Can a diabetes drug fix liver energy problems in fatty liver disease?
NCT ID NCT05305287
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at whether the diabetes drug pioglitazone can improve how the liver processes energy in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes. Researchers will measure liver mitochondrial function using special tracers before and after 16 weeks of treatment. The study involves 60 adults aged 18-80 with stable blood sugar and moderate to severe liver fat.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pioglitazone (Actos), an insulin-sensitizing drug
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that pioglitazone improves liver energy metabolism, pointing toward better treatments for fatty liver disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study (60 people) focused on measuring biological changes, not clinical outcomes. Results may not translate to broader benefits, and pioglitazone has known risks like weight gain and fluid retention.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2022
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
T2D with NAFL Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed T2D based on OGTT (2 h glucose ≥200 mg/dl). * Treated with diet, metformin, and/or sulfonylurea and in good general health determined by medical history, physical exam, and routine blood chemistries; * age = 18-80 years; * BMI = 25-40 kg/m2; * HbA1c = 7-10%; stable body weight (±4 pounds) over the preceding 3-months; * not taking any medication known to affect glucose metabolism other than antidiabetic medications. * Evidence of moderate/severe fatty liver (steatosis; grade S2/S3 on FibroScan corresponding to ≥10% fat on MRI-PDFF) and no/minimal hepatic fibrosis (grade F0/F1 on FibroScan). Exclusion Criteria: * Alcohol consumption \>14 units/week for women and \>21 units/week for men. * Liver cirrhosis (fibrosis stage 4). * Evidence of other forms of chronic liver disease, including alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis B and C, primary biliary cholangitis, suspected/proven liver cancer and any other liver disease other than NAFLD. * Type 1 diabetes and/or GAD positive subjects. * Subjects not drug naive or have been on metformin more than 3 months. * Presence of proliferative retinopathy. * Urine albumin excretion \> 300 mg/day. * History of NY Class III-IV heart failure T2D with NASH Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed T2D based on OGTT (2 h glucose ≥200 mg/dl). * Treated with diet, metformin, and/or sulfonylurea and in good general health determined by medical history, physical exam, and routine blood chemistries; * age = 18-80 years; * BMI = 25-40 kg/m2; * HbA1c = 7-10%; * stable body weight (±4 pounds) over the preceding 3-months; * not taking any medication known to affect glucose metabolism other than antidiabetic medications. * Evidence of moderate/severe fatty liver (steatosis; grade S2/S3 on FibroScan corresponding to ≥10% liver fat on MRI-PDFF) and moderate/severe hepatic fibrosis (grade F2/F3 on FibroScan). Exclusion Criteria: * Alcohol consumption \>14 units/week for women and \>21 units/week for men. * Liver cirrhosis (fibrosis stage 4). * Evidence of other forms of chronic liver disease, including alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis B and C, primary biliary cholangitis, suspected/proven liver cancer and any other liver disease other than NAFLD. * Type 1 diabetes and/or GAD positive subjects. * Subjects not drug naive or have been on metformin more than 3 months. * Presence of proliferative retinopathy. * Urine albumin excretion \> 300 mg/day. * History of NY Class III-IV heart failure
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Texas Diabetes Institute - University Health System
RECRUITINGSan Antonio, Texas, 78207, United States
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University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
RECRUITINGSan Antonio, Texas, 78229, United States
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