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Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral NeuropathyPhase 2/3O3NPIQNCT04299893

Ozone Therapy in Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy: RCT (O3NPIQ)

A Phase 2/3 study testing Ozone and Oxygen in people with Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Pain, Neuropathic, run by Bernardino Clavo, MD, PhD at 2 sites in Spain.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The main objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding ozone therapy to the clinical management of patients with pain secondary to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 100 years
What is being tested?
Ozone and Oxygen
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
42 participants
Where
2 sitesSpain
Study dates
30 Nov 2020to 31 Dec 2027
Phase
Phase 2/3
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 100 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 1. Adults > = 18 years old.
  • 2. Any kind of cancer in any stage, treated with any kind of chemotherapy, and life expectancy > = 6 months.
  • 3. Clinical diagnosis of painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, toxicity Grade 2 or higher according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) from the National Cancer Institute of EEUU, v.5.0, for > = 3 months and without the inclusion of new treatments for pain and/or neuropathy for > = 1 month.
  • 4. "Average pain" > = 3/10 according to the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) > = 3 months beyond chemotherapy completion.
  • 5. Pregnant women cannot participate in the clinical trial.
  • 6. Before enrollment, women of childbearing potential should obtain a negative result in the serum or urine pregnancy test at the screening visit and accept the use of appropriate contraceptive methods at least from the 14 days prior to the first ozone therapy session up to 14 days after the last one.
  • 7. Patients who have signed and dated the study 's specific informed consent

Who cannot join

  • 1. Age < 18 years old.
  • 2. Pregnancy at the time of enrollment.
  • 3. Women with childbearing potential who are unwilling to perform a pregnancy test and/or employ adequate contraception from the 14 days prior to the first ozone therapy session up to 14 days after the last one.
  • 4. Clinical suspicion that peripheral neuropathy (compressive or diabetic neuropathy) in the same area prior to receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy.
  • 5. Psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  • 6. Those who are unable to fill in the scales used to measure quality of life variables
Show all 15Show fewer
  • 7. Specific liver enzymes [Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) > 5 times the upper limit of normal
  • 8. Increased creatinine > 3 times the upper limit of normal.
  • 9. Hemodynamically or clinically unstable patients or uncontrolled severe illness.
  • 10. Uncontrolled cancer disease.
  • 11. Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.
  • 12. Life expectancy < 6 months
  • 13. Contraindication or disability for rectal ozone administration or to attend scheduled treatments.
  • 14. Known allergy to ozone.
  • 15.Patients who do not meet all the inclusion criteria.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Bernardino Clavo, MD, PhD contact

(34)928449278

bernardinoclavo@gmail.com

Delvys Rodríguez-Abreu, MD contact

(34)928441779

drodabr@gobiernodecanarias.org

Spain2 sites, 2 recruiting
  • Complejo Hospitalario Materno Insular

    Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, 35016

    Delvys Rodríguez-Abreu, MD, delvysra@yahoo.com

    Recruiting
  • Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín

    Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, 35019

    Bernardino Clavo, MD, PhD, bernardinoclavo@gmail.com

    Saray Galván, MD

    Recruiting

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Ozone Therapy in Patients With Pain Secondary to Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy. Randomized, Triple-blind Clinical Trial (O3NPIQ)

The main objective of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding ozone therapy to the clinical management of patients with pain secondary to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Read the detailed description

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) decreases the quality of life of patients and can lead to a decrease and/or interruption of the chemotherapy treatment-limiting its effectiveness. The therapeutic measures for the CIPN are very limited in their number and efficacy.

Main Objectives: 1) To evaluate the clinical effect on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adding ozone to the usual patient´s treatment with persistent pain because of CIPN. 2) Estimate the additional costs and evaluate the cost-effectiveness ratio.

Secondary Objectives: To evaluate the evolution of 3) oxidative stress and chronic inflammation through biochemical measurements; 4) anxiety and depression of patients; 5) the diagnostic and predictive value of hyperspectral imaging in the assessment of pain; 6) the acceptability of patients to a shared decision-making (SDM) tool.

METHODOLOGY: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) phase II-III, randomized, triple-blind; 42 patients with any kind of cancer treated with any kind of chemotherapy, with CIPN of grade > = 2 for > = 3 months.

TREATMENT: All patients will receive: usual treatment + 40 rectal insufflation sessions of O3/O2 in 16 weeks:

  • Ozone-Arm (n = 21): concentration of O3/O2 increasing from 10 to 30 μg/ml.
  • Control-placebo- Arm (n = 21): concentration of O3/O2 = 0 μg/ml.

