Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40566605›Full record

ArticleLife (Basel, Switzerland)2025

5-Aminolevulinic Acid Phosphate as an Immune System Enhancer Along with Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Virus Infection: An Open-Label, Randomized Pilot Study.

Norbert Berenzen, Riyadh Rehani, Andrea Ebeling, Marcus Stocker, Motowo Nakajima

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Norbert BerenzenPhotonamic GmbH & Co. KG, Eggerstedter Weg 12, 25421 Pinneberg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0003-6885-2533
Riyadh RehaniPhotonamic GmbH & Co. KG, Eggerstedter Weg 12, 25421 Pinneberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7802-6660
Andrea EbelingPhotonamic GmbH & Co. KG, Eggerstedter Weg 12, 25421 Pinneberg, Germany.
Marcus StockerPhotonamic GmbH & Co. KG, Eggerstedter Weg 12, 25421 Pinneberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4805-3948
Motowo NakajimaSBI Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Izumi Garden Tower, 1-6-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6013, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-7687-6365

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that 5-aminolevulinic acid phosphate together with sodium ferrous citrate, which is marketed as a food supplement, appears to be an important metabolic regulator in depleted T cell metabolism. Therefore, it was hypothesized that its administration in subjects vaccinated against COVID-19 could enhance their immune system. Therefore, the aim of our proof-of-concept study was to determine the safety (by adverse events monitoring) and the tolerability (by subject questionnaires) and to investigate immune-boosting properties (by Immunoglobulins) in which 200 subjects were randomized in a ratio of 1:1 within 2 arms. In the intervention arm, the study product was administered together with the vaccines Covishield or Covaxin, and up to 21 days thereafter with a 150 mg daily dose, whereas in the control arm, the subjects were vaccinated only. No safety issues were detected, and the evaluation of the subject questionnaires showed no limitation of the well-being, which confirms the excellent tolerability of 5-aminolevulinic acid phosphate with sodium ferrous citrate. Moreover, the 'Change in Immunoglobulin G levels', although statistically insignificant, showed strong signals of its immune supportive potential. However, further studies are recommended to verify the results.

Indexed as

5-ALA5-aminolevulinic acidCOVID-19IgGimmune boosterSARS-CoV-2vaccine

Identifiers

PMID40566605
PMCPMC12194446

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.