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Combined Active Treatment in Type 2 Diabetes with NASH

Registration Number
NCT04639414
Lead Sponsor
German Diabetes Center
Brief Summary

The aim of this multicentre, prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, 3-arm parallel group, interventional study is to assess for the first time the effects of either a combined therapy with the antihyperglycemic drugs semaglutide and empagliflozin or empagliflozin monotherapy compared to placebo as potential treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Detailed Description

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are tightly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which in turn predicts the development of T2D and cardiovascular disease.

Up to 80% of NAFLD patients with T2D have NASH and the presence of T2D is an independent risk factor for more-advanced fibrosis, higher rate of fibrosis progression, and increased mortality. Liver-related mortality is increased 10-fold in NASH patients compared with the general population. In addition, people with NASH are at an excessive risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Currently, there are no established pharmacotherapies for NASH patients with T2D.

The aim of this trial is to evaluate efficacy of a combined treatment with semaglutide 1 mg/week (GLP1RA) and empagliflozin 10 mg/d (SGLT2I) or ii) empagliflozin 10 mg/d monotherapy by means of histological resolution of NASH in T2D patients without progression of fibrosis after 48 weeks treatment.

To confirm a histological diagnosis of NASH and proof efficacy of treatment, a liver biopsy will be performed prior to screening as well as at the end of treatment phase.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
192
Inclusion Criteria
  • Diagnosis of T2D and NASH with fibrosis stage F1-F3
  • Age between 25 and 75 years
  • HbA1c ≤ 9.5%
  • obtained written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • Contraindications on liver biopsy
  • Evidence of cirrhosis on liver biopsy
  • Liver disease of other etiology including chronic viral hepatitis (B or C), alcohol abuse, hemochromatosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson's disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis or primary biliary cirrhosis, or liver cirrhosis of any etiology
  • History of ketoacidosis
  • Alcohol consumption >30 g/d for males and >20 g/d for females
  • Past (≥5 years) or current history of alcohol or drug abuse and/or psychiatric disease including severe depression necessitating pharmacological treatment
  • Medications that may induce steatosis:tamoxifen, raloxifene, oral glucocorticoids or chloroquine
  • Planned pregnancy, pregnant or lactating women, positive pregnancy test, and woman of childbearing potential not using two adequate methods of contraception, including a barrier method and a highly efficacious non-barrier method

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Combined treatment with Empagliflozin and SemaglutideEmpagliflozin 10mg oral tablet / Semaglutide 1mg pen injectorCombined treatment with Empagliflozin, film-coated tablet, 10mg once daily and Semaglutide, colourless solution in pre-filled pen, 1mg once weekly
PlaceboPlacebo matching empagliflozin and placebo pen injector matching semaglutidePlacebo matching Empagliflozin (film-coated tablet, once daily) and Placebo matching Semaglutide (colourless solution in pre-filled pen, once weekly)
Empagliflozin monotherapyEmpagliflozin 10mg oral tablet and placebo pen injector matching semaglutideEmpagliflozin, film-coated tablet, 10mg once daily and Placebo matching Semaglutide (colourless solution in pre-filled pen, once weekly)
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Histological resolution of NASH without worsening of fibrosisfrom baseline to 48 weeks

NAFLD status will be assessed by histologic evaluation of liver biopsy samples based on NAFLD activity score. NASH resolution is defined by disappearance of ballooning (score 0), together with either disappearance of lobular inflammation or the persistence of mild lobular inflammation only (score 0 or 1) and resulting in an overall pathologic diagnosis of either steatosis alone or steatosis with mild inflammation; with no worsening of fibrosis. Worsening of fibrosis is defined by an increase of at least one stage of the Kleiner fibrosis classification.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Overall NAFLD activity score (NAS)from baseline to 48 weeks

Sum of a) steatosis (0-3 points), b) lobular inflammation (scored 0-3 points), c) hepatocellular ballooning (scored 0-2 points) assessed by liver histology

Stage of fibrosis according to the Kleiner Fibrosis Classificationfrom baseline to 48 weeks

Assessed by liver histology according to the Kleiner Fibrosis Classification (stages 0-4)

Activity component of NASH according to the steatosis-activity-fibrosis (SAF) scorefrom baseline to 48 weeks

Sum of lobular inflammation (scored 0-3 points)and hepatocellular ballooning (scored 0-2 points) assessed by liver histology

Hepatic steatosis gradefrom baseline to 48 weeks

steatosis grade (0-3) assessed by liver histology

Trial Locations

Locations (25)

Medizinische Universität Wien

🇦🇹

Wien, Austria

German Diabetes Center

🇩🇪

Duesseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Franziskus-Krankenhaus Berlin

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW

🇩🇪

Bad Oeynhausen, Germany

University Clinics Berlin Charité

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

Leber- und Studienzentrum Checkpoint

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

University Clinics Bochum

🇩🇪

Bochum, Germany

University Clinics Carl Gustav Carus Dresden

🇩🇪

Dresden, Germany

Städtisches Klinikum Brandenburg GmbH

🇩🇪

Brandenburg, Germany

Städtisches Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH

🇩🇪

Braunschweig, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf

🇩🇪

Düsseldorf, Germany

University Clinics Essen

🇩🇪

Essen, Germany

University Clinics Frankfurt

🇩🇪

Frankfurt, Germany

Eugastro GmbH

🇩🇪

Leipzig, Germany

University Clinics Heidelberg

🇩🇪

Heidelberg, Germany

University Clinics Freiburg

🇩🇪

Freiburg, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Ulm

🇩🇪

Ulm, Germany

University Clinics Johannes-Gutenberg Mainz

🇩🇪

Mainz, Germany

TUM

🇩🇪

München, Germany

University Clinics Tübingen

🇩🇪

Tübingen, Germany

University Clinics Würzburg

🇩🇪

Würzburg, Germany

Medizinische Universität Graz

🇦🇹

Graz, Austria

Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, Klinik Hietzing

🇦🇹

Wien, Austria

Wiener Gesundheitsverbund, Klinik Landstraße

🇦🇹

Wien, Austria

Medizinische Universität Innsbruck

🇦🇹

Innsbruck, Austria

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