| E.1 Medical condition or disease under investigation | 
| E.1.1 | Medical condition(s) being investigated | 
| Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) |  | 
| MedDRA Classification | 
| E.1.3 | Condition being studied is a rare disease | No | 
| E.2 Objective of the trial | 
| E.2.1 | Main objective of the trial | 
| to determine whether high dose (25-30 mg/kg/d) UDCA improves IR in NAFLD |  | 
| E.2.2 | Secondary objectives of the trial | 
| - to determine whether high dose (25-30 mg/kg/d) UDCA improves vascular dysfunction in NAFLD
 - to determine whether high dose (25-30 mg/kg/d) UDCA improves the histological
 severity of NAFLD (degree of steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis)
 - to determine whether the histological severity of NAFLD (degree of steatosis,
 inflammation, fibrosis) correlates with IR and vascular dysfunction
 - to determine whether high dose (25-30 mg/kg/d) UDCA improves alterations in
 serum/hepatic adiponectin levels and hepatic ER stress
 |  | 
| E.2.3 | Trial contains a sub-study | No | 
| E.3 | Principal inclusion criteria | 
| - MS (NCEP ATP III): at least 3 of 5 risk factors (waist circumference in men >102 cm, waist circumference in women >88 cm; triglycerides >150 mg/dL; HDL-C in men <40
 mg/dL, HDL-C in women <50 mg/dL; blood pressure >130/85 mmHg or treated
 hypertension; fasting glucose >110 mg/dL or treated diabetes mellitus)
 - Diagnosis of NAFLD defined by the following criteria: alcohol consumption less than
 30 g per day, liver histology compatible with NAFLD (steatosis more than 30% of
 liver parenchyma)
 - Male or female gender
 - Age 18-70 years
 - Signed informed consent
 |  | 
| E.4 | Principal exclusion criteria | 
| - Malignancy within the last five years - Chronic liver disease other than NAFLD (viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease,
 hemochromatosis, homozygous alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and Wilson disease)
 - Drug-treated diabetes (insulin or other anti-diabetic drugs), end-organ damage
 due to diabetes (e.g. proliferative retinopathy, renal glomerulosclerosis)
 - BMI >40 kg/m2
 - Inability or contraindications to perform study procedures
 - Participation to other clinical trials in the previous 3 months
 - Mycardial infarction in 6 months prior to enrollment
 - Cerebrovascular events in 6 months prior to enrollment
 |  | 
| E.5 End points | 
| E.5.1 | Primary end point(s) |  | 
| E.6 and E.7 Scope of the trial | 
| E.6 | Scope of the trial | 
| E.6.1 | Diagnosis | No | 
| E.6.2 | Prophylaxis | No | 
| E.6.3 | Therapy | Yes | 
| E.6.4 | Safety | Yes | 
| E.6.5 | Efficacy | Yes | 
| E.6.6 | Pharmacokinetic | No | 
| E.6.7 | Pharmacodynamic | No | 
| E.6.8 | Bioequivalence | No | 
| E.6.9 | Dose response | No | 
| E.6.10 | Pharmacogenetic | No | 
| E.6.11 | Pharmacogenomic | No | 
| E.6.12 | Pharmacoeconomic | No | 
| E.6.13 | Others | No | 
| E.7 | Trial type and phase | 
| E.7.1 | Human pharmacology (Phase I) | No | 
| E.7.1.1 | First administration to humans | Information not present in EudraCT | 
| E.7.1.2 | Bioequivalence study | Information not present in EudraCT | 
| E.7.1.3 | Other | Information not present in EudraCT | 
| E.7.1.3.1 | Other trial type description |  | 
| E.7.2 | Therapeutic exploratory (Phase II) | No | 
| E.7.3 | Therapeutic confirmatory (Phase III) | Yes | 
| E.7.4 | Therapeutic use (Phase IV) | No | 
| E.8 Design of the trial | 
| E.8.1 | Controlled | Yes | 
| E.8.1.1 | Randomised | Yes | 
| E.8.1.2 | Open | No | 
| E.8.1.3 | Single blind | No | 
| E.8.1.4 | Double blind | Yes | 
| E.8.1.5 | Parallel group | Yes | 
| E.8.1.6 | Cross over | No | 
| E.8.1.7 | Other | No | 
| E.8.2 | Comparator of controlled trial | 
| E.8.2.1 | Other medicinal product(s) | No | 
| E.8.2.2 | Placebo | Yes | 
| E.8.2.3 | Other | No | 
| E.8.3 | The trial involves single site in the Member State concerned | Yes | 
| E.8.4 | The trial involves multiple sites in the Member State concerned | No | 
| E.8.4.1 | Number of sites anticipated in Member State concerned | 1 | 
| E.8.5 | The trial involves multiple Member States | No | 
| E.8.6 Trial involving sites outside the EEA | 
| E.8.6.1 | Trial being conducted both within and outside the EEA | No | 
| E.8.6.2 | Trial being conducted completely outside of the EEA | Information not present in EudraCT | 
| E.8.7 | Trial has a data monitoring committee | Yes | 
| E.8.8 | Definition of the end of the trial and justification where it is not the last
                        visit of the last subject undergoing the trial | 
| End of the trial = last patient out |  | 
| E.8.9 Initial estimate of the duration of the trial | 
| E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned years | 4 | 
| E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned months |  | 
| E.8.9.1 | In the Member State concerned days |  |