What is ACTH (Corticotropin)?

The 39-amino-acid pituitary hormone that drives cortisol production; given as repository corticotropin (Acthar Gel).

ACTH (Corticotropin) in the library · · Human Trials · What are peptides?

109 registered trials · 2245 indexed papers · 2359 human / 409 animal studies

From the PeptideWhiz library entry. "As described" sections summarize claims made in the sources; they are not PeptideWhiz endorsements.

What it is

The 39-amino-acid pituitary hormone that drives cortisol production; given as repository corticotropin (Acthar Gel).

Type: Pituitary peptide hormone.

Definition (National Library of Medicine)

“An anterior pituitary hormone that stimulates the adrenal cortex and its production of corticosteroids. ACTH is a 39-amino acid polypeptide of which the N-terminal 24-amino acid segment is identical in all species and contains the adrenocorticotrophic activity. Upon further tissue-specific processing, ACTH can yield alpha-msh and corticotrophin-like intermediate lobe peptide (clip).”

MeSH: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Human research

The registered human trials and peer-reviewed human studies linked below are listed from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed. A study is linked only when ACTH (Corticotropin) is one of its interventions, or is named in the study title or subject headings.

Listing a study does not mean it showed a benefit, and it is not medical advice.

Registered human trials (109)

Trial	Phase	Status	Year	Enrolled
Corticotropin for Behçet's Disease: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled TrialAcronym.	Phase 2	not yet recruiting	2026	60
A Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Effects of ASP5541 in Participants With Prostate Cancer	Phase 2	recruiting	2025	218
Use of Acthar Gel Single-Dose Pre-Filled SelfJectTM Injector in Patients With Moderate-Severe Keratitis and Autoimmune Disease	Phase 4	recruiting	2025	20
Cortical Excitability in West Syndrome Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation	Phase 2/Phase 3	unknown	2024	40
A Study of SNP-ACTH (1-39) Gel in Patients With Primary Membranous Nephropathy	Phase 3	recruiting	2023	148
Study of Adrenocorticotropic Hormone on Children With Frequent Relapse or Steroid-dependent Nephrotic Syndrome: a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized，Open-label Clinical Trial.	Phase 3	recruiting	2023	140
Use of CXCL9 as a Biomarker of Acthar Efficacy	Phase 4	terminated	2022	2
Ketogenic Diet vs ACTH for the Treatment of Children With West Syndrome	Phase 2/Phase 3	unknown	2022	80
Effect of CRH on Duodenal Markers and Gastric Sensorimotor Function	Phase 4	completed	2021	20
Acthar for Treatment of Post-transplant FSGS	Phase 4	withdrawn	2021
Treatment of Refractory Gout With ACTH or Methylprednisolone		unknown	2021	60
Corticotropin Stimulation in Adrenal Venous Sampling for Patients With Primary Aldosteronism(ADOPA)		completed	2020	228
Use of Acthar in Patients With FSGS That Will be Undergoing Renal Transplantation	Phase 3	completed	2019	15
A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Potential Role of ACTH Gel in Patients With Scleritis	Phase 2	unknown	2019	30
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) for Post-op Inflammation in Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR)	EARLY_Phase 1	completed	2019	11
A Study of Acthar Gel Alone or With Tacrolimus to Reduce Proteinuria in Fibrillary Glomerulopathy Patients	Phase 4	unknown	2019	34
Comparative and Efficacy Study of ACTHar Gel Alone or in Combination With Tacrolimus in Fibrillary Glomerulopathy	Phase 4	withdrawn	2019
Impact of Acthar on Everyday Life of Participants With Severe Keratitis	Phase 4	completed	2019	36
ACTHAR Therapy for Central Nervous System Sarcoidosis	Phase 4	withdrawn	2019
The Effects of Acthar on Synovial Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis	Phase 3	unknown	2018	6
Acthar Gel in Participants With Pulmonary Sarcoidosis	Phase 4	completed	2018	55
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone in Membranous Nephropathy	Phase 4	completed	2018	5
Clinical Impact of Acthar in the Psoriatic Arthritis Patient (CLIPS)	Phase 4	completed	2018	10
Safety and Effectiveness of Acthar Gel for Inflammation of the Eye's Uvea (Middle Layer)	Phase 4	terminated	2018	5
Clinical Efficacy of H.P. Acthar Gel 80 U/ml to Improve the Signs and Symptoms in Subjects With Dry Eye Disease	Phase 4	completed	2018	19
ACTH vs Betamethasone in Hospitalized Patients With Acute Gout		unknown	2018	60
ACTHAR Gel for Drug REsistant Nephrotic Syndrome in Children	Phase 4	withdrawn	2018
Repository Corticotropin Injection in Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca	Phase 4	withdrawn	2018
(ACTH) for the Treatment of Sarcoid Uveitis		unknown	2018	10
Use of Acthar in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Related Flares	Phase 4	completed	2017	40
ACTH as A Re-emerging theRapy for Uveitis (The ACTHAR Study)	Phase 2	completed	2017	28
Acthar Gel for Multiple Sclerosis That Keeps Getting Better and Worse (RRMS)	Phase 4	terminated	2017	35
Study of Acthar® Gel (Acthar) for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)	Phase 2/Phase 3	terminated	2017	143
Experience With H.P. Acthar Gel Treatment of Patients With Nephrotic Syndrome/Proteinuria Due to Various Etiologies and Its Effect on Podocyte Function		unknown	2017	40
Efficacy and Safety of H.P. ACTHAR GEL in Adults With Retinal Vasculitis	Phase 4	unknown	2017	40
Efficacy, Radiographic and Laboratory Changes in Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated With H.P. Acthar Gel	Phase 4	unknown	2017	30
Treatment of CNS Sarcoidosis With H.P. Acthar Gel	Phase 4	completed	2016	4
Effects of ACTHAR on Advanced MRI Surrogate Markers of Disease Activity and on Comprehensive Immune Signature During MS Relapses	Phase 4	terminated	2016	5
Ocular Sarcoidosis Open Label Trial of ACTHAR Gel		completed	2016	9
Treatment of Chronic Antibody-mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplant With Acthar	Phase 4	terminated	2016	6

