Milk thistle extract may help repair Medication-Damaged livers
NCT ID NCT05144217
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether different doses of silymarin, a natural extract from milk thistle, can lower elevated liver enzymes caused by medications. Nineteen adults with drug-induced liver injury took either a placebo or one of three silymarin doses for 35 days. Researchers measured changes in liver enzyme levels to see if higher or more frequent doses offered better liver protection.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- silymarin (milk thistle extract)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a safe, natural supplement to help protect the liver from damage caused by medications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 19 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Higher doses may cause side effects, and the benefit over placebo is uncertain.
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
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Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
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19 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
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Dec 2024
- 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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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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 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.
Inclusion Criteria: Evidence of hepatocellular drug-induced injury due to treatment\* * ALT/AP ratio ≥ 5 ((ALT level/ALT upper limit of normal (ULN))/(AP level/AP ULN)) OR Evidence of drug-induced elevation of liver-enzymes * ALT \> 40 U/L and ≤ 2 x ULN * ALT (\> 40 U/L) ≥ 2 weeks and ≤ 3 months 3. Documentation (within the last 4 weeks before screening) of exclusion of liver tissue damage using either ultrasonography of the liver or Fibroscan with results ≤ 7 kPa (fibrosis score of F0 to F1) 4. BMI ≥ 18 and ≤ 30 5. Liver enzyme elevation inducing medication stable for ≥ 8 weeks before screening in the discretion of the treating physician 6. Written informed consent, after having been informed about potential benefit and potential risks of the clinical trial 7. Willing and capable to understand informed consent and follow the protocol Exclusion Criteria: 1. Use of silymarin within the last 6 months 2. Current intake and intake within the last 4 weeks of drugs that have been shown to induce cholestatic or mixed hepatocellular/cholestatic liver injury (inducing cholestatic liver injury: amoxicilline and clavulanic acid, anabolic steroids, chlorpromazine, clopidogrel, erythromycin, irbesartan, mirtazapine, estrogen, terbinafine; inducing mixed liver injury: amitriptyline, azathioprine, captopril, carbamazepine, clindamycin, co-trimoxazole, cyproheptadine, enalapril, flutamide, nitrofurantoin, phenobarbital, phenytoin, sulphonamide, trazodone, verapamil) 3. Patients with chronic liver disease, existing fibrosis or cirrhosis 4. Patients with acute viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis or immune-mediated hepatitis (e.g., with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment), acute Budd-Chiari syndrome, Wilson disease, and ischemic liver injury 5. Cholestatic or mixed hepatocellular/mixed liver injury 6. Patients with diabetes types 1 or 2 7. Any malignancy within the past 5 years 8. Patients with chronic intestinal diseases (e.g., ulcerative colitis) and intestinal barrier dysfunction in the discretion of the treating physician (e.g., patient can be included if disease is judged as stable by the treating physician with no likely interference with the study outcomes and the safety of the patient) 9. Evidence of significant uncontrolled concomitant diseases or serious and/or uncontrolled diseases that are likely to interfere with the evaluation of the patient's safety and of the study outcome 10. History of relevant central nervous system (CNS) and/or psychiatric disorders and/or currently treated CNS and/or psychiatric disorders 11. Known allergic reactions to the active ingredients used or to constituents of the pharmaceutical preparations, e.g. milk thistle, soy oil, peanut (according to Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPc)) 12. Contraindications to use the investigational medicinal product (IMP), e.g. hereditary galactose intolerance, genetic lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption (according to SmPC) 13. Subjects with severe or moderate allergies or multiple drug allergies unless it is judged as not relevant for the clinical trial by the investigator 14. Laboratory values other than target parameters out of normal range unless the deviation from normal is judged as not relevant for the clinical trial by the investigator 15. Positive anti-HIV-test, antiHBs- or anti-HCV-test at Screening 16. History of or current drug or alcohol dependence 17. Subjects with a positive drug test at screening (incl. alcohol) 18. Regular intake of alcoholic food or beverages of ≥ 40 g pure ethanol for male or ≥ 20 g pure ethanol for female per day 19. Participation in a clinical trial during the last two months prior to individual enrolment of the subject or current participation 20. Use of drugs during the last two weeks prior Baseline that can affect absorption (e.g. laxatives, metoclopramide, loperamide, antacids, H2-receptor antagonists) 21. Subjects who are unable to understand the written and verbal instructions, in particular regarding the risks and inconveniences they will be exposed to during their participation in the clinical trial 22. Subjects who do not agree to apply adequate contraceptive methods as defined in Note for Guidance on Non-Clinical Safety Studies for the Conduct of Human Clinical Trials for Pharmaceuticals (CPMP/ICH/286/95, modification), November 2000
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CIRI
Frankfurt, Hessia, 60596, Germany
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Universtity Hospital - clinic for dermatology, venerology and allergology
Frankfurt, Hessia, 60590, Germany
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