SR3335 (ML-176), a selective RORα synthetic ligand, directly binds to RORα, but not other RORs, and functions as a selective partial inverse agonist of RORα in cell-based assays. Furthermore, SR3335 suppresses the expression of endogenous RORα target genes in HepG2 involved in hepatic gluconeogenesis including glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. The first selective synthetic RORα inverse agonists may hold utility for suppression of elevated hepatic glucose production in type 2 diabetics.