What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 220 patients with liver disease. The study was sponsored by Gilead Sciences and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Fenofibrate kept triglycerides stable while other patients saw levels rise by 41 mg/dL.
Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2023 · NCT02781584
These findings — that fenofibrate prevented fat buildup while liver treatment continued — were published in the Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 220 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with liver disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you're being treated for fatty liver disease and your doctor is concerned about your triglyceride levels rising, this study suggests fenofibrate can help keep them in check. Fenofibrate is already FDA-approved for high cholesterol and triglycerides. Talk to your doctor about whether adding it makes sense for your treatment plan.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open liver disease trials
Study of GST-HG131&141 Tablets Compared With Placebo in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIa clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GST-HG131/GST-HG141 tablets in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Development of a FibroScan Liver Examination Using a Single Probe
This is an exploratory, international, prospective, interventional, multicenter clinical investigation that will take place in 1 Hong Kong site and 3 French sites and 309 adults patients will be included. The study objective is to assess the LSM reproducibility between the FibroScan examination performed with the Single Probe (SP) and the FibroScan examination performed with the reference probes (M and XL).