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Could an antioxidant help treat chronic fatigue? new trial tests NAC

NCT ID NCT04542161

Disease control Sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This Phase 2 trial tests whether N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, can help people with ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). Researchers will give 95 participants different doses of NAC or a placebo for four weeks, then measure brain glutathione levels and markers of oxidative stress. The goal is to understand if NAC can protect the brain from oxidative damage and potentially lead to new treatments for this condition.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)
What this could lead to
If successful, this trial could point toward a treatment for ME/CFS by showing that NAC restores brain glutathione and reduces oxidative stress.
What could go wrong
This is an early exploratory trial with only 95 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It tests mechanisms, not direct symptom relief, and may fail to show benefit.

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

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 95 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Sep 2020

Expected to finish

Apr 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

21 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Males or females, ages 21 to 60 years (inclusive). * Baseline GSH levels at or less than a predefined cutoff value. * Primary diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). * Willing and capable of providing informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Significant and/or comorbid axis I (especially mood and anxiety) and axis II disorders. * Any significant neurological illness or impairment. * Other unstable medical conditions (asthma, hypertension, endocrine or metabolic disease, etc). * History alcohol abuse. * Positive urine toxicology at screening and on days of assessments. * Positive pregnancy test at screening or on days of assessments. * Contra-indication for clinical MRI scan (e.g., pacemaker, metallic prosthesis). * Baseline GSH levels higher than a predefined cutoff value.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

myalgic encephalomeyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Chronic fatigue syndrome Myalgic encephalomyelitis

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Weill Cornell Medicine

    New York, New York, 10021, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.