Efficacy of Add-on Plasma Exchange As an Adjunctive Strategy Against Septic Shock

NCT ID: NCT05726825

Last Updated: 2025-03-13

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

274 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-02-19

Study Completion Date

2028-04-30

Brief Summary

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Randomized, prospective, multicenter, open-label, controlled, parallel-group interventional trial to test the adjunctive effect of therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with early septic shock.

Detailed Description

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Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection; in septic shock profound circulatory, cellular and metabolic abnormalities are associated with an even higher mortality. Sepsis is a major healthcare problem, affecting millions of individuals around the world each year. Its incidence appears to be rising, and the mortality caused by septic shock in Germany in 2015 remains extraordinarily high (58.8%). It is well known - from the pathophysiological point of view - that these patients do not die from their infection per se but rather from multiple organ failure caused by their own overwhelming host response. This fact is so fundamental that it has been implemented as a key part of the 2016 sepsis definition (SEPSIS-3). Despite tremendous efforts during the last decades, innovative approaches targeting this fundamental hallmark of the disease, thereby reducing organ dysfunction, are lacking. Undoubtedly, there is an unmet need to expand the current standard of care for these patients by a more specific intervention.

The investigators hypothesize that early Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) in the most severely ill individuals will dampen the injurious maladaptive host response by removing injurious mediators thereby limiting organ dysfunction. The potential impact of this trial is of immense clinical relevance as it evaluates a promising adjunctive treatment option for a patient cohort suffering from an extraordinary high mortality. A positive trial result could truly change the current standard of care (SOC) - that is mostly supportive - of septic shock patients. Of note, there is neither a patent nor a direct commercial interest in such a trial.

Conditions

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Septic Shock

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE)

1 x TPE with donor Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFPs) (1.2 x individual plasma volume) within the first 6 hrs after randomization.

A second TPE can be performed if the patient remains vasopressor dependent ≥ 0.4 ug/kg/min within 24 hours after the first intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE)

Intervention Type DEVICE

The TPE treatment will be initiated within 6 hrs after randomization. Duration of TPE treatment is approximately 120-180 minutes. An additional second TPE can be performed if the patient remains vasopressor dependent ≥ 0.4 ug/kg/min after 24 hours following the first TPE procedure.

Both unfractionated heparin (UFH) and citrate may be used as anticoagulant medication.

To ensure treatment comparability between different patients, we will replace plasma in a fixed ratio of 1.2 x the individual patient's total plasma fluid.

Standard of Care (SOC)

Non-interventional standard of care

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE)

The TPE treatment will be initiated within 6 hrs after randomization. Duration of TPE treatment is approximately 120-180 minutes. An additional second TPE can be performed if the patient remains vasopressor dependent ≥ 0.4 ug/kg/min after 24 hours following the first TPE procedure.

Both unfractionated heparin (UFH) and citrate may be used as anticoagulant medication.

To ensure treatment comparability between different patients, we will replace plasma in a fixed ratio of 1.2 x the individual patient's total plasma fluid.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* New onset of septic shock (\< 24 hrs), (SEPSIS-3 definition)
* Norepinephrine (NE) dose ≥ 0.4 μg/kg/min ≥ 30 min OR NE ≥ 0.3 μg/kg/min + vasopressin (any dose)
* Established vascular access suitable for plasma exchange independent of study inclusion (due to established indication of RRT, expected need for RRT within the next 48 hours or other medical reasons as assessed by treating physician team)

Exclusion Criteria

* Age \< 18 or \> 80 years
* Urogenital focus of infection
* Pregnancy
* Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
* Known reaction against fresh frozen plasma (FFP)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Hannover Medical School

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Sascha David, Prof. Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Zurich

Klaus Stahl, PD Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hannover Medical School

Christian Bode, PD Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University Hospital, Bonn

Locations

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University Hospital Innsbruck

Innsbruck, , Austria

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Vienna

Vienna, , Austria

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

St. Joseph Hospital

Berlin, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Berlin Charite

Berlin, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Bonn

Bonn, , Germany

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Braunschweig

Braunschweig, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Hospital Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Hospital Cologne Meerheim

Cologne, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Cologne

Cologne, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Erlangen

Erlangen, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Essen

Essen, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Halle

Halle, , Germany

Site Status ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

University Hospital Hamburg (UKE)

Hamburg, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Hannover Medical School Anesthesiology

Hanover, , Germany

Site Status RECRUITING

Hannover Medical School Internal Medicine

Hanover, , Germany

Site Status RECRUITING

University Hospital Heidelberg

Heidelberg, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Jena

Jena, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Kiel

Kiel, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Hospital Magdeburg

Magdeburg, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Munich (TUM) Anesthesiology

Munich, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Munich (TUM) Internal Medicine

Munich, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Muenster Anesthesiology

Münster, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Rostock

Rostock, , Germany

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Bern

Bern, , Switzerland

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

University Hospital Zurich

Zurich, , Switzerland

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

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Austria Germany Switzerland

Central Contacts

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Sascha David, Prof. Dr.

