houston, Texas, United States
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San Antonio, Texas, United States
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Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
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Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Córdoba, Argentina
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San Luis, Argentina
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San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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San Pedro, Argentina
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Barao Geraldo-Campinas, Brazil
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Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Juiz de Fora, Brazil
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Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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São Paulo, Brazil
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Taubaté, Brazil
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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Brampton, Ontario, Canada
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Kitzhener, Ontario, Canada
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Oakville, Ontario, Canada
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Scarborough Village, Ontario, Canada
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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České Budějovice, Czechia
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Jihlava, Czechia
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Ostrava - Poruba, Czechia
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Prague, Czechia
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Tábor, Czechia
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Grenoble, France
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Lyon, France
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Nantes, France
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Saint-Lô, France
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Bologna, Italy
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Brescia, Italy
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Como, Italy
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Pavia, Italy
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Aguascalientes, Mexico
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Mexico City, Mexico
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Tijuana, Mexico
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Gdansk, Poland
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Szczecin, Poland
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Torun, Poland
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Warsaw, Poland
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Caguas, Puerto Rico
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Bamaul, Russia
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Kazan', Russia
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Krasnodar, Russia
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Moscow, Russia
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Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
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Novosibirsk, Russia
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Pyatigorsk, Russia
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Ryazan, Russia
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Saint Petersburg, Russia
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Saratov, Russia
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Smolensk, Russia
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Sochi, Russia
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Stavropol, Russia
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Yekaterinburg, Russia
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Chernivtsi, Ukraine
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Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
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Donetsk, Ukraine
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Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
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Kharkiv, Ukraine
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Kiev, Ukraine
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Odesa, Ukraine
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Uzhhorod, Ukraine
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Vinnitsa, Ukraine
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Zhytomyr, Ukraine

What this could mean

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

Active substance

AST-120 (spherical carbon adsorbent)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could provide a new way to delay dialysis or kidney transplant in people with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.

What could go wrong

This is a completed Phase 3 trial, but results may not show a clear benefit over standard care. The treatment is an adsorbent, not a cure, and long-term safety needs confirmation.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

chronic renal failure syndrome kidney disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE