NCT04588311

Brief Summary

The EPO-TRAUMA study is a prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, phase III, randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of epoetin alfa compared to placebo in reducing mortality and severe disability at six months in critically ill trauma patients. 2500 mechanically ventilated ICU patients admitted with a primary trauma diagnosis presenting to the ICU will be recruited into the study from participating study centres in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.

Trial Health

83
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
2,500

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for phase_3

Timeline
16mo left

Started Nov 2020

Longer than P75 for phase_3

Geographic Reach
9 countries

41 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress81%
Nov 2020Aug 2027

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

October 1, 2020

Completed
18 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

October 19, 2020

Completed
21 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

November 9, 2020

Completed
6.1 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2026

Expected
8 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 31, 2027

Last Updated

July 16, 2025

Status Verified

July 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

6.1 years

First QC Date

October 1, 2020

Last Update Submit

July 14, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

Intensive Care UnitTraumaMajor traumaTraumatic injuryEPOErythropoietinEpoetin alfa

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Combined proportion of participants who have died or have severe disability (WHODAS 2.0 > 25)

    6-months

Secondary Outcomes (6)

  • Mortality at 6-months

    6 months

  • Mortality at ICU discharge

    6-months

  • Mortality at Hospital discharge

    6-months

  • Mortality at day 28

    28 days

  • Proportion of participants with a favourable Glasgow Outcome Score Extended (GOSE) (GOSE 5-8) compared to those have have died (GOSE 1), or have severe disability (GOSE 2-4).

    6-months

  • +1 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Erythropoietin (EPO)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Epoetin alfa 40,000 IU (1mL pre-filled syringe) will be given by subcutaneous injection to eligible patients on Study Days 1 and 8 during the intensive care unit stay.

Drug: Epoetin Alfa 40000 UNT/ML

Placebo

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Sodium Chloride 0.9% (1mL in volume) will be given by subcutaneous injection to eligible patients allocated to the placebo arm on Study Days 1 and 8 during the intensive care unit stay.

Drug: Sodium Chloride 0.9%

Interventions

Epoetin alfa 40,000IU 1mL pre-filled syringe given as subcutaneous injection.

Also known as: Eprex, Binocrit
Erythropoietin (EPO)

Sodium Chloride 0.9% 1mL in volume given as subcutaneous injection.

Also known as: Placebo, Saline
Placebo

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 75 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Are ≥ 18 to ≤ 75 years of age
  • Are \< 24 hours since primary traumatic injury
  • Are invasively mechanically ventilated
  • Are expected to stay in the ICU ≥ 48 hours
  • Have a haemoglobin not exceeding the upper limit of the applicable normal (ULN) reference range in clinical use at the treating institution
  • Have informed consent from a legal surrogate according to local law

You may not qualify if:

  • GCS = 3 and fixed dilated pupils
  • Recent history of DVT, PE or other thromboembolic event (within previous 12 months or receiving concomitant anticoagulant treatment for this indication)
  • A chronic hypercoagulable disorder, including known malignancy
  • Treatment with EPO in the last 30 days
  • First dose of study drug unable to be given within 24 hours of primary injury
  • Pregnancy or lactation or 3 months postpartum
  • Expected to die imminently (\< 24 hours)
  • Known sensitivity to mammalian cell derived products
  • Known contraindication to epoetin alfa
  • End stage renal failure (receives chronic dialysis)
  • Severe pre-existing physical or mental disability or severe co-morbidity that may interfere with the assessment of outcome
  • The treating physician believes it is not in the best interest of the patient to be randomised to this trial

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (41)

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Camperdown, New South Wales, 2050, Australia

