Acetylcholine

Intervention Approved 1973

2 papers1 finding

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

1 lab in 1 country
0 on aging of 25 trials, 12 with no results posted

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China and 3 more

Humans1
Model organisms1

Outcomes

Lifespan

downin worms1

1 study

Acetylcholine shortens lifespan in worms.
“motor neurons signal the gut in early life to shorten lifespan”
Model organisms
Temporally controlled nervous system-to-gut signaling bidirectionally regulates longevity in C. elegans
eLife23 Mar 2026Preprint

Trials

0 on aging of 25

Approved

FDA Miochol
9 Oct 1973Discontinued
FDA Miochol-E
22 Sep 1993cataract

Repurposing

Type 2 diabetes
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Insulin resistance
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Anemia
Phase 2Terminated1 trial
Obesity
Early phase 1Results posted2 trials
Hypertension
Phase 1Recruiting1 trial
Heart failure
Phase 1Recruiting1 trial

All 15

HIV infection
Phase 1Terminated1 trial
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Phase 1Recruiting1 trial
Gestational diabetes
Early phase 1Active, not recruiting2 trials
Pulmonary hypertension
Phase 1Terminated1 trial
Leukemia
Phase 1/2Terminated1 trial
Lymphoma
Phase 1/2Terminated1 trial
Aneurysm
Early phase 1Results posted2 trials
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
Phase 1Terminated1 trial
Pre-eclampsia
Early phase 1Recruiting1 trial

In trials

Sickle Cell Anemia
Phase 2Completed3 trials
Hyperlipidemias
Phase 2Terminated1 trial
Breast neoplasm
Phase 1/2Terminated1 trial
Aging
Early phase 1Recruiting1 trial

Stopped

NCT03446612TerminatedAnemia
The study is terminated due to feasibility in recruitment.
NCT00166166TerminatedHyperlipidemias
Limited clinical staff
NCT03953326TerminatedBreast neoplasm
Futility in recruitment
NCT01848301TerminatedCardiac allograft vasculopathy
loss of funding
NCT04001647TerminatedAneurysm
IRB approval has been withdrawn

Trial sponsors

GSK
Company1 trialPhase 26 people
Sanofi
Company1 trialPhase 154 people
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
4 trialsPhase 2191 people
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
3 trialsPhase 2139 people
Emory University
1 trialPhase 2174 people
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
1 trialPhase 2150 people
Penn State University
1 trialPhase 1/22 people
D. Walter Wray
1 trialPhase 1420 people

Funding

3 grants since 2023

National Institute on AgingUS$2mNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesUS$405.5kNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesUS$47.9k