Summary
Selenium has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Osteoporosis. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Selenium to Osteoporosis: 1 has completed. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT02832648). It plans or enrolled 123 participants. Registered activity dates to 2017. The literature layer holds 3 publications for this pair: 2 Cochrane reviews and 1 meta-analysis. Publication years run from 2010 to 2023. 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 Osteoporosis ranks 221 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: Bone density decline of 1-3%/year in postmenopausal women without treatment; fracture risk increases exponentially with T-score decline; no spontaneous remission.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 23.5 (trials 4.5, literature 14.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 3 (2 Cochrane reviews, 1 meta-analysis) |
| Agent type | Supplement |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Herbal and nutraceutical interventions for osteoporosis: a review of effects on bone mineral density · Halma M, O'Leary C, Varon J · 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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02832648 | Selenium for Musculoskeletal Health 2017 | completed | Phase 3 | 123 |
Published literature
- Meta-analysis Causal Effect of Selenium Levels on Osteoporosis: A Mendelian Randomization StudyLi J, Li H, Ullah A et al. · Nutrients · 2023 · PMID 38140324
- Cochrane review Selenium and bone health: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysisWang N, Xie D, Wu J et al. · BMJ open · 2020 · PMID 33109642
- Cochrane review A review of select vitamins and minerals used by postmenopausal womenDennehy C, Tsourounis C · Maturitas · 2010 · PMID 20580500
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Herbal and nutraceutical interventions for osteoporosis: a review of effects on bone mineral density · Halma M, O'Leary C, Varon J · 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 Selenium approved for Osteoporosis?
Selenium has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Osteoporosis. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Selenium in clinical trials for Osteoporosis?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Selenium to Osteoporosis: 1 has completed. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT02832648). It plans or enrolled 123 participants. Registered activity dates to 2017.
What does the evidence show for Selenium in Osteoporosis?
Selenium has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Osteoporosis. 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.