Summary
Metformin has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Sarcopenia. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Metformin to Sarcopenia: 1 has completed. The most advanced is PHASE1, PHASE2 (NCT01804049). It plans or enrolled 120 participants. Registered activity dates to 2014. The literature layer holds 5 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review and 4 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2017 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 Sarcopenia ranks 82 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 20.5 (trials 2.5, literature 13.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 5 (4 clinical trial publications, 1 Cochrane review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Reversing decline in aging muscles: expected trends, impacts and remedies · Halma M, Marik P, Varon J, Tuszynski 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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT01804049 | Metformin and Muscle in Insulin-resistant Older Veterans 2014 | completed | PHASE1, PHASE2 | 120 |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in Asian adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysisWu YC, Mao MT, Huang HE et al. · Journal of diabetes investigation · 2026 · PMID 41165506
- Clinical trial publication [The Effect of Metformin on Short-Chain Fatty Acid Levels in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure, Prediabetes, and Sarcopenia]Klimova AV, Sokolova AV, Dragunov DO et al. · Kardiologiia · 2025 · PMID 40331651
- Clinical trial publication Metformin and physical performance in older people with probable sarcopenia and physical prefrailty or frailty in England (MET-PREVENT): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trialWitham MD, McDonald C, Wilson N et al. · The lancet. Healthy longevity · 2025 · PMID 40147475
- Clinical trial publication Metformin Improves Sarcopenia-Related Quality of Life in Geriatric Adults: A Randomized Controlled TrialQaisar R, Karim A, Muhammad T et al. · Archives of medical research · 2024 · PMID 38615625
- Clinical trial publication Metformin to Augment Strength Training Effective Response in Seniors (MASTERS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trialLong DE, Peck BD, Martz JL et al. · Trials · 2017 · PMID 28441958
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Reversing decline in aging muscles: expected trends, impacts and remedies · Halma M, Marik P, Varon J, Tuszynski 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 Metformin approved for Sarcopenia?
Metformin has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Sarcopenia. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Metformin in clinical trials for Sarcopenia?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Metformin to Sarcopenia: 1 has completed. The most advanced is PHASE1, PHASE2 (NCT01804049). It plans or enrolled 120 participants. Registered activity dates to 2014.
What does the evidence show for Metformin in Sarcopenia?
Metformin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Sarcopenia. 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.