What the trial was testing
The CHELATE enrolled 77 patients with liver disease. The study was sponsored by Orphalan and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. 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
Trientine controlled copper levels as effectively as the standard treatment in adults with Wilson disease.
The lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2022 · NCT03539952
These findings — that all patients on trientine maintained stable disease with well-controlled copper levels — were published in the The lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 77 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
Trientine is FDA-approved for Wilson disease, especially for patients who cannot tolerate penicillamine. This study showed it works just as well as penicillamine for long-term maintenance. If you have Wilson disease and experience side effects with penicillamine, ask your doctor whether trientine might be right for you.
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
Expanded Studies on the SCAPIS Stockholm Reexamination Cohort
The Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) is a unique, large-scale national research initiative involving 30,000 randomly selected individuals aged 50-64, recruited between 2014 and 2018. The study is a collaborative effort among six university hospitals across Sweden. A follow-up study, SCAPIS 2, is conducted for half of the original participants. In Stockholm, 2,500 individuals will be re-examined at Danderyd University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet. SCAPIS 2 includes a core set of examinations involving blood sampling, questionnaires, and imaging. In addition to these, complementary local investigations are conducted to enable more detailed research questions. This protocol describes the additional studies conducted in the Stockholm cohort. All complementary assessments aim to identify risk factors for current and future lung, liver, and cardiovascular diseases.: EXTENDED SAMPLING: Saliva and Blood Samples with Blood Cell Isolation. EXTENDED QUESTIONNAIRES: Dyspnea, Sleep, Respiratory Infections, and Dental Health. EXTENDED IMAGING AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS Cardiac Ultrasound and Abdominal Aortic Measurements. Liver Elastography. Vascular Stiffness by cuff-based pulse wave analysis and Photoplethysmography (PPG). Valvular and Vascular Calcification by CT imaging.
Three Types of Nucleotide/Nucleoside Analogues Treatment in HBV Related ACLF
This study is to investigate the clinical efficacy of three types of nucleotide/nucleoside analogues in treatment of HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.