Disease × agent evidence record

Curcumin for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC): evidence, trials and status

Curcumin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC). 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.

8 registered trials 0 recruiting 14 publications Evidence tier A · Strong Score 69.5
Research Tracker › Pairs › Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC) › Curcumin
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Curcumin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC). ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Curcumin to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC): 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 2 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT07665294). It plans or enrolled 160 participants. Registration activity spans 2012 to 2026. The literature layer holds 14 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 3 meta-analyses, 1 randomised controlled trial publication and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2021 to 2026. 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 Inflammatory Bowel Disease ranks 200 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: Disease course unchanged in ~85% of patients at 10 years on standard care; ~23% (CD) and ~12% (UC) relapse within 12 months of thiopurine withdrawal in sustained remission.

Open in Repurposing ExplorerAgent page: CurcuminInflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC) hubInflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC) biomarkers & interventions

Evidence table

Evidence tierA · Strong
Evidence score69.5 (trials 19.5, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0)
Registered trials8 total: 0 recruiting, 2 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 4 other
Linked publications14 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 clinical trial publications, 3 meta-analyses, 1 randomised controlled trial publication)
Agent typeDrug (Small molecule)
Development stage (any indication)Approved
Mechanism / classNot recorded
Data sourcesDGIdb
Linked via biomarker / targetALPI
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 IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT07665294Combination CurQD and Vedolizumab in Ulcerative Colitis
2026
not yet recruitingPhase 4160
NCT02683733Bio-enhanced Curcumin as an Add-On Treatment in Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis
2016
status unknownPhase 350
NCT04713631Safety and Efficacy of Artesunate & Curcumin in Crohn's Disease
2021
status unknownPhase 240
NCT01647412Growth Hormone and Exclusion Diet Therapy in Juvenile Crohn's Disease
2012
withdrawnPhase 2—
NCT04513015Markers of Oxidative Stress in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Risk Factors and Implications for a Dietetic Approach
2019
active, not recruitingNot applicable155
NCT05472753Dietary Supplement on the Intestinal Microbiota in Patients with Colon Cancer
2022
completedNot applicable75
NCT05761327Investigation of the Effects of Curcumin and Resveratrol Supplements Added to the Mediterranean Diet on Disease Severity and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis
2022
completedNot applicable48
NCT03500653Curcumin Supplementation as an Add on Treatment for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Treated With Vedolizumab
2020
status unknownNot applicable100

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ALPI. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Curcumin approved for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC)?

Curcumin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC). Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Curcumin in clinical trials for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC)?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Curcumin to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC): 2 are active or not yet recruiting; 2 have completed; 4 are terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT07665294). It plans or enrolled 160 participants. Registration activity spans 2012 to 2026.

What does the evidence show for Curcumin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC)?

Curcumin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC). 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 A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ALPI. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Curcumin for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's / UC): evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/inflammatory-bowel-disease/curcumin.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.