RECRUITING

St Vincent's Hospital Sydney

Darlinghurst, New South Wales, 2010, Australia

ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING

St George Hospital

Kogarah, New South Wales, 2217, Australia

RECRUITING

Liverpool Hospital

Liverpool, New South Wales, 2170, Australia

RECRUITING

John Hunter Hospital

New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, 2305, Australia

RECRUITING

Royal North Shore Hospital

Saint Leonards, New South Wales, 2065, Australia

RECRUITING

Westmead Hospital

Westmead, New South Wales, 2145, Australia

RECRUITING

Royal Darwin Hospital

Tiwi, Northern Territory, 0810, Australia

NOT YET RECRUITING

Cairns Hospital

Cairns, Queensland, 4870, Australia

WITHDRAWN

Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

Herston, Queensland, 4029, Australia

RECRUITING

Gold Coast University Hospital

Southport, Queensland, 4215, Australia

RECRUITING

Princess Alexandra Hospital

Woolloongabba, Queensland, 4102, Australia

RECRUITING

Royal Adelaide Hospital

Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia

RECRUITING

Flinders Medical Centre

Adelaide, South Australia, 5042, Australia

NOT YET RECRUITING

The Alfred Hospital

Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia

RECRUITING

Royal Melbourne Hospital

Melbourne, Victoria, 3050, Australia

RECRUITING

Royal Perth Hospital

Perth, Western Australia, 6000, Australia

RECRUITING

Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc

Brussels, Belgium

NOT YET RECRUITING

HUB Hopital Erasme

Brussels, Belgium

NOT YET RECRUITING

CHU-Charleroi Chimay

Charleroi, Belgium

RECRUITING

Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg

Genk, Belgium

NOT YET RECRUITING

Ghent University Hospital

Ghent, Belgium

NOT YET RECRUITING

CHR de la Citadelle de LIEGE

Liège, Belgium

NOT YET RECRUITING

Helsinki University Hospital (HUS)

Helsinki, Finland

RECRUITING

Kuopio University Hospital

Kuopio, Finland

RECRUITING

Turku University Hospital

Turku, Finland

RECRUITING

University Hospital Münster

Münster, Germany

RECRUITING

Beaumont Hospital

Beaumont, Ireland

RECRUITING

Cork University Hospital

Cork, Ireland

RECRUITING

St Vincent's University Hospital

Dublin, Ireland

RECRUITING

Auckland City Hospital

Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand

RECRUITING

Christchurch Hospital

Christchurch, Christchurch, 8011, New Zealand

RECRUITING

Middlemore Hospital

Auckland, Otahuhu, 1640, New Zealand

RECRUITING

Waikato Hospital

Hamilton, Waikato Region, 3204, New Zealand

RECRUITING

Wellington Hospital

Newtown, Wellington Region, 6021, New Zealand

RECRUITING

King Abdulaziz Medical City

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

RECRUITING

University Medical Centre Ljubljana

Ljubljana, Slovenia

RECRUITING

University Medical Centre Maribor

Maribor, Slovenia

RECRUITING

University Hospital Bern

Bern, Switzerland

RECRUITING

Lucerne Cantonal Hospital

Lucerne, Switzerland

NOT YET RECRUITING

St. Gallen Cantonal Hospital

Sankt Gallen, Switzerland

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

  • Nichol A, French C, Little L, Haddad S, Presneill J, Arabi Y, Bailey M, Cooper DJ, Duranteau J, Huet O, Mak A, McArthur C, Pettila V, Skrifvars M, Vallance S, Varma D, Wills J, Bellomo R; EPO-TBI Investigators; ANZICS Clinical Trials Group. Erythropoietin in traumatic brain injury (EPO-TBI): a double-blind randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2015 Dec 19;386(10012):2499-506. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00386-4. Epub 2015 Oct 6.

    PMID: 26452709BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Wounds and InjuriesBrain Injuries, TraumaticWounds, PenetratingWounds, NonpenetratingMultiple Trauma

Interventions

Epoetin AlfaSodium Chloride

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain InjuriesBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesCraniocerebral TraumaTrauma, Nervous System

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

ErythropoietinColony-Stimulating FactorsGlycoproteinsGlycoconjugatesCarbohydratesHematopoietic Cell Growth FactorsCytokinesIntercellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsPeptidesAmino Acids, Peptides, and ProteinsProteinsBiological FactorsChloridesHydrochloric AcidChlorine CompoundsInorganic ChemicalsSodium Compounds

Study Officials

  • Associate Professor Craig French

    Western Health; ANZIC Research Centre

    STUDY CHAIR
  • Professor Alistair Nichol

    University College Dublin

    STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 3
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

October 1, 2020

First Posted

October 19, 2020

Study Start

November 9, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2027

Last Updated

July 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

At the conclusion of the study, the study management committee will consider requests from researchers who provide a methodically sound scientific proposal as per the Data Sharing Policy set out in the ANZIC-RC Terms of Reference.

Time Frame
As per the ANZIC Research Centre Data Sharing Policy
Access Criteria
As per the ANZIC Research Centre Data Sharing Policy

Locations