Astaxanthin
drugOn this page
Also known as All-trans-astaxanthinAstarealBioastinE161jNSC-635689Ovoester
Summary
Astaxanthin (CHEMBL1255871) is a phase-3 clinical-stage small-molecule anticoagulant; indicated across 3 conditions including diabetic neuropathy and osteoarthritis, knee.
At a glance
- Status: Max clinical phase 3 (not approved)
- Modality: Small molecule
- Indications: 3 conditions
- Clinical trials: 31
- Chemistry: 596.8 Da · C40H52O4
Identifiers
Drug identity and classification
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ChEMBL ID | CHEMBL1255871 |
| Name | Astaxanthin |
| Type | Small molecule |
| Max phase | 3 |
| FDA approved | no |
| PubChem CID | 5281224 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:40968 |
| Molecular formula | C40H52O4 |
| Molecular weight | 596.8 |
| InChIKey | MQZIGYBFDRPAKN-UWFIBFSHSA-N |
SMILES: CC1=C(C(C[C@@H](C1=O)O)(C)C)/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C=C(/C=C/C=C(/C=C/C2=C(C(=O)[C@H](CC2(C)C)O)C)\C)\C)/C)/C
IUPAC name: (6S)-6-hydroxy-3-[(1E,3E,5E,7E,9E,11E,13E,15E,17E)-18-[(4S)-4-hydroxy-2,6,6-trimethyl-3-oxocyclohexen-1-yl]-3,7,12,16-tetramethyloctadeca-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17-nonaenyl]-2,4,4-trimethylcyclohex-2-en-1-one
ChEBI definition: A carotenone that consists of β,β-carotene-4,4’-dione bearing two hydroxy substituents at positions 3 and 3’ (the 3S,3’S diastereomer). A carotenoid pigment found mainly in animals (crustaceans, echinoderms) but also occurring in plants. It can occur free (as a red pigment), as an ester, or as a blue, brown or green chromoprotein.
Pharmacological roles (ChEBI): anticoagulant, antioxidant.
Other ChEBI roles (chemical / environmental): food colouring, plant metabolite, animal metabolite.
Also known as: All-trans-astaxanthin, Astareal, Astaxanthin, Bioastin, E161j, NSC-635689, Ovoester, astaxanthin, ASTAXANTHIN
Patent coverage: 15,021 distinct patent families (33,255 SureChEMBL compound mentions), from 1 matched compound structure(s). Mentions count patents naming the compound (not distinct inventions), so promiscuous / reference molecules inflate the mention figure — families are the dedup metric.
Targets
Targets
No target linkage available.
Bioactivity
No ChEMBL bioactivity rows at pChembl ≥ 5 (expected for biologics / antibodies).
Target pathways
No target-pathway data for this drug (no mapped target genes).
Indications & clinical
Indications
3 indications (0 at ChEMBL trial phase 4). Phase below is the highest clinical-trial phase recorded for this drug against each disease — not the molecule’s overall approval status (that is in the Summary).
| Indication | Trial phase | MONDO | EFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| diabetic neuropathy | 2 | MONDO:0006626 | EFO:1000783 |
| osteoarthritis, knee | 2 | MONDO:0005416 | EFO:0004616 |
| metabolic syndrome X | 1 | MONDO:0011565 | EFO:0000195 |
Clinical trials
Total trials: 31.