Main Variables: At the end of treatment with O3/O2 the following variables will be analyzed: 1) "average pain" secondary to CIPN following the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF); 2) health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and utilities using EQ-5D-5L and SF-36 quality of life questionnaires; 3) Direct costs.

Secondary Variables: 3) biochemical parameters of oxidative stress and inflammation; 4) Hamilton scale for anxiety and depression; 5) hyperspectral images; 6) acceptability of patients to a shared decision-making (SDM) tool.

Assessments at weeks: 0 (baseline), 16 (end of O3/O2 insufflations, objective), and 28 (end of follow-up, control).

Length of treatment: 16 weeks.

Follow-up: 12 weeks after finishing O3/O2 insufflation.

Planned length of the clinical trial: 36 months.

Being tested
Ozone, Oxygen
Keywords
complementary and integrative medicine, cost-effectiveness ratio, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, pain, ozone therapy, quality of life related to health, shared decision-making tool, randomized controlled trial
Medical subject headings
Neuralgia, Somatoform Disorders, Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • OzoneDrug

    Also called O3

    Ozone Group: Standard treatment + Ozone therapy (O3/O2) by rectal insufflation. O3/O2 concentration progressively increased from 10 to 30 μg/ml; 40 sessions in 16 weeks.

  • OxygenDrug

    Also called O2

    Control Group: Standard treatment + Oxygen (O2) by rectal insufflation. O3/O2 concentration = 0 μg/ml (only O2); 40 sessions in 16 weeks.

Study groups in NCT04299893
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Ozone GroupExperimentalDrug: Ozone Ozone Group: Usual treatment + Ozone therapy (O3/O2) by rectal insufflation. O3/O2 concentration progressively increased from 10 to 30 μg/ml; 40 sessions in 16 weeks. Other Names: O3
Receives: Drug: Ozone
Control GroupPlacebo comparatorDrug: Oxygen Control Group: Standard treatment + Oxygen (O2) by rectal insufflation. O3/O2 concentration = 0 μg/ml (only O2); 40 sessions in 16 weeks. Other Names: O2
Receives: Drug: Oxygen

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change from Baseline in "Average pain" according to the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Self-reported evaluation of 15 items to assess the severity of pain on daily functions in seven interference areas. From the 15 items, 11 items are scored from 0 ("No pain" or "Does not no interfere") to 10 ("Pain as bad as you can imagine" or "Completely interferes").

    Measured: 16 weeks

  2. Direct Hospital Cost (at the end of ozone therapy)

    The direct expenses incurred by the hospital in providing services (medication, tests, medical visits...) during the 16 weeks of ozone therapy (in euros).

    Measured: 16 weeks

Secondary outcomes (18)
  1. Change from Baseline in quality of life by the "5-level, 5-dimension EuroQol" (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Self-reported evaluation of: a) 5 physical and emotional items scored in five levels, from 1 (best: I have no problem) to 5 (worst: I have extreme problem or I am unable to…) and b) additional self-assessment of health by a visual analogue scale (0 = worst health patient can imagine, 100 = best health patient can imagine)

    Measured: 16 weeks

  2. Change from Baseline in quality of life by the "Short Form 36-item health survey" (SF-36v2) questionnaire (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Self-reported evaluation of 36 items (0 = worst, 100 = best). Final accumulated total range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best)

    Measured: 16 weeks

  3. Change from Baseline in Biochemical parameters of oxidative stress (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Serum levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and free radicals

    Measured: 16 weeks

  4. Change from Baseline in Biochemical parameters of inflammation (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Serum levels of pro-inflammatory interleukins and TNFalpha

    Measured: 16 weeks

  5. Change from Baseline in Hyperspectral image of painful area (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Assessment of the percentage of reflectance for each wavelength

    Measured: 16 weeks

  6. Change from Baseline in Levels of anxiety and depression according to the Hamilton scale (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Clinician-administered depression assessment scale with 17 items pertaining to symptoms of depression experienced over the past week. Each item is scored from 0 (better, no alteration) to 2 (worse level of alteration) for items with three options, or from or from 0 (better, no alteration) to 4 (worse level of alteration) for items with five options. Overall score is from 0 (better, no anxiety/depression) to 52 (worse, very severe anxiety/depression).

