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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)Phase 2NCT05241067

Multicentric, Randomized Study to Assess Safety and Efficacy of Centhaquine in Patients With ARDS

A Phase 2 study testing Normal Saline and Centhaquine in people with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), run by Pharmazz, Inc..

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition with a diffuse, inflammatory form of lung injury, causing pulmonary infiltration and respiratory failure leading to poor oxygenation. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Normal Saline and Centhaquine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
80 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
May 2027to 31 Dec 2027
Phase
Phase 2
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • A subject will be eligible for inclusion in the study if he/she fulfills the following criteria:
  • Adult male or female aged 18 years or older
  • Hospitalized in the ICU diagnosed with moderate to severe ARDS having a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of < 200 mmHg or the SPO2/FiO2 ratio of ≤ 235( if SPO2 ≤ 97 %) with PEEP ≥ 5 cm H20 include the patient receiving invasive /non-invasive ventilation (NIV/CPAP).
  • The first dose of the study drug should be administered within 48 hours of confirming moderate to severe ARDS.
  • Requires vasopressor support
  • Written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • A subject will not be eligible for inclusion in this study if he/she meets any of the following exclusion criteria:
  • Receiving or expected to receive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or high-frequency oscillatory ventilation
  • Confirmed pregnancy
  • Breast feeding
  • Participating in another interventional study
  • Requires or having the renal replacement therapy
  • Hepatic failure (Child-Pugh scores B and C)

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Anil Gulati, MD, PhD contact

6307806087

anil.gulati@pharmazz.com

About this study

Official title: A Multicentric, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Centhaquine as an Adjuvant to the Standard of Care in Patients With Moderate to Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition with a diffuse, inflammatory form of lung injury, causing pulmonary infiltration and respiratory failure leading to poor oxygenation. It is a rapidly progressive form of respiratory failure and accounts for approximately 10% of admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) and has a high mortality (40%) in severe cases. Globally, approximately 3 million ARDS cases are reported each year, with around 200,000 cases seen in the United States.

The etiology of ARDS could be pulmonary or extra-pulmonary. Patients with ARDS have symptoms like difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, and cyanosis, and they may require assisted breathing/ventilatory support/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. About 25% of ARDS patients need mechanical ventilation to support breathing; however, a ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is known to further exacerbate ARDS in many of them. In recent decades, numerous efforts have been made to develop therapies for treating/managing ARDS. Unfortunately, they have been largely unsuccessful or inconclusive, and at present, no effective pharmacological therapy for ARDS is available. Hence, development of better therapeutics for ARDS is an unmet need.

Centhaquine is a first-in-class resuscitative agent for hypovolemic shock approved for marketing in India. Centhaquine has been found to be an effective resuscitative agent in rat, rabbit, and swine models of hemorrhagic shock. Its safety and tolerability have been demonstrated in a human phase I study in 25 subjects (CTRI/2014/06/004647). Results from multicentric, randomized, double-blind, parallel, controlled clinical phase II (CTRI/2017/03/008184) and phase III (CTRI/2019/01/017196) studies conducted in India indicate that centhaquine is a novel, first-in-class, highly effective resuscitative agent for hypovolemic shock. A total of 155 patients with hypovolemic shock have been studied in the combined phase II and III trials, while a multicentric phase IV study (NCT05956418) in 400 patients with hypovolemic shock is currently being conducted in India. The outcomes of the completed trials indicate that centhaquine is safe and reduces mortality significantly (P=0.0271) compared to standard treatment of hypovolemic shock. In the phase II and III studies, ARDS and MODS were evaluated as secondary endpoints. Centhaquine provided hemodynamic stability and significantly reduced ARDS and multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS) in patients enrolled in these trials, which suggests that centhaquine has potential beyond treating hypovolemic shock and could be useful for ARDS treatment. Centhaquine is likely to provide hemodynamic stability, improve tissue oxygenation, reduce pulmonary edema, reduce ARDS score, and reduce MODS in patients with ARDS.

