There are about 10460 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Australia. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
Although clinical risk factors for postoperative development of vasodilatory shock and acute renal failure have been identified; there is a considerable proportion of patients undergoing cardiac surgery where this syndrome cannot be predicted. We sought to investigate the impact of Catecholamine-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism on the duration of vasodilatory shock and other important clinical outcomes in cardiac surgery patients. COMT is a key enzyme in the degradation of catechols eg. catecholamines. 25% of the population have a low activity (L/L) of this enzyme. Sustained low COMT activity is associated with an altered metabolic profile of catecholamines and their degradation products. The process of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)over-activates some of the same mechanisms the body uses to defend itself against severe infection. One of the main overactive defence mechanisms is the release of highly toxic compounds derived from oxygen - a process called 'oxidative-stress'. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation can lead to inactivation of biologic mediators, including catecholamines. It is well established that some radicals autoxidizes catecholamines, including DA, NE, and epinephrine and contribute significantly to vasoplegia. As part of this study, we will take six 2.7mL samples of blood, collected before, and after the operation, from the arterial catheter routinely inserted in every patient. This blood will be used to measure COMT genotype, the concentration of plasma-catecholamines as well as marker of oxidative stress. Our plan is to enrol patients undergoing cardiac surgery if the use of the CPB is planned.
This study, will compare pregabalin with placebo for the duration of 14 weeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin in patients with fibromyalgia.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the side effects and anti-leukemic benefits of imatinib with those of interferon and Ara-C for patients who have chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase. Patients in this study will be randomized (1:1) to receive either interferon plus Ara-C or imatinib as initial treatment.
This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of an intravitreal implant of dexamethasone for the treatment of non-infectious intermediate or posterior uveitis.
This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of 2 doses of Avastin in combination with docetaxel, versus docetaxel plus placebo, in patients with metastatic HER2 negative breast cancer who are candidates for taxane-based chemotherapy but who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. The anticipated time on treatment is 1-2 years and the target sample size is 500+ individuals.
Patients within the intensive care unit who have severe infections causing shock and kidney failure have almost a 60% risk of dying despite antibiotic therapy, surgical drainage of the site of infection and intensive care support with fluids, nutrition, mechanical ventilation and continuous artificial kidney support. This persistently high death rate continues to stimulate the development of new approaches to the treatment of septic shock. Much clinical and molecular biology research suggests that these patients die because of an uncontrolled immune system’s response to infection. This response involves the production of several substances (so called “humoral mediators”), which enter the blood stream and affect the patient's organs ability to function and the patient's ability to kill germs. These substances may potentially be removed by new artificial filters similar to those currently used during continuous hemofiltration (the type of artificial kidney support used in intensive care). Recent investigations by ourselves and others, however, have made the following findings: 1. Standard filters currently used in intensive care are ineffective in removing large amounts of these “humoral mediators” because the holes in the filter are too small to allow all of them to pass through 2. The standard filters currently used in intensive care are also ineffective in removing large amounts of these “humoral mediators” because the standard filtration flow through the membrane is less than 100 ml/min 3. When the filtration flow through the membrane is increased to above 100ml/min, patients require a lesser dose of drugs to support their blood pressure which is an indirect sign that the filters are clearing some of the "humoral mediators" 4. Even when the blood flow through standard filters is increased to above 100ml/min, there is still not optimal clearing of "humoral mediators" It is possible, however, that, using a different filter membrane with bigger holes in it, would make it easier to clear the blood of these "humoral mediators". It is thought that this would be noticeable clinically in the amount of drugs required to support blood pressure. A filter that has these bigger holes is now available. It is made of the same material as the standard filters that are currently used in the intensive care unit, only the holes have been made bigger to allow these "humoral mediators" to be removed from the blood. This polyamide filter is made of synthetic semipermeable material. This material is highly compatible with human blood. This modified polyamide filter is made of exactly the same compatible material but the holes in the material are slightly larger through a minor modification of the manufacturing process. This larger hole filter has now been used in preliminary studies in humans and has been found to reduce the blood levels of some "humoral mediators". Laboratory studies conducted by ourselves showed that this new filter can achieve the highest reported clearance of some of the "humoral mediators" with minimal effect on useful proteins in blood such as albumin during hemodialysis. This loss is very small and unlikely to contribute to any detectable clinical changes. We, therefore, now propose to study the effect of using new large hole filters with hemodialysis in patients with severe infections and acute kidney failure. We wish to compare the effect of this new therapy to that of standard filters. The new therapy will be considered to be effective if it lowers the amount of drugs used to support blood pressure and if it lowers the blood levels of some "humoral mediators" more than standard therapy. We will also monitor blood levels of important components of blood such as albumin and electrolytes in each group. This is a pilot study involving only 10 patients who will each receive 4 hours of the standard therapy and 4 hours of the new therapy. Which treatment the patient receives first will be random (like the tossing of a coin). Blood samples will be taken at the start and after 4 hours of each treatment. The waste product of dialysis called spent dialysate will also be collected for the measurement of humoral mediators at the start and after 4 hours of each treatment. The changes in blood pressure and drugs used to support it will be recorded hourly. As patients involved in the study would normally receive hemofiltration because of their kidney failure, all the risks and benefits associated with the procedure would be unchanged. The only risk to patients would come from exposure to a modified membrane and from having two additional spoonfuls of blood taken. If this new membrane were found to have a major effect on the blood level of "humoral mediators" and on the patients’ blood pressure, further studies would then be justified to assess its clinical effects (time in ICU, time in hospital, time on ventilator, duration of organ failure, etc).
