Effect of Ketone Esters on Liver Fat Content and Metabolic Function

Q: Who can participate in NCT07097506?

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.

Q: How do I contact the trial site for NCT07097506?

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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Effect of Ketone Esters on Liver Fat and Metabolic Function in Adolescents With Obesity and MASLD

Effect of Ketone Esters on Liver Fat Content and Metabolic Function (NCT07097506) is a Phase 2 interventional studying MASLD - Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Obesity, sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether ingestion of a ketone ester drink helps improve liver health and blood glucose control. Ketones are a type of energy source made by the body during times of weight loss, low carbohydrate intake and starvation. People enrolled in this study will be randomly assigned (by chance, like the flip of a coin) to one of two groups: Group 1: Ketone ester drink consumed daily for 6 weeks. Group 2: Placebo drink consumed daily for 6 weeks.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against MASLD - Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

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.

With a target enrollment of 40 participants, this is a small study — typical of early-phase research, rare-disease trials, or pilot studies designed to generate preliminary signal before a larger study is launched.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Age: ≥18 and ≤25 years; - BMI 25.0 - 44.9 kg/m2; - Intrahepatic triglyceride content \>5% assessed by using magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - HbA1C ≥6.5%; - taking dietary supplements or medications known to affect our study outcomes including corticosteroids and other drugs associated with steatosis (metformin use will be allowable if participants have taken a stable dose for at least 3 months without any gastrointestinal-related symptoms); - active eating disorder, any anaphylactic food allergy and/or consuming a very-low-carbohydrate (\<50 g/day) diet; - Fibroscan controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score \<240 dB/m assessed within last 2 months before entering the study; - recent (\<2 months) history of moderate-severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other significant gastrointestinal symptoms; - consume tobacco products, excessive alcohol (females: \>14 drinks/week; males: \>21 drinks/week), or illegal drugs determined by medical history; - evidence of significant active organ system dysfunction, liver disease other than MASLD (e.g., Wilson disease, viral hepatitis, inborn errors of metabolism, or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency) or cirrhosis as a results of any condition or disease; - have had bariatric surgery or plan to have endoscopic or bariatric surgery therapy for obesity; - have undergone organ transplantation; - have HIV and any other type of congenital or acquired lipodystrophy; - unwilling or unable to provide willing to sign a consent form; - major psychiatric illness; - metal implants that are not MRI-compatible; ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov 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: * Age: ≥18 and ≤25 years; * BMI 25.0 - 44.9 kg/m2; * Intrahepatic triglyceride content \>5% assessed by using magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). Exclusion Criteria: * HbA1C ≥6.5%; * taking dietary supplements or medications known to affect our study outcomes including corticosteroids and other drugs associated with steatosis (metformin use will be allowable if participants have taken a stable dose for at least 3 months without any gastrointestinal-related symptoms); * active eating disorder, any anaphylactic food allergy and/or consuming a very-low-carbohydrate (\<50 g/day) diet; * Fibroscan controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score \<240 dB/m assessed within last 2 months before entering the study; * recent (\<2 months) history of moderate-severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other significant gastrointestinal symptoms; * consume tobacco products, excessive alcohol (females: \>14 drinks/week; males: \>21 drinks/week), or illegal drugs determined by medical history; * evidence of significant active organ system dysfunction, liver disease other than MASLD (e.g., Wilson disease, viral hepatitis, inborn errors of metabolism, or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency) or cirrhosis as a results of any condition or disease; * have had bariatric surgery or plan to have endoscopic or bariatric surgery therapy for obesity; * have undergone organ transplantation; * have HIV and any other type of congenital or acquired lipodystrophy; * unwilling or unable to provide informed consent; * major psychiatric illness; * metal implants that are not MRI-compatible; * pregnancy, as determined by a urine HCG screening test assessed performed at all screening, baseline testing, and follow-up visits. In addition, male and female participants of reproductive and childbearing age who wish to enroll will be required to agree to use contraception throughout the study period, and for 30 days after the last dose of C8 ketone di-ester; * female participants who are currently lactating; * Structured exercise: ≥75 min/wk of vigorous exercise (e.g., jogging, activity that causes heavy breathing and sweating) or ≥200 min/wk of low intensity physical activity (e.g., brisk walking); * Unstable weight (\>3% change during the last 2 months before entering the study); * Anemia (hemoglobin \<10.5 g/dL in females and \<11.0 g/dL in males); * Unable or unwilling to follow the study protocol or who, for any reason, is considered an inappropriate candidate for the study by the research team.

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

bis-octanoyl (R)-1,3-butanediol (C8 ketone di-ester)

25 g C8 ketone di-ester taken daily for approximately 6-weeks

OTHER

Placebo

25 g Placebo taken daily for approximately 6-weeks

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.

Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT07097506), the sponsor (Washington University School of Medicine), 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 NCT07097506 clinical trial studying?

Who can participate in NCT07097506?

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 NCT07097506?

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 NCT07097506. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT07097506. 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.