Read the detailed description

This is a multicentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase-II clinical study to assess the safety and efficacy of centhaquine as an adjuvant to the standard of care in patients with moderate to severe ARDS. Approximately 10 study centers in the United States will participate in the study. For an individual patient, the duration of the study will be 60 days, including 3 study visits: visit 1/Day 1 (screening/randomization/baseline/treatment visit), visit 2/Day 28, and visit 3/End of Study (Day 60). At visit 1, approximately 80 eligible patients will be randomized 1:1 into 2 treatment groups of 40 each after meeting the eligibility criteria. A total of 40 patients will be enrolled in the centhaquine group (Group 1) and a total of 40 patients in the control group (Group 2):

  • Group 1 (Active Group): Centhaquine (Dose: 0.01 mg/kg) + Standard of care
  • Group 2 (Control group): Equal volume of Normal Saline + Standard of care In both treatment groups, patients will be provided with the standard of care. Centhaquine or Equal volume of Normal Saline will be administered intravenously after randomization to patients meeting the eligibility criteria. In the centhaquine group, centhaquine (0.01 mg/kg) dose will be administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion over 1 hour in 100 mL of normal saline. An additional dose of centhaquine will be administered on Day 2 if oxygenation and/or vasopressor support is required, but not before 24 hours of the previous dose (maximum 2 doses at an interval of 24 hours can be administered). In the control group, equal volume of normal saline will be administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion over 1 hour post-randomization. Conditions of administration will remain the same as for the centhaquine group. All subjects will be closely monitored during and after infusion. Vital signs will be monitored every 10 minutes during infusion. In the event of worsening hemodynamics or respiratory status, the infusion will be discontinued. Each subject will be monitored closely and followed up throughout his/her hospitalization. Moreover, he/she will be assessed for safety and efficacy parameters over 60 days from randomization.
Being tested
Normal Saline, Centhaquine
Keywords
ARDS, Resuscitation, Centhaquine, Hypoxia
Medical subject headings
Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Hypoxia

What participants receive

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

  • Normal SalineDrug

    Also called Vehicle

    Placebo (Dose: equal volume saline) + Standard of care

  • CenthaquineDrug

    Also called PMZ-2010

    Centhaquine (Dose: 0.01 mg/kg) + Standard of care

Study groups in NCT05241067
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Normal salinePlacebo comparatorPlacebo (Dose: equal volume saline) + Standard of care
Receives: Drug: Normal Saline
CenthaquineActive comparatorCenthaquine (Dose: 0.01 mg/kg) + Standard of care
Receives: Drug: Centhaquine

What is being measured

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

  1. Improvement of PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≥200 mmHg or relative increase by 50 mmHg from baseline

    The study's primary objective is to determine the clinical effect of centhaquine in patients with moderate to severe ARDS.

    Measured: 3 days

Secondary outcomes (12)
  1. 28-day all-cause mortality

    Incidence of 28-day all-cause mortality

    Measured: 28 days

  2. 60-day all-cause mortality

    Incidence of 60-day all-cause mortality

    Measured: 60 days

  3. Time to clinical improvement on WHO 8-point ordinal scale

    Time to clinical improvement on WHO 8-point ordinal scale (ranging from 1-Ambulatory to 8-Death)

    Measured: 60 days

  4. Hospital free days

    Hospital free days [Time frame: The number of days beginning with the day of randomization counted as "Day 1" through Day 28]

    Measured: 28 days

  5. ICU free days

    • ICU free days [Time frame: The number of days beginning with the day of randomization counted as "Day 1" through Day 28]

    Measured: 28 days

  6. Ventilator free days (VFDs)

    Ventilator free days (VFDs) in hospital [Time frame: The number of days beginning with the day of the episode counted as "Day 1 through Day 28, during which the patient is being cared for in the hospital]

    Measured: 28 days

  7. Days alive free of renal replacement therapy

    • Days alive free of renal replacement therapy [Time frame: The number of days beginning with the day of randomization counted as "Day 1" through Day 28]

    Measured: 28 days

  8. Days alive free of vasopressor(s)

    Days alive free of vasopressor(s) [Time frame: The number of days beginning with the day of randomization counted as "Day 1" through Day 28]

    Measured: 28 days

  9. A ≥ 50% reduction in vasopressor(s) (norepinephrine equivalents; NEE) dose.

    The proportion of patients who have a ≥ 50% reduction of vasopressor(s) (norepinephrine equivalent; NEE) dose from the time of randomization [Time frame: 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours from the time of randomization].

    Measured: 3 days

  10. Change in blood lactate

    Change in blood lactate [Time frame: Day 1 through Day 3]

    Measured: 3 days

  11. Change in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score

    • Change in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score [Time frame: baseline through Day 9 or at the time of hospital discharge, whichever is earlier.]

