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Phenylbutyric Acid

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Phenylbutyric Acid does in the body

PHEBURANE is indicated as adjunctive therapy to standard of care, which includes dietary management, for the chronic management of adult and pediatric patients with urea cycle disorders (UCDs), involving deficiencies of carbamylphosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) or argininosuccinic acid synthetase (AS).

From the FDA-approved label: Sodium phenylbutyrate is a pro-drug and is metabolized to phenylacetate. Phenylacetate is a metabolically-active compound that conjugates with glutamine via acetylation to form phenylacetylglutamine. Phenylacetylglutamine is excreted by the kidneys, hence providing an alternate vehicle for waste nitrogen excretion.

Why people take it. PHEBURANE is indicated as adjunctive therapy to standard of care, which includes dietary management, for the chronic management of adult and pediatric patients with urea cycle disorders (UCDs), involving deficiencies of carbamylphosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) or argininosuccinic acid synthetase (AS).

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
RNAWiki has not recorded a supervision or regulatory status for this substance.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as chemical.

    FDA substance registry · NT6K61736T · read 2026-08-29

  • Its recorded molecular formula is C10H11NaO2, weighing 186.19.

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

Where each sentence above came from

The use the label states, quoted from it. No plain-language version of this sentence has been written.

The use the label states, quoted from it. It is written for a clinician, not for a reader without medical training.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 138 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Stand-in result

A stand-in result is a number measured because the real result takes too long.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like judging a journey by the speedometer rather than by arriving.

Where that stops being true. Speed does predict arrival. Many stand-in results do not predict the real one.

What people get wrong. A stand-in result is often reported as the result itself.

A surrogate endpoint substituted for a clinical endpoint, valid only where the substitution has been shown to hold.

Enzyme

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up one chemical change.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

An enzyme is like a machine on a production line doing one cut.

Where that stops being true. A machine is switched on and off by a person. Enzymes are controlled by the cell.

What people get wrong. Enzymes are thought to be used up. They are not; they work again and again.

A catalytic protein that lowers the activation energy of a specific reaction.

Receptor

A receptor is a part of a cell that a signal fits into.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A receptor is like a lock waiting for one key.

Where that stops being true. A lock either opens or does not. A receptor can be half-triggered, or worn out.

What people get wrong. Fitting a receptor is read as causing a benefit. It causes a step, and nothing more.

A protein that binds a specific ligand and converts that binding into a cellular response.

Pathway

A pathway is a chain of steps inside a cell, each one setting off the next.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A pathway is like a row of dominoes.

Where that stops being true. Dominoes fall one way. Pathways loop back and can switch themselves off.

What people get wrong. Changing one step is read as changing the outcome. Other steps often absorb it.

An ordered series of molecular interactions producing a defined cellular change.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 11 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
Body weightNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Only a number moved1 registered test measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Body weight
body composition

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.
Only a number moved
1 registered test measure.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.
Waiting for a reviewer
Who was studied is listed further down the page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) Slope Change

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT05021536
How many people
664
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
What a body can do day to day
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Composite clinical TB score

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT01698476
How many people
390
Study design
Phase 2
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

To assess the Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events during treatment with AMX0035

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT05619783
How many people
352
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Part A: Change From Baseline to Week 24 in the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) Total Score

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT05237284
How many people
305
Study design
Phase 2
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
What a body can do day to day
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Proportion of pulmonary TB patients who are culture negative in sputum in week 4

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT01580007
How many people
288
Study design
Phase 2
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

HIV viral load

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT01702974
How many people
279
Study design
Phase 2
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event No evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.No registered study measures this.
  2. What a body can do day to day No evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.No registered study measures this.
  3. Measured performance No evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.No registered study measures this.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life No evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.No registered study measures this.
  5. A number that stands in for health Evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.5 registered measures of this kind.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals Evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.Stored records in Mouse. A result in animals says what to test next. It does not say what happens in people.
  8. Cells in a dish Evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.Stored mechanism abstracts describe steps measured in cells or tissue.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

  • measures of liver function ast and alt
  • measures of liver function pt and ptt
  • measures of liver function coagulation factors
  • measures of liver function inr
  • body composition

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (6)
  • safety and tolerability
  • dose limiting toxicities
  • rate of adverse events
  • treatment related adverse events as assessed by ctcae v5 0
  • systemic vascular resistance
  • treatment related adverse events

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How long anything takes

Nine different lengths of time that get confused with each other. None of them is worked out from another.

  1. Before anything is noticed. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  2. Before a test result moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  3. Before performance moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  4. How long the result was watched. No finished study window is recorded for a study that tested this substance.

