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Lung CancerPhase 2AIVAANCT05849129

Adjunctive Intravenous Ascorbic Acid for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

A Phase 2 study testing Ascorbic acid and Normal Saline in people with Lung Cancer, run by The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine at 1 site in Canada.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

This is a two arm RCT evaluating the effect of intravenous vitamin C versus placebo in patients with incurable non-small cell lung cancer. Participants in both arms will be receiving platinum doublet chemotherapy with or without concurrent immunotherapy as standard care. We plan to enroll 90 patients over 5 years. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Lung Cancer
What is being tested?
Ascorbic acid and Normal Saline
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
3 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
1 Oct 2024to 24 Sep 2026
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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

  • Adults (≥18 years of age) seen at TOHCC with stage IIIB or IV primary non-small cell lung cancer
  • Eligible and scheduled for first line platinum-doublet chemotherapy with or without concurrent immunotherapy

Who cannot join

  • ECOG status greater than 2
  • Previously received IVC within 6 months prior to randomization
  • Biochemical deficiency in G6PD
  • Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) less than 45 mL/min
  • Currently taking insulin or warfarin
  • History of severe renal dysfunction or hemochromatosis
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Previously undergone cytotoxic chemotherapy or immunotherapy within 12 months prior to randomization
  • If pregnant or planning to become pregnant: not a carrier of the gene for G6PD deficiency
  • Currently taking an investigational product or participation in an investigational study within the past 30 days
  • Any reason which, under the discretion of the Principal Investigator or delegate, would preclude the patient from participating

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • The Ottawa Hospital

    Ottawa, Ontario, K1H8L6

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Adjunctive Intravenous Ascorbic Acid for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Double Blind, Placebo Controlled, Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial

This is a two arm RCT evaluating the effect of intravenous vitamin C versus placebo in patients with incurable non-small cell lung cancer. Participants in both arms will be receiving platinum doublet chemotherapy with or without concurrent immunotherapy as standard care. We plan to enroll 90 patients over 5 years.

Conditions
Lung Cancer
Being tested
Ascorbic acid, Normal Saline
Medical subject headings
Lung Neoplasms

What participants receive

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

  • Ascorbic acidDrug

    Also called Vitamin C

    High dose ascorbic acid delivered intravenously

  • Normal SalineOther

    Also called Sodium Chloride Solution

    0.9% NaCl solution

Study groups in NCT05849129
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intravenous Vitamin CExperimental1g/kg IVC administered twice weekly for 6 months.
Receives: Drug: Ascorbic acid
Normal SalinePlacebo comparatorEquivalent volume normal saline administered twice weekly for 6 months.
Receives: Other: Normal Saline

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in Quality of Life

    Participant reported quality of life (QOL) measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Lung (FACT-L). FACT-L is a validated tool for assessing QOL in patients with lung cancer. FACT scores are normalized to values between 0-100, where 0 is the worst QOL and 100 is the best QOL imaginable. Each chemotherapy cycle is 3 weeks in length.

    Measured: Baseline, Chemo cycles 1-4, 6 months, 12 months

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. Chemotherapy-Related Toxicities

    Frequency of adverse events (AE) which are commonly experienced by patients undergoing chemotherapy. Measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE). 31 symptoms were selected by the investigators.

    Measured: 12 months

  2. Frequency of Discontinuation of Chemotherapy

    Patients often discontinue chemotherapy due to side effects. The investigators will monitor the incidence of stopping chemotherapy and compare the number of patients who stop chemotherapy in both arms.

    Measured: 6 months

  3. Change in General Symptom Burden

    Measured using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, which measures 9 symptoms commonly experienced by cancer patients. Each symptom is rated on a scale of 0-10, where 0 is the best symptom and 10 is the worst symptom. Each chemotherapy cycle is 3 weeks in length.

    Measured: Baseline, chemo cycles 1-4, 6 months, 12 months

  4. Change in C-Reactive Protein Levels

    The investigators will monitor the changes in C-reactive protein (CRP), a common indicator of systemic inflammation. Mean changes in CRP will be compared between arms. Each chemotherapy cycle is 3 weeks in length.

    Measured: Baseline, chemo cycles 1-4, 6 months, 12 months

  5. Tumour Progression

    The investigators will monitor tumour progression using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, which measures the incidence of complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease during treatments.

    Measured: 12 months

  6. Survival

    The incidence of all cause mortality will be compared between arms.

    Measured: 24 months

  7. Safety

    The investigators will monitor the incidence of all adverse events in both arms to add to the safety profile of IVC in this population.

    Measured: 6 months

  8. Cytotoxicity

    The investigators will assess the ability of IVC to bring serum ascorbate levels to at least 15mM, which is the hypothesized level at which cytotoxic effects may occur. Levels 15mM or above will be considered adequate.

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted8 May 2023
  2. Study start1 Oct 2024
  3. Primary completion24 Sep 2026
  4. Study completion24 Sep 2026

Why it stopped: Insufficient recruitment

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
3 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05849129
Sponsor's protocol ID
20220721-01H
Acronym
AIVAA
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
24 Apr 2023
Last updated
14 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers. Cumulative data not present in the manuscript or on this website may be shared upon request.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Ascorbic acid and Normal Saline in people with Lung Cancer, run by The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine at 1 site in Canada.

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 2 inclusion and 10 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: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. 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 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?

The study was stopped early (reason given: Insufficient recruitment). Results are not available in the source record.

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

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Quality of Life (time frame: Baseline, Chemo cycles 1-4, 6 months, 12 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 14 Oct 2026.

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