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Non-Invasive VentilationPhase 3inDEXNCT06259565

Non-invasive Ventilation and Dexmedetomidine in Critically Ill Adults

A Phase 3 study testing Dexmedetomidine in people with Non-Invasive Ventilation, run by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton at 6 sites in Canada.

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

Non-Invasive ventilation (NIV) is a life saving intervention for patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). Some patients are not able to tolerate the NIV intervention and ultimately fail, requiring the use of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and intubation. Sedation may improve a patient's NIV tolerance. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Non-Invasive Ventilation
What is being tested?
Dexmedetomidine
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
846 participants
Where
6 sitesCanada
Study dates
29 Jul 2025to 31 Jan 2030
Phase
Phase 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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥18 years
  • Patient receiving any NIV modality for acute respiratory failure of any etiology
  • Admitted to ICU, PACU, step-down unit (surgical or medical), or emergency department(with planned admission to a monitored setting) or equivalent unit where hemodynamics and respiratory status can be monitored, and NIV is permitted; and
  • Presence of one or more of the following after optimized NIV treatment:
  • Agitation (Defined as a Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale [RASS] score of ≥+2 or a Riker Sedation-Agitation Scale [SAS] score of ≥5) (Appendix 1 Table 2 and Table 3)
  • Patient expresses intolerance or requests removal of NIV secondary to self-reported discomfort, anxiety, or claustrophobia
  • Other reason that the physician judges the patient to be intolerant of NIV or agitated, not captured above, or feels that the patient would benefit from titrated sedation for other reasons.

Who cannot join

  • Absence of a functioning pacemaker with one of the following: a-Persistent bradycardia defined as a heart rate (HR) ≤60bpm; b-Second or third-degree heart block; or c- Tachybrady syndrome
  • Persistent hypotension, defined as a mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≤65mmHg despite volume resuscitation and vasopressors
  • Imminent need for endotracheal intubation as determined by healthcare team
  • Patient's goals of care do not include intubation and IMV
  • Patient is not for vasopressors or inotropic support
  • Death is deemed imminent and inevitable
Show all 13Show fewer
  • Patient is currently on a dexmedetomidine infusion for a duration of > 12 hours
  • Previously enrolled in the inDEX trial
  • Acute liver failure with hepatic encephalopathy INR > 3 and/or bilirubin > 300
  • Current pregnancy or breast feeding
  • Known allergy to dexmedetomidine
  • Patients receiving Amphotericin B or Diazepam
  • Treating physician does not believe that participation in the trial is in the best interest of the patient (reasons for refusal will be captured)

Trial locations and contacts

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

Jose Estrada contact

jestrada@stjosham.on.ca

6 sites in 1 country

Canada6 sites, 6 recruiting
  • Brockville General Hospital

    Brockville, Ontario, K6V 1S8

    Tommy Li, tli@brockvillegeneralhospital.ca

    Mohammed Al-Amoudi, MD

    Not yet recruiting
  • St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

    Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 4A6

    Jose Estrada, 905-522-1155 Ext. 32873, jestrada@stjosham.on.ca

    Irene Armanious, 905-522-1155 Ext. 32873, iarmanio@stjosham.on.ca

    Recruiting
  • Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre

    Hamilton, Ontario, L8V 1C3

    Tina Millen, millent@mcmaster.ca

    Bram Rochwerg, MD

    Not yet recruiting
  • Fraser Health Authority

    Surrey, British Columbia, V3T 0H1

    Patrick Altejos, patrick.altejos@fraserhealth.ca

    Wesley Jang, MD

    Not yet recruiting
  • North York General Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M2K 1E1

    Mary Rahmat, mary.rahmat@nygh.on.ca

    Anna Geaea, MD

    Not yet recruiting
  • Sinai Health System

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5

    Sumesh Shah, sumesh.shah@sinaihealth.ca

    Geetha Mehta, MD

    Not yet recruiting

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Non-invasive Ventilation and Dexmedetomidine in Critically Ill Adults: An International Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (inDEX Trial)

Non-Invasive ventilation (NIV) is a life saving intervention for patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). Some patients are not able to tolerate the NIV intervention and ultimately fail, requiring the use of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and intubation. Sedation may improve a patient's NIV tolerance. However, this practice has not been adopted by intensivists as the risk of over-sedation resulting in respiratory depression, inability to protect the airway, and inadvertent need for intubation are all large deterrents of sedative use in NIV.

The Non-invasive Ventilation and Dexmedetomidine in Critically Ill Adults: a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial (inDEX) is looking to evaluate the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine compared to placebo in reducing non-invasive ventilation failures in patients admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory failure.

Read the detailed description

Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a common reason for admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIV) is a life-saving intervention for selected patients with ARF. Compared to endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), NIV is safer, less invasive, preferred by most patients, and is associated with a reduced ICU length of stay (LOS), less pneumonia and mortality, and lower healthcare costs.

NIV failure can occur, necessitating IMV. Risk factors associated with NIV failure including intolerance, agitation, and delirium. Sedation is a potential solution for NIV intolerance, however the evidence is sparse and the risk of over-sedation resulting in respiratory depression, inability to protect the airway, and inadvertent need for intubation are all large deterrents.

Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is an α2-adrenergic agonist sedative commonly used in IMV that promotes patient wakefulness, has no effect on respiratory drive, has important analgesic properties, and reduces delirium. The investigators hypothesize that Dex, when compared to placebo, reduces NIV failure in hospitalized adults with ARF and agitation or NIV intolerance.

