Table of Contents
- Trial overview
- Who is being studied
- Study design and phase
- What is being measured
- Treatment groups and doses
- Patient-friendly terms
Trial overview
The available clinical trial is studying ACETYLCARNITINE HYDROCHLORIDE in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that affects nerve cells and muscle function.[1] The study is titled as a randomized phase II/III trial on the biological and clinical effects of acetyl-L-carnitine in ALS, and it is listed as authorised.[1]
This research is focused on whether the treatment can help with the progression of functional disability, which means loss of the ability to do everyday tasks.[1] The trial also looks at self-sufficiency, or how well a person can manage daily activities on their own.[1]
Who is being studied
The target population is people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.[1] The source data does not give more detailed rules for who can join, such as age, sex, or disease stage, so those details cannot be added here.[1]
The study plans to enroll 246 participants.[1] This number gives the researchers a group large enough to compare outcomes between treatment and placebo groups.[1]
Study design and phase
This is an interventional study, which means the researchers give a treatment and then measure the results.[1] It is described as randomized, so participants are assigned to groups by chance rather than by choice.[1]
The phase information in the source is listed as Phase 4, and the title also describes the trial as phase II/III.[1] This shows that the study is examining clinical effects in people and is not just an early test in the lab.[1]
What is being measured
The main outcome is the proportion of participants who remain self-sufficient after 48 weeks.[1] In this study, self-sufficiency is defined using ALSFRS-R items for swallowing, cutting food, handling utensils, and walking, and participants must score three or higher in all three items listed in the source description.[1]
The brief summary says the trial is assessing the effect of ACETYLCARNITINE HYDROCHLORIDE on progression of functional disability, measured by the ALSFRS-R scale.[1] The ALSFRS-R is a standard rating tool used in ALS research to track daily function over time.[1]
Treatment groups and doses
The study includes a placebo group and an active treatment group using Nicetile 500 mg polvere per soluzione orale, which is ACETYLCARNITINE HYDROCHLORIDE.[1] The summary also says that two dosages are being tested: 1.5 g/day and 3 g/day.[1]
A placebo is a comparison treatment that does not contain the active study drug.[1] Comparing the active treatment with placebo helps researchers see whether the study drug changes outcomes more than no active treatment.[1]
Patient-friendly terms
Functional disability means difficulty doing normal daily activities because of illness.[1]
Self-sufficiency means being able to manage important daily tasks without help.[1]
Swallowing, cutting food, handling utensils, and walking are everyday tasks used in the ALSFRS-R scale to measure function.[1]
Randomized means the study assigns people to groups by chance, which helps keep the comparison fair.[1]
Placebo means a non-active comparison treatment used in research studies.[1]