    Measured: 9 days

  12. Adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)

    Proportion of patients with adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)

    Measured: 28 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted15 Feb 2022
  2. Study startMay 2027 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion31 Oct 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
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
80 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05241067
Sponsor's protocol ID
Centhaquine/ARDS /CT-2.2/2022
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
14 Feb 2022
Last updated
17 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Gulati A, Choudhuri R, Gupta A, Singh S, Ali SKN, Sidhu GK, Haque PD, Rahate P, Bothra AR, Singh GP, Maheshwari S, Jeswani D, Haveri S, Agarwal A, Agrawal NR. A Multicentric, Randomized, Controlled Phase III Study of Centhaquine (Lyfaquin(R)) as a Resuscitative Agent in Hypovolemic Shock Patients. Drugs. 2021 Jun;81(9):1079-1100. doi: 10.1007/s40265-021-01547-5. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

    PubMed 34061314
  • Ranjan AK, Zhang Z, Briyal S, Gulati A. Centhaquine Restores Renal Blood Flow and Protects Tissue Damage After Hemorrhagic Shock and Renal Ischemia. Front Pharmacol. 2021 May 3;12:616253. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.616253. eCollection 2021.

    PubMed 34012389
  • Gulati A, Jain D, Agrawal NR, Rahate P, Choudhuri R, Das S, Dhibar DP, Prabhu M, Haveri S, Agarwal R, Lavhale MS. Resuscitative Effect of Centhaquine (Lyfaquin(R)) in Hypovolemic Shock Patients: A Randomized, Multicentric, Controlled Trial. Adv Ther. 2021 Jun;38(6):3223-3265. doi: 10.1007/s12325-021-01760-4. Epub 2021 May 10.

    PubMed 33970455
  • Kontouli Z, Staikou C, Iacovidou N, Mamais I, Kouskouni E, Papalois A, Papapanagiotou P, Gulati A, Chalkias A, Xanthos T. Resuscitation with centhaquin and 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 improves survival in a swine model of hemorrhagic shock: a randomized experimental study. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2019 Dec;45(6):1077-1085. doi: 10.1007/s00068-018-0980-1. Epub 2018 Jul 13.

    PubMed 30006694
  • Briyal S, Gandhakwala R, Khan M, Lavhale MS, Gulati A. Alterations in endothelin receptors following hemorrhage and resuscitation by centhaquin. Physiol Res. 2018 Jun 27;67(Suppl 1):S199-S214. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.933856.

    PubMed 29947540
  • Papalexopoulou K, Chalkias A, Pliatsika P, Papalois A, Papapanagiotou P, Papadopoulos G, Arnaoutoglou E, Petrou A, Gulati A, Xanthos T. Centhaquin Effects in a Swine Model of Ventricular Fibrillation: Centhaquin and Cardiac Arrest. Heart Lung Circ. 2017 Aug;26(8):856-863. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2016.11.008. Epub 2016 Dec 19.

    PubMed 28385449
  • O'Donnell JN, O'Donnell EP, Kumar EJ, Lavhale MS, Andurkar SV, Gulati A, Scheetz MH. Pharmacokinetics of centhaquin citrate in a dog model. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2016 Jun;68(6):803-9. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12554. Epub 2016 Apr 25.

    PubMed 27109141
  • O'Donnell JN, Gulati A, Lavhale MS, Sharma SS, Patel AJ, Rhodes NJ, Scheetz MH. Pharmacokinetics of centhaquin citrate in a rat model. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2016 Jan;68(1):56-62. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12498. Epub 2016 Jan 4.

    PubMed 26725913
  • Papapanagiotou P, Xanthos T, Gulati A, Chalkias A, Papalois A, Kontouli Z, Alegakis A, Iacovidou N. Centhaquin improves survival in a swine model of hemorrhagic shock. J Surg Res. 2016 Jan;200(1):227-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2015.06.056. Epub 2015 Jun 29.

    PubMed 26216751
  • Gulati A, Zhang Z, Murphy A, Lavhale MS. Efficacy of centhaquin as a small volume resuscitative agent in severely hemorrhaged rats. Am J Emerg Med. 2013 Sep;31(9):1315-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.05.032. Epub 2013 Jul 19.

    PubMed 23871440
  • Lavhale MS, Havalad S, Gulati A. Resuscitative effect of centhaquin after hemorrhagic shock in rats. J Surg Res. 2013 Jan;179(1):115-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2012.08.042. Epub 2012 Sep 2.

    PubMed 22964270
  • Gulati A, Lavhale MS, Garcia DJ, Havalad S. Centhaquin improves resuscitative effect of hypertonic saline in hemorrhaged rats. J Surg Res. 2012 Nov;178(1):415-23. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2012.02.005. Epub 2012 Apr 2.

    PubMed 22487389

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Normal Saline and Centhaquine in people with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), run by Pharmazz, Inc..

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 6 inclusion and 7 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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 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.

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 Anil Gulati, MD, PhD (6307806087, anil.gulati@pharmazz.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Improvement of PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≥200 mmHg or relative increase by 50 mmHg from baseline (time frame: 3 days). 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 NCT05241067, which also lists 12 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 17 Sep 2026.

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