Peer-reviewed studies (2245)

Paper	Authors	Journal	Year	Type
Plasma cortisol cut-off concentrations using the dexamethasone suppression test in patients with adrenal incidentalomas	Jørgensen NT et al.	Frontiers in endocrinology	2026	Observational Study
Safety and efficacy of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LRa05, Limosilactobacillus reuteri LR08, and Lactobacillus crispatus LCr86 on hormone metabolism, body composition, and emotional regulation in overweight women: a randomized, double - blind, placebo - controlled trial	Yin L et al.	Journal of applied microbiology	2026	Randomized Controlled Trial
Low-dose, not low-risk: potential adrenal suppression identified by a risk-based approach to ACTH testing	Asano R et al.	Clinical rheumatology	2026	Observational Study
Biochemical Evidence of Acute Hormonal Abnormality in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Correlation with Clinical Severity	Aljboor GSR et al.	International journal of molecular sciences	2026	Observational Study
Is a systematic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test useful in diagnosing nonclassical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH)?	Ferreira B et al.	Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology	2026	Observational Study
Clinical and Metabolic Outcomes of Adrenalectomy Versus Conservative Management in Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion	Karslı S et al.	Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme	2026	Observational Study
Blunted arginine vasopressin secretion in individuals experiencing a major depressive episode with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder: Results from an exploratory study using copeptin as a surrogate marker	Hu H et al.	Journal of neuroendocrinology	2026	Clinical Trial, Phase II
A positive corticotropin-releasing hormone test may obviate the need for petrosal sinus sampling in patients with cushing's disease	Losa M et al.	Journal of endocrinological investigation	2026	Observational Study
Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis hormone changes during IL-17A inhibition with secukinumab in patients with psoriasis	Krefting F et al.	Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)	2026	Randomized Controlled Trial
Adrenal Insufficiency During Treatment With Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors: How to Simplify the Diagnostic Pathway?	Nervo A et al.	Clinical endocrinology	2026	Observational Study
Steroid Use, Adrenal Suppression, and Emergency Department Visits in COPD Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study	Karahan T et al.	Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets	2026	Observational Study
Nonmalignant Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone-Independent Cushing's Syndrome in Pediatric Patients: A Retrospective Observational Cohort Study	Hassan M et al.	Hormone research in paediatrics	2026	Observational Study
In vitro dexamethasone suppression of cytokine production assay and plasma total and free cortisol responses to ACTH in healthy volunteers	Nethathe GD et al.	Scientific reports	2025	Observational Study
Effects of acute GLP-1 analogue infusion on the glycemic and neurohormonal responses to meal test in non- hypoglycemic subjects after gastric bypass	Almby KE et al.	Endocrine	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
Cell-specific expression and signaling of glucocorticoid receptor isoforms over time in critically ill patients with a low inflammatory response	Poupouzas G et al.	Critical care (London, England)	2025	Observational Study
A model-based cost-effectiveness estimates of hormonal therapy in Indian children with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome	Devi N et al.	Epilepsia open	2025	Observational Study
Serum folate and homocysteine as biomarkers for suicide risk in major depressive disorder: insights in males and younger patients	Zhang A et al.	BMC psychiatry	2025	Observational Study
Role of the Ketogenic Diet Therapy and ACTH as Second Treatments in Drug-Resistant Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome	Dressler A et al.	Nutrients	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of Ketogenic Diet Versus Adrenocorticotropic Hormone in Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial	Mahesan A et al.	Pediatric neurology	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
[Activation markers of the stress system in patients with type 1 diabetes during hypoglycemia]	Karamullina RA et al.	Problemy endokrinologii	2025	Observational Study
The effect of corticotropin-release hormone on duodenal permeability and immune activation in healthy volunteers in a double-blind placebo-controlled study	Schol J et al.	American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Measured by Immulite 1000 and Elecsys Assay Platforms in Suspected Cases of Hypocortisolism: A Word of Caution	Singha A et al.	Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists	2025	Observational Study
Subclinical Primary Aldosteronism Is Characterized by Maladaptive Natriuretic Peptide and Adrenal Hormonal Physiology	Parisien-La Salle S et al.	The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism	2025	Observational Study
Subcutaneous route is a reliable alternative for ACTH-stimulated steroid profiling	Dhananjaya MS et al.	Endocrine	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
Oxytocin levels in response to CRH administration in hypopituitarism and hypothalamic damage: a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial	Asla Q et al.	Scientific reports	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
Associations between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormone levels, major depression features and antidepressant effects of ketamine	Georgiou P et al.	Journal of affective disorders	2025	Randomized Controlled Trial
Factors affecting hormonal outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for non-functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: a prospective observational study	Singh H et al.	Neurosurgical review	2024	Observational Study
Analysis of the therapeutic effect of pestle needle and EEG biofeedback and methylphenidate in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder	Wang Y et al.	Journal of neurophysiology	2024	Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of external fixator on bone metabolism in patients with open fracture of extremities	Shi Y et al.	Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)	2024	Randomized Controlled Trial
Predictive factors and the management of hyperglycemia in patients with acromegaly and Cushing's disease receiving pasireotide treatment: post hoc analyses from the SOM230B2219 study	Feldt-Rasmussen U et al.	Frontiers in endocrinology	2024	Randomized Controlled Trial

