COVID-19 Patients Recover Faster with Metabolic Activator Treatment, Study Shows

Metabolic activators can reduce recovery time by as many as 3.5 days in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden) also found that treatment with the metabolic activators improved liver health and decreased the levels of inflammation, as shown by inflammatory markers. Their human phase 3 clinical study showed that patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 - who were also receiving standard care - experienced a 3.5 day reduction in recovery time when receiving the combination of metabolic activators, nicotinamide riboside (NR), L-serine, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), and L-carnitine tartrate. All four activators are aimed at improving mitochondrial function. The results of the study build on findings from phase 2 clinical data.


Through a randomized, placebo controlled, double blind phase three clinical trial, 309 outpatients were randomly assigned on a 3:1 basis to receive the metabolic activators or placebo. Patients received the combined activators or placebo twice a day for 14 days and clinical status was evaluated through daily telephone check-ins.

“Our phase 3 data shows that metabolic activators significantly improve the recovery, liver health, and markers of inflammation of patients with COVID-19,” said the study’s lead author, Adil Mardinoglu, professor at KTH and Kings College and research fellow at SciLifeLab. “Dysfunctional mitochondria have been implicated in worsened progression for COVID-19, and we are pleased to find that the combination of these metabolic activators helps to remedy the stress put on the body of an infected patient.”

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KTH Royal Institute of Technology