Summary
Chlorthalidone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Chlorthalidone to Obesity: 2 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT04519164). The largest enrolment is 94 participants (NCT03006796). Registration activity spans 2017 to 2020. The literature layer holds 5 publications for this pair: 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1993 to 2021. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Obesity ranks 368 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: Sustained weight loss of >5% without intervention: ~5-10% at 2 years; weight regain almost universal after behavioural intervention alone (95% return to within 5% of starting weight at 5 years on lifestyle alone).
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 37.0 (trials 7.0, literature 10.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 5 (5 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | CA4 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04519164 | Aldosterone, the Mineralocorticoid Receptor, and Cardiovascular Disease in Obesity 2020 | completed | Phase 4 | 79 |
| NCT03006796 | Observational Study of Azilsartan/Chlorthalidone and Irbesartan/Hydrochlorothiazide in Hypertension and Obesity. 2017 | completed | Not applicable | 94 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Risk of hospitalized and non-hospitalized gastrointestinal bleeding in ALLHAT trial participants receiving diuretic, ACE-inhibitor, or calcium-channel blockerDu XL, Simpson LM, Tandy BC et al. · PloS one · 2021 · PMID 34793552
- Clinical trial publication Atrial fibrillation at baseline and during follow-up in ALLHAT (Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial)Haywood LJ, Ford CE, Crow RS et al. · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2009 · PMID 19926008
- Clinical trial publication Relationships of quality-of-life measures to long-term lifestyle and drug treatment in the Treatment of Mild Hypertension StudyGrimm RH Jr, Grandits GA, Cutler JA et al. · Archives of internal medicine · 1997 · PMID 9080918
- Clinical trial publication Glucose and insulin levels during diuretic therapy in hypertensive menSiegel D, Saliba P, Haffner S · Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) · 1994 · PMID 8206564
- Clinical trial publication Effect of withdrawal of antihypertensive drug on depressive moodThaler L, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Blaufox MD et al. · American journal of hypertension · 1993 · PMID 8136096
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor.
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 CA4. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chlorthalidone approved for Obesity?
Chlorthalidone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Obesity would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Obesity. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Chlorthalidone in clinical trials for Obesity?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Chlorthalidone to Obesity: 2 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT04519164). The largest enrolment is 94 participants (NCT03006796). Registration activity spans 2017 to 2020.
What does the evidence show for Chlorthalidone in Obesity?
Chlorthalidone has 2 completed trials and 5 linked publications for Obesity. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. 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 CA4. 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.