More cited research

Conditions researched

Related compounds

FAQ

What is ACTH (Corticotropin)?

The 39-amino-acid pituitary hormone that drives cortisol production; given as repository corticotropin (Acthar Gel).

How many registered human trials study ACTH (Corticotropin)?

The PeptideWhiz trial index lists 109 registered trials for ACTH (Corticotropin), the most recent from 2026.

How much published research exists on ACTH (Corticotropin)?

The PeptideWhiz paper index links 2245 PubMed papers to ACTH (Corticotropin); by study type, 2359 human and 409 animal studies.

Which conditions is ACTH (Corticotropin) researched for?

Anxiety and panic, Acid reflux and GERD, Acne, Anemia, Ankylosing spondylitis, Anti-aging & longevity, Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease & high blood pressure, Autism support, Bell's palsy, Candida & persistent bacterial infections, Chronic and systemic inflammation, Chronic fatigue syndrome and ME, Chronic pain: fibromyalgia & CRPS, Cognition, focus & brain performance, Concussion, traumatic brain injury & stroke recovery, Delayed gastric emptying on GLP-1 medicines, Dementia, Alzheimer's & cognitive decline, Diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, EBV and reactivated viruses, Eczema, Endometriosis, Eyes: macular degeneration & retinal health, Fat loss, obesity & body recomposition, Fatigue & low energy (incl. midlife), Fatty liver & elevated liver enzymes, Fight-or-flight and nervous system overdrive, Gout, Gut: IBD (Crohn's, colitis), leaky gut, IBS & ulcers, Heart repair: after heart attack, heart failure & enlarged heart, High cholesterol and statins, High-demand jobs: military, fire, police, EMT (and combat-sport athletes), Immune system (general), Insulin resistance, prediabetes & type 2 diabetes, Kidney protection (CKD, diabetic kidney, lupus kidney), Low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension, Low testosterone (without or alongside TRT), Lung health, asthma & COPD, Lupus (SLE), Lymphedema and swelling, Male fertility and sperm, Menopause & perimenopause, Migraine, Multiple sclerosis, Muscle disease (myopathy), Neuropathy and CRPS, Osteoarthritis, cartilage loss & avoiding joint replacement, Osteoporosis and bone density, Parkinson's disease, PCOS, PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), Post-surgical inflammation and surgery recovery, Pregnancy and breastfeeding: safety notes, Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, Raynaud's, Rheumatoid arthritis, Seasonal allergies, Sexual function & libido (women and men), Skin, hair loss, wounds & mast-cell/histamine reactivity, Sleep apnea (obstructive), Sleep problems (incl. insomnia on peptides), Thyroid problems.

Research and education only. Not medical advice. No dosing guidance. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov registry and PubMed via the PeptideWhiz index (204,289 studies).