Role: CONTACT

+41 44 255 8653

Klaus Stahl, PD Dr.

Role: CONTACT

+49 (0)176 1532 8277

Facility Contacts

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Michael Joannidis, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Peter Schellongowski, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Christoph Buettner

Role: primary

Philipp Enghard, PD Dr.

Role: primary

Christian Bode, PD Dr.

Role: primary

+49 (0)228 281 14119

Jan T. Kielstein, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Joern Bramstedt, Dr.

Role: primary

Achim Joerres, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Matthias Kochanek, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Carsten Willam, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Thorsten Brenner, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Stefan Kluge, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Hans-Joerg Gillmann, Dr.

Role: primary

Klaus Stahl, PD Dr.

Role: primary

+49 (0)176 1532 8277

Markus Weigand

Role: primary

Michael Bauer, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Norbert Weiler, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Martin Sauer, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Markus Heim, Dr.

Role: primary

Tobias Lahmer, PD Dr.

Role: primary

Alexander Zarbock, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Steffen Mitzner, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

Joerg C. Schefold

Role: primary

Sascha David, Prof. Dr.

Role: primary

+41 44 255 8653

References

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Knaup H, Stahl K, Schmidt BMW, Idowu TO, Busch M, Wiesner O, Welte T, Haller H, Kielstein JT, Hoeper MM, David S. Early therapeutic plasma exchange in septic shock: a prospective open-label nonrandomized pilot study focusing on safety, hemodynamics, vascular barrier function, and biologic markers. Crit Care. 2018 Oct 30;22(1):285. doi: 10.1186/s13054-018-2220-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30373638 (View on PubMed)

Stahl K, Schmidt JJ, Seeliger B, Schmidt BMW, Welte T, Haller H, Hoeper MM, Budde U, Bode C, David S. Effect of therapeutic plasma exchange on endothelial activation and coagulation-related parameters in septic shock. Crit Care. 2020 Mar 2;24(1):71. doi: 10.1186/s13054-020-2799-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32122366 (View on PubMed)

Stahl K, Bikker R, Seeliger B, Schmidt JJ, Schenk H, Schmidt BMW, Welte T, Haller H, Hoeper MM, Brand K, David S. Effect of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange on Immunoglobulin Deficiency in Early and Severe Septic Shock. J Intensive Care Med. 2021 Dec;36(12):1491-1497. doi: 10.1177/0885066620965169. Epub 2020 Oct 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33063613 (View on PubMed)

David S, Bode C, Putensen C, Welte T, Stahl K; EXCHANGE study group. Adjuvant therapeutic plasma exchange in septic shock. Intensive Care Med. 2021 Mar;47(3):352-354. doi: 10.1007/s00134-020-06339-1. Epub 2021 Jan 20. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33471132 (View on PubMed)

Stahl K, Hillebrand UC, Kiyan Y, Seeliger B, Schmidt JJ, Schenk H, Pape T, Schmidt BMW, Welte T, Hoeper MM, Sauer A, Wygrecka M, Bode C, Wedemeyer H, Haller H, David S. Effects of therapeutic plasma exchange on the endothelial glycocalyx in septic shock. Intensive Care Med Exp. 2021 Nov 24;9(1):57. doi: 10.1186/s40635-021-00417-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34817751 (View on PubMed)

Stahl K, Wand P, Seeliger B, Wendel-Garcia PD, Schmidt JJ, Schmidt BMW, Sauer A, Lehmann F, Budde U, Busch M, Wiesner O, Welte T, Haller H, Wedemeyer H, Putensen C, Hoeper MM, Bode C, David S. Clinical and biochemical endpoints and predictors of response to plasma exchange in septic shock: results from a randomized controlled trial. Crit Care. 2022 May 12;26(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s13054-022-04003-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35551628 (View on PubMed)

David S, Bode C, Stahl K; EXCHANGE-2 Study group. EXCHANGE-2: investigating the efficacy of add-on plasma exchange as an adjunctive strategy against septic shock-a study protocol for a randomized, prospective, multicenter, open-label, controlled, parallel-group trial. Trials. 2023 Apr 15;24(1):277. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07300-5.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37061693 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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EXCHANGE-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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