Arginine

Intervention Approved 1973

5 papers2 findings

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.

2 independent labs in 1 country
0 on aging of 78 trials, 10 with no results posted

Funders: National Institute on Aging and 5 more

Human trial2
Humans1
Model organisms1

Outcomes

Appendage regeneration

upin A. coerulea1

1 study

Arginine improves appendage regeneration in A. coerulea.
“Exogenous arginine supplementation promotes appendage regeneration.”
Model organisms
Microbiome modulation in regeneration in jellyfish
PloS one21 Aug 2026

Flow-mediated dilation

no changein humans1

1 study

Arginine has no effect on flow-mediated dilation in humans.
“l-Arginine did not significantly increase FMD in either group despite 23-fold (older) and 19-fold (younger) increases in plasma l-arginine concentrations (P < 0.0001 vs. control).”
Human trialhealthy older subjects
Impaired flow-mediated dilation with age is not explained by L-arginine bioavailability or endothelial asymmetric dimethylarginine protein expression
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)31 Aug 2006

Trials

0 on aging of 78

Approved

FDA R-Gene 10
28 Feb 1973Dwarfism, Pituitary, craniopharyngioma, trauma, adenoma, hypoglycemia, acromegaly, gigantism
FDA Trophamine 10%, Trophamine
20 Jul 1984burns
FDA Travasol 10% IN Plastic Container, Travasol 5.5% IN Plastic Container, Travasol 8.5% IN Plastic Container
23 Aug 1984TRAVASOL is indicated as a source of amino acids for patients requiring parenteral nutrition when oral or enteral nutrition is not…
FDA Aminosyn-PF 7%
6 Sep 1985burns
FDA Aminosyn-PF 10%
17 Oct 1986burns
FDA Aminosyn II 10% IN Plastic Container
19 Dec 1991stress

All 7

FDA Aminosyn II 15% IN Plastic Container
19 Dec 1991stress

Repurposing

Cardiovascular disease
Phase 3Completed2 trials
Type 2 diabetes
Phase 4Terminated1 trial
Hypertension
Phase 4Terminated2 trials
Diabetes mellitus
Phase 4Terminated2 trials
Atherosclerosis
Phase 4Terminated1 trial
Insulin resistance
Phase 3Completed1 trial

40 of 42

COVID-19
Phase 3Status unknown1 trial
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Phase 3Status unknown1 trial
Neoplasm
Phase 3Status unknown2 trials
Glucose intolerance
Phase 3Completed2 trials
Erectile dysfunction
Phase 4Completed2 trials
Pulmonary arterial hypertension
Phase 3Completed1 trial
Neuroendocrine tumor
Phase 4Results posted4 trials
Pre-eclampsia
Phase 3Completed3 trials
Agnosia
Phase 3Results posted1 trial
Alzheimer's disease
Phase 2Results posted1 trial
Hypercholesterolemia
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Rheumatoid arthritis
Phase 2Status unknown1 trial
Sepsis
Phase 2/3Completed2 trials
Pneumonia
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Cognitive dysfunction
Phase 2Results posted2 trials
Peripheral arterial disease
Phase 2Completed2 trials
Essential hypertension
Phase 2/3Completed1 trial
Stomatitis
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Cystic fibrosis
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Intermittent claudication
Phase 2Completed2 trials
Meningioma
Phase 2Results posted1 trial
Diabetic foot
Phase 2/3Terminated1 trial
Pleural effusion
Phase 2/3Results posted1 trial
Congenital heart defect
Phase 2/3Results posted1 trial
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
Phase 2Results posted1 trial
Coronary artery disease
Phase 1/2Completed1 trial
Kidney disease
Early phase 1Completed1 trial
Dental caries
Phase 1Completed1 trial
Peripheral vascular disease
Phase 1Completed3 trials
Leukemia
Phase 1/2Terminated1 trial
Lymphoma
Phase 1/2Terminated1 trial
Septic shock
Early phase 1Completed1 trial
Multiple system atrophy
Phase 1Completed1 trial
Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Phase 1Completed2 trials

In trials

Dentin Sensitivity
Phase 4Results posted3 trials
Diabetes Insipidus
Phase 4Completed2 trials
Carcinoid tumor
Phase 4Results posted1 trial
Chronic renal insufficiency
Phase 4Active, not recruiting1 trial
Fetal growth retardation
Phase 4Status unknown1 trial
Sickle Cell Anemia
Phase 3Results posted7 trials

All 15

HCC
Phase 3Status unknown3 trials
Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
Phase 3Completed2 trials
Univentricular Heart
Phase 2/3Results posted2 trials
Head and Neck Neoplasms
Phase 2Completed2 trials
Prostatic Neoplasms
Phase 2Results posted2 trials
MELAS syndrome
Phase 2Completed1 trial
Breast neoplasm
Phase 1/2Terminated1 trial
Aneurysm
Phase 1Completed1 trial
Neoplasm metastasis
Early phase 1Recruiting1 trial

Stopped

NCT00569465TerminatedDiabetes mellitus
End of the study
NCT00856817TerminatedAtherosclerosis
Recruitment faillure. Similar study published by others. Not yet entered treatment phase.
NCT05281562TerminatedDiabetic foot
Not enough patients meeting eligibility criteria to complete the study. It took months from study initiation to enroll 1 participant in February 2023. Once it was clear it was not possible to enroll another participant, the study was terminated.
NCT03953326TerminatedBreast neoplasm
Futility in recruitment

Trial sponsors

Ipsen
Company1 trialPhase 1/240 people
University of Turin, Italy
1 trialPhase 424 people
IRCCS San Raffaele
1 trialPhase 3150 people
Beni-Suef University
1 trialPhase 3100 people
Lebanese American University Medical Center
1 trialPhase 342 people
Ain Shams University
2 trialsPhase 2/3159 people
Prisma Health-Midlands
1 trialPhase 2/31 person
University of Guadalajara
1 trialPhase 282 people

Funding

4 grants since 2023

National Institute on AgingUS$2.2mNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeUS$2.2mNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesUS$96.7k