Bicalutamide Therapy in Young Women With NAFLD and PCOS

Pilot Trial of Bicalutamide Versus Placebo in Reproductive-Aged Women With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Bicalutamide Therapy in Young Women With NAFLD and PCOS (NCT05979389) is a Phase 1 interventional studying NAFLD and PCOS, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or fat-related liver inflammation and scarring is projected to be the leading cause of cirrhosis in the United States (U.S.) within the next few years. Women are at disproportionate risk for NASH, with approximately 15 million U.S. women affected. There is an urgent need to understand risk factors for NASH and its progression in women, and sex hormones may provide a missing link. This study will study the contribution of androgens to liver injury and progression in PCOS and mechanistic role of dysregulated lipid metabolism and visceral adiposity in this process. Such findings will provide the rationale for future efficacy studies evaluating selective androgen receptor (AR) antagonism for NASH in PCOS, or alternatively, the need to directly target visceral adiposity or lipid-specific pathways as part of a precision medicine approach to halt fibrosis progression in the nearly 5 million young women with PCOS and NAFLD in the U.S., who remain at increased risk for early onset and progressive liver disease.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 1 trials test a new treatment for the first time in humans, focusing on safety, dosing, and how the body processes the drug. For NAFLD, a Phase 1 study typically enrolls a small number of participants — often healthy volunteers or patients who have exhausted standard treatment options. Phase 1 results determine whether a treatment moves into larger Phase 2 efficacy studies.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 50 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused NAFLD subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Women aged 18-42 years with hyperandrogenic PCOS - NASH identified on liver biopsy or probable NASH on transient elastography- controlled attenuation parameter (TE-CAP) with cutoffs defined as CAP score ≥270 decibel/m and TE score \> 7.0 kPA or alanine aminotransferase ≥40 U/L). Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Uncontrolled diabetes - Alcohol consumption \>2 drinks per day for at least 3 consecutive months over the previous 5 years - Other chronic liver disease (i.e. hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, autoimmune hepatitis) or cirrhosis from any cause - Recent or planned upcoming weight reduction surgery within five years of diagnosis of biopsy-confirmed NASH - HIV infection - Drugs associated with fatty liver (i.e. amiodarone, methotrexate, systemic glucocorticoids, tamoxifen, anabolic steroids, valproic acid) for more than 4 weeks prior to baseline or during study - Recent, current, or planned upcoming pregnancy or current perimenopausal status - Renal impairment (glomerular filtration rate \<45 ml/min/1.73m or potassium levels \> 5.0 mmol/L) - Androgen receptor antagonist use (i.e. spironolactone or flutamide) for more than 3 months within one year prior to baseline Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Women aged 18-42 years with hyperandrogenic PCOS * NASH identified on liver biopsy or probable NASH on transient elastography- controlled attenuation parameter (TE-CAP) with cutoffs defined as CAP score ≥270 decibel/m and TE score \> 7.0 kPA or alanine aminotransferase ≥40 U/L). Exclusion Criteria: * Uncontrolled diabetes * Alcohol consumption \>2 drinks per day for at least 3 consecutive months over the previous 5 years * Other chronic liver disease (i.e. hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, autoimmune hepatitis) or cirrhosis from any cause * Recent or planned upcoming weight reduction surgery within five years of diagnosis of biopsy-confirmed NASH * HIV infection * Drugs associated with fatty liver (i.e. amiodarone, methotrexate, systemic glucocorticoids, tamoxifen, anabolic steroids, valproic acid) for more than 4 weeks prior to baseline or during study * Recent, current, or planned upcoming pregnancy or current perimenopausal status * Renal impairment (glomerular filtration rate \<45 ml/min/1.73m or potassium levels \> 5.0 mmol/L) * Androgen receptor antagonist use (i.e. spironolactone or flutamide) for more than 3 months within one year prior to baseline

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Bicalutamide 50 mg

Bicalutamide capsules will be prepared from U.S. Pharmacopeia grade powder at a dose of 50 mg

DRUG

Placebo

Matching placebo capsules of the same color, mass, and appearance to the bicalutamide capsules will be filled using microcrystalline cellulose powder.

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

University of California San Francisco

San Francisco, California, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT05979389), the sponsor (University of California, San Francisco), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT05979389 clinical trial studying?

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or fat-related liver inflammation and scarring is projected to be the leading cause of cirrhosis in the United States (U.S.) within the next few years. Women are at disproportionate risk for NASH, with approximately 15 million U.S. women affected. There is an urgent need to understand risk factors for NASH and its progression in women, and sex hormones may provide a missing link. This study will study the contribution of androgens to liver injury and progression in PCOS and mechanistic role of dysregulated lipid metabolism and visceral adiposity in this pro… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT05979389?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT05979389?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT05979389. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT05979389. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.