Phase distribution
| Phase | Trials |
|---|---|
| Not specified | 23 |
| PHASE4 | 2 |
| PHASE2/PHASE3 | 2 |
| PHASE2 | 2 |
| PHASE3 | 1 |
| EARLY_PHASE1 | 1 |
Top trials by phase / activity
| NCT | Phase | Status | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06334874 | PHASE4 | UNKNOWN | Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Antioxidants Astaxanthin as an Adjuvant Therapy for Community Acquired Pneumonia Patients. |
| NCT06460181 | PHASE4 | COMPLETED | Impact of Astaxanthin on Cognition in Recreationally Active Females |
| NCT04249128 | PHASE3 | COMPLETED | Nourishing Hair, Skin & Nails Supplement Study (Derm Aid) |
| NCT04689984 | PHASE2/PHASE3 | UNKNOWN | The Benefits of Astaxanthin as Add on Therapy in the Management of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy Patient |
| NCT05138549 | PHASE2/PHASE3 | TERMINATED | Astaxanthin for Management of Inflammation in Knee Osteoarthritis |
| NCT05437601 | PHASE2 | COMPLETED | Effect of Astaxanthin in Moderate to Severe Knee Osteoarthritis |
| NCT06429059 | PHASE2 | COMPLETED | ROAR-DIGAP: A Widely Inclusive, Largely Virtual Pilot Trial Utilizing DIGAP (Deep Integrated Genomics Analysis Platform) To Personalize Treatments |
| NCT03443882 | EARLY_PHASE1 | UNKNOWN | Bioavailability of Astaxanthin Formulations |
| NCT06589128 | Not specified | RECRUITING | Efficacy of Investigator Product for the Amelioration of Digital Eye Strain in Children |
| NCT07063056 | Not specified | RECRUITING | Curcumin & Astaxanthin for Lowering Triglyceride Readings and Inflammation |
| NCT07507682 | Not specified | RECRUITING | Can Astaxanthin Help Manage Asthma in POlluted Areas? |
| NCT01167205 | Not specified | UNKNOWN | Positive Effects of Haematococcus Astaxanthin on Oxidative Stress and Lipid Profile in Overweight and Obese Adults |
| NCT01241877 | Not specified | UNKNOWN | Astaxanthin Supplementation in Cyclists |
| NCT02088242 | Not specified | UNKNOWN | Physiological and Molecular Influences of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Heat Strain in Humans |
| NCT02343497 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Lipid-lowering Effects of an Astaxanthin Supplement in Volunteers With Mild Dyslipidaemia |
| NCT02373111 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Effects of Isoflavone Combined With Astaxanthin on Skin Aging |
| NCT02397811 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Astaxanthin Formulation Bioavailability |
| NCT03310359 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Clinical Trial of Anti-oxidant Astaxanthin in Insulin-resistant Subjects |
| NCT03368872 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Clinical Trial of Astaxanthin Formulation With Exercise in Sarcopenia Elderly |
| NCT03460860 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Astaxanthin (2 mg) + Lycopene (1.8 mg) + D-Alpha-Tocopherol (10 IU) For The Treatment Of Skin Aging |
| NCT03664466 | Not specified | WITHDRAWN | Astaxanthin Effects on Osteoarthritis Associated Pain and Inflammatory Indicators |
| NCT03807050 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Phaffia Rhodozyma Astaxanthin |
| NCT03991286 | Not specified | COMPLETED | The Effect of Astaxanthin on Oxidative Stress Indices in Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome |
| NCT05009810 | Not specified | UNKNOWN | Efficacy and Safety of Astaxanthin in Volunteer With Refraction Errors |
| NCT05015374 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Effect of Astaxanthin on the Patients With Alzheimer Disease |
| NCT05282355 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Astaxanthin Reduces Exercising Heart Rate. |
| NCT05376501 | Not specified | COMPLETED | A Study to Evaluate the Effect of Astaxanthin in Healthy Participants |
| NCT05409092 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Astaxanthin, Exercise Inflammation, Skin Health |
| NCT05508529 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Natural Modulators of Immune Function and Mood |
| NCT06511960 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation |
| NCT07509970 | Not specified | COMPLETED | Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Soccer Performance Under Fatigue |
Clinical evidence (CIViC)
No CIViC predictive evidence (expected for non-precision-medicine drugs).
Pharmacology
Pharmacogenomics
No PharmGKB pharmacogenomic data curated for this drug.
Related molecules
Related molecules
No competitor molecules sharing a primary target (ChEMBL phase ≥2 or PubChem drug-class).
Related Atlas pages
No linked Atlas pages yet — the cross-entity mesh grows as the corpus expands.