Combining the Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Simvastatin with N-Acetylcysteine for Chronic Pancreatitis in India

Principal Investigator: Dr. Rajiv Mehta

Disease: Chronic pancreatitis

Research Description: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a clinical challenge in India, and the persistent inflammation and oxidative stress seen in CP leads to pancreatic fibrosis. CP patients suffer from symptoms such as pain, nausea and weight loss, and further progression of fibrosis leads to irreversible structural damage to the pancreas. Current treatments for the management of CP include analgesics, nutraceuticals and anti-oxidants, which are unable to control inflammation and fibrosis. Therefore, none of these existing options can deliver long-term pain relief by slowing disease progression. Simvastatin, FDA approved to treat high cholesterol, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. In addition, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), FDA approved to treat some respiratory issues and acetaminophen poisoning, has anti-fibrotic properties. Therefore, the research team believes the combination of these two drugs could be an effective treatment for CP patients. This clinical trial will repurpose simvastatin and NAC in combination with the current nutraceuticals given as standard of care. The research team anticipates that CP patients receiving combination of simvastatin, NAC and nutraceuticals will experience a greater decrease in fibro-inflammatory markers than nutraceuticals alone, which may consequently slow disease progression and improve quality of life.

Funding Partners: Cures Within Reach and ReGRoW Funders

CWR funding role: Participating funder