  5. How long people took it. How long people actually took it is not stored. The study window is not the same thing.

  6. How long people were followed. Follow-up length is not stored separately. It is never read off the study window, which would be a different thing.

  7. How fast the body clears it. 0.5 to 0.8 hour hours

    Read from the label, which states: “Elimination The mean half-life of phenylbutyrate ranged from 0.5 to 0.8 hour.”

  8. How long effects linger. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  9. Beyond the studies. Nothing is recorded about the long term.

    The longest finished study sets the edge of what anyone measured.

A study window is not how long people took it, and neither is how long they were followed. Where RNAWiki holds only one of the three, it shows one.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • BUPHENYL is indicated as adjunctive therapy in the chronic management of patients with urea cycle disorders involving deficiencies of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), or argininosuccinic acid synthetase (AS). It is indicated in all patients with neonatal-onset deficiency (complete enzymatic deficiency, presenting within the first 28 days of life).

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “The safety and effectiveness of PHEBURANE have been established as adjunctive therapy to the standard of care, which includes dietary management, in the chronic management of pediatric patients with urea cycle disorders (UCDs), involving deficiencies of carbamylphosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) or argininosuccinic acid synthetase (AS).”

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “Clinical studies of PHEBURANE did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects.”

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Risk Summary Available data with sodium phenylbutyrate use in pregnant women are insufficient to identify a drug associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.”

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “Risk Summary There are no data on the presence of sodium phenylbutyrate and its metabolite in either human or animal milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production.”

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced liver function, the label states: “No studies with PHEBURANE were conducted in subjects with hepatic impairment.”

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced kidney function, the label states: “No studies with PHEBURANE were conducted in subjects with renal impairment.”

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

RNAWiki has not recorded a supervision or regulatory status for this substance.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

No register row and no identity class settled the question.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as tablet, powder, pellets, for suspension, given by the oral route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 22 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 21 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 66326-504 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as pellet, powder and tablet, taken oral.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 66326-504 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is ammonium ion binding activity [moa] and nitrogen binding agent [epc].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 66326-504 · read 2026-08-29

  • 7 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 7 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 463a36fa-3eb2-4326-8bd0-c8c7a11bca3a · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 463a36fa-3eb2-4326-8bd0-c8c7a11bca3a · read 2026-08-29

  • PHEBURANE is oral at 3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS Oral pellets: 84 g of sodium phenylbutyrate per PHEBURANE bottle as white to off-white coated pellets., recorded as fda label in effect 2026-07-17 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · read 2026-08-30

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

RNAWiki could not confidently classify this substance, so no self-experiment plan is offered.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Phenylbutyric Acid studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

How much did people take in the studies?

The sources RNAWiki checked hold nothing for this field.

Why it matters. A result belongs to an amount. Without the amount the result floats free.

What would answer it

A stored source that records it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Phenylbutyric Acid are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

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Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
NT6K61736T
RxNorm concept
199369

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How this medicine reached us

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What the approval register records

  • 11 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA020573, approved 19960430 to HORIZON THERAP US.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA020573 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA020573 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19960430.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 66326-504 · read 2026-08-29

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Recorded evidence blocks (11)

What did Phenylbutyric Acid's largest trial (120 people) and its longest (6.8 years) measure?


120 people in Phenylbutyric Acid's largest registered study, 6.8 years in its longest registered window, measuring Toxicity of flurouracil (FU) when given in escalating doses in combination with fixed doses of phenlylbutyrate (PB), indomethacin and recombinant human interferon-gamma (rhIFNg) to patients with… ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

18 phase2, 14 phase1, 3 na, 3 phase4, 2 phase3, 1 early phase1, 1 na or unstated; NCT00771901; 2014-12; no ageing endpoint recorded. Last human test completed 2024, NCT05028803.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Phenylbutyric Acid was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • phase2
    18
  • phase1
    14
  • na
    3
  • phase4
    3
  • phase3
    2
  • early phase1
    1
2 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    1
  • Last recorded human test NCT05028803
    2024-03-01

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

From mouse to human: where has Phenylbutyric Acid shown mechanism-only?


mouse: mechanism-only and human: mechanism-only (36): the rungs where Phenylbutyric Acid has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

Interpretation Toxicity of flurouracil (FU) when given in escalating doses in combination with fixed doses of phenlylbutyrate (PB), indomethacin and recombinant human… — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans Drosophila Mouse mechanism-onlyRat Dog Non-human primate Human mechanism-only
Show the evidence
  • mouse
    mechanism-only
  • human NCT00002796
    mechanism-only; Toxicity of flurouracil (FU) when given in escalating doses in combination with fixed doses of phenlylbutyrate (PB), indomethacin and recombinant human interferon-gamma (rhIFNg) to patients with advanced colorectal cancer (Phase I); 36

