Summary
L-Carnitine has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Hypothyroidism. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking L-Carnitine to Hypothyroidism: 1 has completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT01769157). The largest enrolment is 90 participants (NCT03372772). Registration activity spans 2012 to 2017. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 1 systematic review and 1 clinical trial publication. Publication years run from 2016 to 2024. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Hypothyroidism ranks 81 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Hashimoto's (most common cause) is irreversible in majority; spontaneous recovery in <5%; subclinical hypothyroidism spontaneously normalizes in ~30-40% of cases within 2 years without treatment.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 15.5 (trials 5.5, literature 5.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (1 systematic review, 1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Supplement |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Herbal treatments for hypothyroidism: an evidence-based review · Santiago JB, Martinez F, Durzynski N, Varon J, Halma M · 2025 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT01769157 | Effects of L-carnitine on Hypothyroidism 2012 | completed | Phase 4 | 60 |
| NCT03372772 | Effect of Levocarnitine Supplementation for the Management of Fatigue in Levothyroxine-Treated Hypothyroid Patients 2017 | status unknown | Not applicable | 90 |
Published literature
- Systematic review Interventions to improve symptomatology in patients with hypothyroidism and persistent symptoms: A systematic reviewHidalgo J, Lincango EP, Cordova-Madera S et al. · Endocrine · 2024 · PMID 38622434
- Clinical trial publication L-carnitine supplementation for the management of fatigue in patients with hypothyroidism on levothyroxine treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialAn JH, Kim YJ, Kim KJ et al. · Endocrine journal · 2016 · PMID 27432821
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Herbal treatments for hypothyroidism: an evidence-based review · Santiago JB, Martinez F, Durzynski N, Varon J, Halma M · 2025.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is L-Carnitine approved for Hypothyroidism?
L-Carnitine has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Hypothyroidism. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is L-Carnitine in clinical trials for Hypothyroidism?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking L-Carnitine to Hypothyroidism: 1 has completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT01769157). The largest enrolment is 90 participants (NCT03372772). Registration activity spans 2012 to 2017.
What does the evidence show for L-Carnitine in Hypothyroidism?
L-Carnitine has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Hypothyroidism. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.