    Measured: 16 weeks

  7. Change from Baseline in Nerve conduction studies in the painful area (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Assessment of nerve conduction velocity (in m/s)

    Measured: 16 weeks

  8. Incidence of severe adverse events in accordance with the definition of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (at the end of ozone therapy)

    Number of events that are fatal, life threatening, leading to or prolonging a stay in hospital, or resulting in severe disability

    Measured: 16 weeks

  9. Change from Baseline in "Average pain" according to the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Self-reported evaluation of 15 items to assess the severity of pain on daily functions in seven interference areas. From the 15 items, 11 items are scored from 0 ("No pain" or "Does not no interfere") to 10 ("Pain as bad as you can imagine" or "Completely interferes")

    Measured: 28 weeks

  10. Direct Hospital Cost (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    The direct expenses incurred by the hospital in providing services (medication, tests, medical visits...) during the 16 weeks of ozone therapy (in euros)

    Measured: 28 weeks

  11. Change from Baseline in quality of life by the "5-level, 5-dimension EuroQol" (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Self-reported evaluation of: a) 5 physical and emotional items scored in five levels, from 1 (best: I have no problem) to 5 (worst: I have extreme problem or I am unable to…) and b) additional self-assessment of health by a visual analogue scale (0 = worst health patient can imagine, 100 = best health patient can imagine)

    Measured: 28 weeks

  12. Change from Baseline in quality of life by the "Short Form 36-item health survey" (SF-36v2) questionnaire (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Self-reported evaluation of 36 items (0 = worst, 100 = best). Final accumulated total range from 0 (worst) to 100 (best)

    Measured: 28 weeks

  13. Change from Baseline in Biochemical parameters of oxidative stress (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Serum levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and free radicals

    Measured: 28 weeks

  14. Change from Baseline in Biochemical parameters of inflammation (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Serum levels of pro-inflammatory interleukins and TNFalpha

    Measured: 28 weeks

  15. Change from Baseline in Hyperspectral image of painful area (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Assessment of the percentage of reflectance for each wavelength

    Measured: 28 weeks

  16. Change from Baseline in Levels of anxiety and depression according to the Hamilton scale (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Clinician-administered depression assessment scale with 17 items pertaining to symptoms of depression experienced over the past week. Each item is scored from 0 (better, no alteration) to 2 (worse level of alteration) for items with three options, or from or from 0 (better, no alteration) to 4 (worse level of alteration) for items with five options. Overall score is from 0 (better, no anxiety/depression) to 52 (worse, very severe anxiety/depression)

    Measured: 28 weeks

  17. Change from Baseline in Nerve conduction studies in the painful area (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Assessment of nerve conduction velocity (in m/s)

    Measured: 28 weeks

  18. Incidence of severe adverse events in accordance with the definition of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (at 12 weeks after the end of ozone therapy)

    Number of events that are fatal, life threatening, leading to or prolonging a stay in hospital, or resulting in severe disability

    Measured: 28 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Mar 2020
  2. Study start30 Nov 2020
  3. Primary completion30 Sep 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2/3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Standard treatment + ozone therapy (O3/O2) versus Standard treatment + oxygen (O2) as placebo
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
42 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04299893
Sponsor's protocol ID
2018-156-1
Other IDs
PI 19/00458, 016/2019, BF1-19-03, 2019-000821-37, 2019
Acronym
O3NPIQ
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
5 Mar 2020
Last updated
25 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Clavo B, Martinez-Sanchez G, Rodriguez-Esparragon F, Rodriguez-Abreu D, Galvan S, Aguiar-Bujanda D, Diaz-Garrido JA, Canas S, Torres-Mata LB, Fabelo H, Tellez T, Santana-Rodriguez N, Fernandez-Perez L, Marrero-Callico G. Modulation by Ozone Therapy of Oxidative Stress in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: The Background for a Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Mar 10;22(6):2802. doi: 10.3390/ijms22062802.

    PubMed 33802143
  • Clavo B, Rodriguez-Abreu D, Galvan S, Federico M, Martinez-Sanchez G, Ramallo-Farina Y, Antonelli C, Benitez G, Rey-Baltar D, Jorge IJ, Rodriguez-Esparragon F, Serrano-Aguilar P. Long-term improvement by ozone treatment in chronic pain secondary to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A preliminary report. Front Physiol. 2022 Aug 30;13:935269. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.935269. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 36111149
  • Smith EM, Pang H, Cirrincione C, Fleishman S, Paskett ED, Ahles T, Bressler LR, Fadul CE, Knox C, Le-Lindqwister N, Gilman PB, Shapiro CL; Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Effect of duloxetine on pain, function, and quality of life among patients with chemotherapy-induced painful peripheral neuropathy: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013 Apr 3;309(13):1359-67. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.2813.