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

6 of Phenylbutyric Acid's trials stopped: accrual/recruitment, sponsor decision unspecified, other?


accrual/recruitment (1), sponsor decision unspecified (1) and other (4): Phenylbutyric Acid's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"Administratively complete."; 6 of 36 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00002796
    terminated; "Administratively complete."
  • NCT00439218
    terminated; "Extremely slow enrollment"
  • NCT00439569
    terminated; "Due to poor compliance with study drug administration."
  • NCT01096095
    withdrawn; "Regulatory authorities did not allow the entrance of the study drug in the country"
  • NCT05349435
    terminated; "Sponsor has decided to discontinue development of fezegepras based on initial pharmacokinetic results"
  • NCT06069375
    suspended; "Study has been temporarily stopped until another study is completed. Data from the other study may inform changes to this study."

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Phenylbutyric Acid's half-life is 0.5 to 0.8 hour hours — which schedules were studied?


0.5 to 0.8 hour hours, the half-life Phenylbutyric Acid's label states. openfda-label · d15f2cbf-4d22-40b5-8ef9-16b9d323a7f9 · 2026-08-30

Show the evidence
  • half life
    0.5 to 0.8 hour hours; Elimination The mean half-life of phenylbutyrate ranged from 0.5 to 0.8 hour.
  • metabolism
    12 CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY 12.1 Mechanism of Action Sodium phenylbutyrate is a pro-drug and is metabolized to phenylacetate.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Could one person measure Phenylbutyric Acid's effect on safety and tolerability?


Safety and tolerability: measured in Phenylbutyric Acid's trials.

Interpretation safety and tolerability is the recorded endpoint.

Show the evidence

biomarkers

  • safety and tolerability; 2026-09-01
  • measures of liver function ast and alt; 2026-09-01
  • measures of liver function pt and ptt; 2026-09-01
  • measures of liver function coagulation factors; 2026-09-01
  • measures of liver function inr; 2026-09-01
  • dose limiting toxicities; 2026-09-01
5 more recorded rows
  • biomarkers
    body composition; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    rate of adverse events; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    treatment related adverse events as assessed by ctcae v5 0; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    systemic vascular resistance; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    treatment related adverse events; 2026-09-01
  • half life
    2026-09-04; halfLife; hours; 0.5 to 0.8 hour; 2026-08-30
  • human trials at or under30
    23
  • smallest human trial
    0; NCT00387530; PHASE2; the smallest recorded human enrolment at or below 30; the registry states no direction of its result; WITHDRAWN

Which of body composition, dose limiting toxicities and measures of liver function ast and alt did Phenylbutyric Acid's trials measure?


body composition, dose limiting toxicities and measures of liver function ast and alt lead 11 outcome terms across Phenylbutyric Acid's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

measures of liver function coagulation factors, measures of liver function inr, dose limiting toxicities, body composition, rate of adverse events and treatment related adverse events as assessed by ctcae v5 0 follow.

Show the evidence
  • safety and tolerability
    1
  • measures of liver function ast and alt
    1
  • measures of liver function pt and ptt
    1
  • measures of liver function coagulation factors
    1
  • measures of liver function inr
    1
  • dose limiting toxicities
    1
5 more recorded rows
  • body composition
    1
  • rate of adverse events
    1
  • treatment related adverse events as assessed by ctcae v5 0
    1
  • systemic vascular resistance
    1
  • treatment related adverse events
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Phenylbutyric Acid's 3 ongoing trials reports first?


3 registered trials of Phenylbutyric Acid are open; earliest completion 2027-07. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Systemic vascular resistance; Number of participants with treatment related adverse events as assessed by CTCAE v5.0; latest 2029-06-01

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT06645769
    "Na-Phenylbutyrate VAscular Trial"; n 30; "Systemic vascular resistance"; 2029-06-01
  • NCT06773026
    "Study of Sodium Phenylbutyrate (ACER-001) for the Treatment of Pediatric and Adults Patients With Medium Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD)"; n 24; "Number of participants with treatment related adverse events as assessed by CTCAE v5.0"; 2027-07
  • NCT07125066
    "An Individual Patient, Open Label Study to Use ACER-001 to Treat Combined D,L-2 Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria (C-2HGA)"; n 1; "Number of treatment related adverse events"; 2027-12

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 13 trials of Phenylbutyric Acid posted no result?


