Efficacy and Safety of HEP-40 Chitosan for Mild to Moderately Elevated Cholesterol — HEP-40  

Hypercholesterolemia Clinical Trial

Official title: A 16 Week With 12 Week Active Treatment Multi-Center, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study Evaluating the Efficacy of HEP-40 Chitosan in Managing Moderate Hypercholesterolemia

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Chitosan is a natural product that is produced commercially through the deacetylation of chitin, which is found in the exoskeleton of crustaceans. It has been suggested that chitosan has a lipid-lowering effect.

This study was designed to determine if HEP-40 chitosan (Enzymatic Polychitosamine Hydrolysate - 40kDa), a short-chained chitosan with a molecular weight of 40 kDa, is safe and effective in lowering LDL-cholesterol levels in patients with mild to moderately elevated cholesterol levels and who have not been previously treated with other lipid-lowering agents.

Clinical Trial Description

Chitosan is a natural product that is produced commercially through the deacetylation of chitin, which is found in the exoskeleton of crustaceans. It has been suggested that chitosan has a lipid-lowering effect by binding to fatty acids and cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract and restricting their absorption.

This study was designed to determine if HEP-40 chitosan (Enzymatic Polychitosamine Hydrolysate - 40kDa), a short-chained chitosan with a molecular weight of 40 kDa, is safe and effective in lowering LDL-cholesterol levels in patients who have not been previously treated with lipid-lowering agents and who have cholesterol levels that are mild to moderately above the levels recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) guidelines.

This is a multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Following a 4-week Pre-Randomization Phase where patients will be instructed to maintain a stable diet, patients will be randomized to one of the following study groups for a 12-week Active Treatment Phase:

• HEP-40 400 mg three times a day (400 mg TID)

• HEP-40 800 mg twice a day (800 mg BID)

• HEP-40 800 mg three times a day (800 mg TID)

• HEP-40 2400 mg once a day (2400 mg QD)

• Placebo, three times a day (placebo)

The primary objective is to evaluate the clinical benefit of administering HEP-40 chitosan at different doses and at different dosing regimens compared with placebo. Clinical benefit will be defined as the reduction in LDL-cholesterol after 4 weeks of active treatment. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hypercholesterolemia

• NCT number: NCT00454831
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: DNP Canada
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: February 2006
• Completion date: September 2007