New study: Ursodeoxycholeberberine shows significant therapeutic effects in patients with type 2 diabetes

With the change of modern lifestyle, type 2 diabetes has become a global public health problem. This disease is often accompanied by chronic metabolic abnormalities such as hypertension and fatty liver, resulting in complicated conditions and poor prognosis for patients. Although there are many glucose-lowering drugs on the market, the overall control rate of type 2 diabetes is still unsatisfactory. Especially in China, less than half of the patients have their glycated hemoglobin levels controlled below 7%. Therefore, finding a drug that can simultaneously lower blood sugar, lower lipids and protect the liver has become a common goal pursued by researchers and clinicians.

Recently, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Professor Ji Linong of Peking University People's Hospital and his team revealed that ursodeoxycholeberberine showed significant therapeutic effects in patients with type 2 diabetes, bringing new hope to patients.

Research process and findings

The research team adopted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial design to ensure the scientificity and objectivity of the study. The patients participating in the study were randomly divided into three groups and received 500 mg of ursodeoxycholeberberine, 1000 mg of ursodeoxycholeberberine or placebo twice a day.

During the treatment, the researchers closely monitored the patients' blood sugar, blood lipids and liver function indicators, and recorded any adverse events. The efficacy and safety of ursodeoxycholeberberine were evaluated by comparing the changes in various indicators of the three groups of patients.

The results of the study showed that ursodeoxycholeberberine performed well in lowering blood sugar. Improvements in glycated hemoglobin levels were observed at week 8 of treatment, and this improvement lasted until week 12. Compared with the placebo group, glycated hemoglobin levels in the 500 mg ursodeoxycholeberberine group and the 1000 mg ursodeoxycholeberberine group were reduced by 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively. As the treatment time and the dosage increased, the proportion of patients with glycated hemoglobin levels of <7% and <6.5% also increased.

In addition, ursodeoxycholeberberine also showed a positive effect in lowering blood lipids. Compared with the placebo group, the levels of LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol in the ursodeoxycholeberberine group showed a dose-dependent decrease. In simple terms, ursodeoxycholeberberine can lower blood lipids, and the effect is dose-related. The higher the dose, the more obvious the reduction in LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels, which is better than the placebo effect.

The study also found that ursodeoxycholeberberine has a protective effect on the liver. After 4 weeks of treatment, ursodeoxycholeberberine was able to reduce key liver function indicators (such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase), demonstrating its potential liver protective benefits.

In terms of safety, ursodeoxycholeberberine also performed relatively well. Although a certain proportion of patients experienced adverse events after treatment, most of them were mild. Overall, the safety was controllable and the patients had good tolerance.

Future Outlook

Based on the positive results of this study, ursodeoxycholeberberine is expected to become a new option for patients with type 2 diabetes. However, larger-scale and longer-term clinical trials are still needed in more diverse populations to further verify its efficacy and safety. A concurrent review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that future studies should conduct larger-scale and longer-term clinical trials in more diverse populations and explore the combination of ursodeoxycholeberberine with existing therapies or compare their efficacy.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires long-term management and treatment. As a new type of "one drug, three effects" therapeutic drug, ursodeoxycholeberberine brings new hope for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. However, in addition to relying on drug treatment, patients also need to actively adjust their lifestyle, including a balanced diet, moderate exercise, etc., to achieve the best treatment effect. We believe that with the deepening of research and the promotion of clinical application, this new drug will bring health and well-being to more patients.

Reference: Ji L, Ma J, Ma Y, et al. Berberine Ursodeoxycholate for the Treatment of Type 2Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open.2025;8(3):e2462185.doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.62185