Effects of Berberine in Reducing Abdominal Visceral Adipose Tissue Among Individuals with Obesity and NAFLD

Summary

This multicenter, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of berberine in reducing visceral and liver adipose tissue among individuals with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in China.

Timeline

Start

2023-07-06

Primary completion

2024-08-09

Completion

2024-08-09

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this randomized clinical trial of diabetes-free individuals with obesity and MASLD, a 6-month berberine treatment at a daily dose of 1 g had an excellent safety profile but did not reduce VAT area or liver fat content. PMID 41543854 ↗

Publications

• Background Yan HM, Xia MF, Wang Y, Chang XX, Yao XZ, Rao SX, Zeng MS, Tu YF, Feng R, Jia WP, Liu J, Deng W, Jiang JD, Gao X. Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 7;10(8):e0134172. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134172. eCollection 2015.
• Background Harrison SA, Gunn N, Neff GW, Kohli A, Liu L, Flyer A, Goldkind L, Di Bisceglie AM. A phase 2, proof of concept, randomised controlled trial of berberine ursodeoxycholate in patients with presumed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and type 2 diabetes. Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 17;12(1):5503. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25701-5.
• Lei L, Wang B, Zhao L, Li J, Yan X, Jiang J, Wang L, Ren G, Li Y, Cheng X, Yan X, Zhu Y, Guo Y, Zhong H, Zhang H, Li J; BRAVO Collaborative Group. Berberine and Adiposity in Diabetes-Free Individuals With Obesity and MASLD: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Jan 2;9(1):e2554152. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.54152.

Drugs

Indications