Posted no result
13 of 13 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00001565, NCT00006240, NCT00006450, NCT00006019, NCT00006239 and NCT00005639, and 7 more
Completion dates
oldest 2000-10; newest 2024-03-01
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00001565
    2000-10
  • NCT00006240
    2001-08
  • NCT00006450
    2002-07
  • NCT00006019
    2003-08
  • NCT00006239
    2005-03
  • NCT00005639
    2005-07
7 further recorded trials
  • NCT00977600
    2005-07
  • NCT00212316
    2006-06
  • NCT00107770
    2007-09
  • NCT00533559
    2010-03
  • NCT03734263
    2020-12-30
  • NCT04421677
    2022-01-20
  • NCT05028803
    2024-03-01

At the median, Phenylbutyric Acid's trials enrolled 20 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
20
Largest enrolment
120
Registered trials counted
31

Phenylbutyric Acid and BCRP, CYP2C19 and CYP2C8: shared by which compounds?


BCRP, CYP2C19 and CYP2C8 appear in Phenylbutyric Acid's recorded interaction sentences, 2 in all. openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

Interpretation pharmacokinetics

Show the evidence
  • CYP2C19 pharmacokinetics
    Drug Interaction Studies In Vitro Studies Sodium phenylbutyrate or phenylacetate is not an inhibitor of CYP2C8, CYP2C19 and CYP3A at clinically relevant concentrations.
  • CYP2C8 pharmacokinetics
    Drug Interaction Studies In Vitro Studies Sodium phenylbutyrate or phenylacetate is not an inhibitor of CYP2C8, CYP2C19 and CYP3A at clinically relevant concentrations.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

What is recorded about Phenylbutyric Acid and mTOR?


"The compound sodium phenylbutyrate (PB) has been shown to promote branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism, and as such has been proposed as a treatment for disorders with enhanced BCAA levels: does PB induce muscle protein catabolism by forcing BCAA degradation away from muscle protein synthesis and mechanistic target of rapamycin…" — where Phenylbutyric Acid and mTOR appear together. Europe PMC · pathway abstract search · 2021-01-20

mTOR, autophagy, IGF-1; PMID 33369803, 28618969, 16832072

Show the evidence
  • mTOR PMID 33369803
    "The compound sodium phenylbutyrate (PB) has been shown to promote branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism, and as such has been proposed as a treatment for disorders with enhanced BCAA levels: does PB induce muscle protein catabolism by forcing BCAA degradation away from muscle protein synthesis and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition?"
  • autophagy PMID 28618969
    "Inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress by pretreatment with pharmacological inhibitors such as sodium phenylbutyrate and mithramycin or by silencing CHOP using CHOP small interfering RNA, blocked penfluridol-induced autophagy."
  • IGF-1 PMID 16832072
    "Remaining agents (AEOL 10150, arimoclomol, celastrol, coenzyme Q10, copaxone, IGF-1-viral delivery, memantine, NAALADase inhibitors, nimesulide, scriptaid, sodium phenylbutyrate, thalidomide, trehalose) require additional preclinical animal data, human toxicity and pharmacokinetic data including CNS penetration prior to proceeding to large scale phase III human testing."

recorded 2021-01-20 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL1469
PubChem CID
5258
CAS number
1716-12-7
RxCUI
214837
InChIKey
OBKXEAXTFZPCHS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Also called
Sodium Phenylbutyrate
Also called
PHENYLBUTANOIC ACID, Olpruva, glycerol phenylbutyrate, napb, napba, pb, pba, phenylbutyrate, Albrioza component sodium phenylbutyrate, PHENYLBUTYRATE SODIUM [VANDF], SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE [EMA EPAR], SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE [EP MONOGRAPH]
Salt form
4-phenylbutyric acid, sodium salt, Benzenebutanoic acid, sodium salt, Sodium phenylbutyrate component of albrioza, SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE COMPONENT OF AMX-0035, SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE COMPONENT OF AMX0035, Sodium phenylbutyrate component of relyvrio, SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE TABLETS, 500 MG
Development code
ACER-001, NSC-657802, AMX0035 component sodium phenylbutyrate
Trade name
Ambutyrate, Ammonaps, Buphenyl, Pheburane, Olpruva / Buphenyl / Pheburane, RELYVRIO COMPONENT SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE, Albrioza
Component
Sodium Phenylbutyrate
Sources (8)

Sources

2 more sources
  • openfda-label+europepmc K1:7WY7YBI87E ·
  • national registers US, EU, CA ·

ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

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