    PubMed 23549581
  • Durand JP, Deplanque G, Montheil V, Gornet JM, Scotte F, Mir O, Cessot A, Coriat R, Raymond E, Mitry E, Herait P, Yataghene Y, Goldwasser F. Efficacy of venlafaxine for the prevention and relief of oxaliplatin-induced acute neurotoxicity: results of EFFOX, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial. Ann Oncol. 2012 Jan;23(1):200-205. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdr045. Epub 2011 Mar 22.

    PubMed 21427067
  • Albers JW, Chaudhry V, Cavaletti G, Donehower RC. Interventions for preventing neuropathy caused by cisplatin and related compounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Mar 31;2014(3):CD005228. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005228.pub4.

    PubMed 24687190
  • Hershman DL, Lacchetti C, Dworkin RH, Lavoie Smith EM, Bleeker J, Cavaletti G, Chauhan C, Gavin P, Lavino A, Lustberg MB, Paice J, Schneider B, Smith ML, Smith T, Terstriep S, Wagner-Johnston N, Bak K, Loprinzi CL; American Society of Clinical Oncology. Prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in survivors of adult cancers: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2014 Jun 20;32(18):1941-67. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2013.54.0914. Epub 2014 Apr 14.

    PubMed 24733808
  • Bocci V, Borrelli E, Travagli V, Zanardi I. The ozone paradox: ozone is a strong oxidant as well as a medical drug. Med Res Rev. 2009 Jul;29(4):646-82. doi: 10.1002/med.20150.

    PubMed 19260079
  • Bocci VA, Zanardi I, Travagli V. Ozone acting on human blood yields a hormetic dose-response relationship. J Transl Med. 2011 May 17;9:66. doi: 10.1186/1479-5876-9-66.

    PubMed 21575276
  • Bocci V, Valacchi G. Nrf2 activation as target to implement therapeutic treatments. Front Chem. 2015 Feb 2;3:4. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2015.00004. eCollection 2015.

    PubMed 25699252
  • Clavo B, Ceballos D, Gutierrez D, Rovira G, Suarez G, Lopez L, Pinar B, Cabezon A, Morales V, Oliva E, Fiuza D, Santana-Rodriguez N. Long-term control of refractory hemorrhagic radiation proctitis with ozone therapy. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2013 Jul;46(1):106-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.06.017. Epub 2012 Oct 26.

    PubMed 23102757
  • Clavo B, Rodriguez-Esparragon F, Rodriguez-Abreu D, Martinez-Sanchez G, Llontop P, Aguiar-Bujanda D, Fernandez-Perez L, Santana-Rodriguez N. Modulation of Oxidative Stress by Ozone Therapy in the Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicity: Review and Prospects. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019 Nov 26;8(12):588. doi: 10.3390/antiox8120588.

    PubMed 31779159
  • Clavo B, Navarro M, Federico M, Borrelli E, Jorge IJ, Ribeiro I, Rodriguez-Melcon JI, Carames MA, Santana-Rodriguez N, Rodriguez-Esparragon F. Ozone Therapy in Refractory Pelvic Pain Syndromes Secondary to Cancer Treatment: A New Approach Warranting Exploration. J Palliat Med. 2021 Jan;24(1):97-102. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2019.0597. Epub 2020 May 5.

    PubMed 32379556
  • Clavo B, Navarro M, Federico M, Borrelli E, Jorge IJ, Ribeiro I, Rodriguez-Melcon JI, Carames MA, Santana-Rodriguez N, Rodriguez-Esparragon F. Long-Term Results with Adjuvant Ozone Therapy in the Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain Secondary to Cancer Treatment. Pain Med. 2021 Sep 8;22(9):2138-2141. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa459. No abstract available.

    PubMed 33738491

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2/3 study testing Ozone and Oxygen in people with Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Pain, Neuropathic, run by Bernardino Clavo, MD, PhD at 2 sites in Spain.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 15 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this combined phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Bernardino Clavo, MD, PhD ((34)928449278, bernardinoclavo@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change from Baseline in "Average pain" according to the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) (at the end of ozone therapy) (time frame: 16 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04299893, which also lists 13 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Sep 2026.

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