Overall Goal: To determine if Dex, compared to placebo, reduces the risk of NIV failure in patients that admitted to hospital with acute respiratory failure and are intolerant of NIV.

Target Population: 846 patients will be enrolled into the trial if they meet all the following criteria: 1) ≥18 years old; 2) Receiving any NIV modality for ARF of any etiology; 3) Admitted to ICU, PACU, step-down unit (surgical or medical), or emergency department; 4) Presence of one or more of the following: a) Agitation, b) Patient expresses intolerance or requests removal of NIV secondary to self-reported discomfort, anxiety, or claustrophobia, or c) Other reason that the physician feels the patient is intolerant of NIV or agitated not captured above, or feels that the patient will benefit from sedation (all reasons will be recorded).

Methods: The inDEX trial is a pragmatic, international, multi-centred, stratified, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. Patients, investigators, healthcare team, data collectors, outcome assessors, and the statistician will be blinded to trial arms. The trial will maximize external validity by including patients in a range of hospitals across the world. Patients randomized to the experimental arm will receive Dex while those randomized to the control arm will receive placebo.

Assessment: The primary outcome is NIV failure. The investigators define NIV failure as the proportion that require intubation or have died at 28 days.

Being tested
Dexmedetomidine, Placebo Control

What participants receive

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

  • DexmedetomidineDrug

    Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is an α2-adrenergic agonist sedative commonly used in invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) that promotes patient wakefulness, has no effect on respiratory drive, has important analgesic properties, and reduces delirium

  • Placebo ControlOther

    Those in the control group will receive a placebo that is identical in colour and packaging and at equal volume to the intervention group. Each bag of placebo contains 100mL of 0.9% sodium chloride and labeled as per Health Canada guidance for labelling pharmaceutical drugs for use in humans

Study groups in NCT06259565
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Dexmedetomidine InterventionExperimentalDexmedetomidine (Dex) is an α2-adrenergic agonist sedative commonly used in IMV that promotes patient wakefulness, has no effect on respiratory drive, has important analgesic properties, and reduces delirium. Patients randomized to the experimental arm will receive dexmedetomidine. At initiation, a bolus will NOT be administered. In keeping with Health Canada Guidelines, we will start the infusion at a mid-range dose of 0.5mcg/kg/h with titration either up or down by 0.1mcg/kg/h every 20-30 minutes to a maximum rate of 1.2mcg/kg/h to maintain light sedation (RASS = -2 to +1 or SAS 3-4). Each bag will be composed of composed of dexmedetomidine 4mcg/mL(in 0.9% sodium chloride) prepared as a volume of 100mL and labeled as per Health Canada guidance for labelling pharmaceutical drugs for use in humans.
Receives: Drug: Dexmedetomidine
Placebo ControlPlacebo comparatorThose in the control group will receive a placebo that is identical in colour and packaging and at equal volume to the intervention group. Each bag of placebo contains 100mL of 0.9% sodium chloride and labeled as per Health Canada guidance for labelling pharmaceutical drugs for use in humans
Receives: Other: Placebo Control

What is being measured

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

  1. NIV Failure

    The primary outcome is NIV failure, defined by either mortality or intubation

    Measured: 28 days

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Physiologic outcomes: Incidence of delirium

    Delirium assessed using the ICU-CAM or ICDSC every 12 hours during NIV and daily thereafter until ICU discharge

    Measured: 28 days

  2. Physiologic outcomes: Incidence of agitation

    Agitation defined as Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) ≥2+ during NIV), where RASS scale ranges from -5 (unrousable) to +4 (combative).

    Measured: 28 days

  3. Major morbidity or mortality outcomes: Intubation

    Intubation

    Measured: 14 days

  4. Major morbidity or mortality outcomes: ICU Mortality

    ICU mortality

    Measured: 28 days

  5. Major morbidity or mortality outcomes: Hospital Mortality

    Hospital Mortality

    Measured: 90 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted14 Feb 2024
  2. Study start29 Jul 2025
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2029 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Jan 2030 (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 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Patients randomized to the experimental arm will receive dexmedetomidine. We will start the infusion at a mid-range dose of 0.5mcg/kg/h with titration either up or down by 0.1mcg/kg/h every 20-30 minutes to a maximum rate of 1.2mcg/kg/h to maintain light sedation (RASS = -2 to +1 or SAS = 3 to 4). The study drug will always be titrated to the lowest possible dose with preserved effect. Each bag will be composed of two 100 mcg/mL dexmedetomidine vials (2ml vials) mixed in a 96mL 0.9% sodium chloride mini-bag (4mcg/ml) and labeled as per Health Canada guidance for labelling pharmaceutical drugs for use in humans. The trial protocol does not allow an initial bolus of dexmedetomidine for safety reasons.
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
846 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06259565
Sponsor's protocol ID
4257
Acronym
inDEX
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
27 Dec 2023
Last updated
10 Sep 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing Dexmedetomidine in people with Non-Invasive Ventilation, run by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton at 6 sites 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 7 inclusion and 13 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 10 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 6 sites 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 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 Kimberley Lewis, MD ((289)775-7334, kimberley.lewis@medportal.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

NIV Failure (time frame: 28 days). 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 10 Sep 2025.

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