Previewing Four Hepatic Encephalopathy Clinical Trials Set to Complete in the United States

It is essential for clinicians to remain informed about emerging clinical trial opportunities and resulting data that may inform therapeutic strategies, affect clinical guidelines, expand treatment options, and ultimately improve patient quality of life.

The following clinical trials preview features four US-based, Phase 2 clinical trials focusing on hepatic encephalopathy. The ranges of anticipated primary completion dates range from August 2026 through October 2030. The trials are arranged in order of their start date.

Quick View Table of Hepatic Encephalopathy Clinical Trials

Featured Phase 2 Clinical Trials

Microbiota trAnSplant ThERaPy In hEpatiC Encephalopathy (MASTERPIECE) (MASTERPIECE)

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Goal: Find out whether changing the microbes in the bowels of veterans with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (a condition that affects the brain as a result of liver problems) using capsules made from microbes from healthy people can prevent future episodes of hepatic encephalopathy.
• Interventions: Microbiota transplant therapy (MTT) capsules, placebo capsule
• Primary Outcome Measures: Recurrence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).
• Time Frame: Six months.
• Study Details
• Source

Hepatic Encephalopathy and Albumin Lasting Cognitive Improvement (HEAL-LAST)

• Sponsor: Hunter Holmes Mcguire Veteran Affairs Medical Center
• Goal: Improvement in cognitive dysfunction with IV albumin in patients with cirrhosis with prior HE and MHE lasts for several weeks after albumin infusion has ended, and is due to persistent improvement in inflammatory markers, endothelial dysfunction, albumin function and gut microbial changes.
• Interventions: Albumin infusion
• Primary Outcome Measures: Delta change in psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) in placebo phase vs albumin phase.
• Time Frame: Four weeks each.
• Study Details
• Source

TReatment for ImmUne Mediated PathopHysiology (TRIUMPH)

• Sponsor: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Goal: Determine if suppressing inflammatory responses with either corticosteroids or equine anti-thymocyte globulin therapy improves survival for children with this rare, life-threatening condition.
• Interventions: High-dose methylprednisolone, equine anti-thymocyte globulin, prednisolone, placebo for prednisolone, placebo for infusions, diphenhydramine, methylprednisolone
• Primary Outcome Measure: Survival with native liver (SNL).
• Time Frame: 21 days.
• Study Details
• Source

Fecal Microbiota Transplant as Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy

• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Goal: Compare the ability of stool donation from two healthy stool donors versus a placebo to improve the neurological function of patients with advanced liver disease.
• Interventions: Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) oral capsules, Placebo oral capsule
• Primary Outcome Measure: Psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES).
• Time Frame: Before the first administration of FMT (day 0) and one week after the last administration of FMT (day 28).
• Study Details
• Source

Related Guidelines:

Hepatic Encephalopathy
American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), March 2026

Hepatic Encephalopathy in Chronic Liver Disease
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), April 2014

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