The objective of this phase I/II therapeutic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine candidate study is to provide proof of concept for a HIV antigen delivery system in terms of safety, virological effects and selected immune responses in HIV infected individuals after cessation of antiretroviral combination therapy (ART).
At least 14% of patients develop kidney failure after cardiac surgery. Although this kidney failure can usually be treated effectively, a longer stay in intensive care is often required. While many patients suffer no long term ill effects after developing post-operative kidney failure, some require long term kidney dialysis. The investigators also know that patients who develop post-operative kidney failure are much more likely to die before they leave hospital. Why some people develop kidney failure after cardiac surgery is not known. However, doctors suspect that the process of cardiopulmonary bypass (where the functions of the heart and lungs are taken over by a machine during the operation, to allow the surgeon to operate) overactivates some of the same mechanisms the body uses to defend itself against severe infection. Many of the cell changes by which severe infection causes kidney failure also occur after cardiopulmonary bypass. One of the main overactive defence mechanisms is the release of highly toxic compounds derived from oxygen - a process called 'oxidative stress'. Another well-known cause of oxidative stress is paracetamol (Panadol) overdose. In large doses the oxidative stress caused by paracetamol damages cells in the liver, where it is digested, and the kidney. N-acetylcysteine is a drug in common use for the treatment of paracetamol overdose. Patients who would otherwise die of liver failure are routinely saved by N-acetylcysteine, which acts as a strong anti-oxidant. The investigators believe that N-acetylcysteine might similarly reduce the oxidative stress which occurs during cardiac surgery, and so prevent or decrease the kidney failure which occurs in many patients. The investigators hope to give N-acetylcysteine (in similar doses to those used safely for paracetamol poisoning) to patients during, and for a day after cardiac surgery, and compare the effects with patients who have not had N-acetylcysteine. The drug, or a 5% glucose placebo, will be given through the drip which is present in all cardiac surgery patients. Whether a particular patient receives the drug or placebo will be decided at random, and neither the patient nor the investigators will know which has been given. The investigators will measure kidney function before and after the operation using the standard tests which are performed for the purposes of clinical care of every patient. Also, the investigators will do an extra test involving the collection of urine (from the urinary catheter every patient has after cardiac surgery), which provides an even better measure of kidney function. This is a potential benefit to the patient, as while this test is not routinely performed, the results will be available to the doctors in the intensive care unit. The investigators will also take four 20ml samples of blood, spaced before, during, and after the operation, from the arterial catheter routinely inserted in every patient. This is an insignificant amount of blood compared to that taken for other tests, and would have no adverse effects. This blood would be used to measure oxidative stress, and also some of the proteins inside the blood cells which are responsible for creating the toxic oxygen compounds. In this way the investigators will discover not only the effect of N-acetylcysteine, but the mechanism of that effect. N-acetylcysteine is routinely used to treat paracetamol overdose with few side effects. An itchy skin rash is the only common side effect. Sometimes patients develop nausea and vomiting, but the treatment for this is usually very effective, and the drug will be stopped if it occurs. Rarely, as with all drugs, allergic reactions have been reported, but there are no other reported adverse effects. There will be no extra risk to a patient who participates in the study, and no discomfort other than that normally associated with cardiac surgery. The itchy rash which occasionally develops with N-acetylcysteine would occur under anaesthetic, and would almost certainly be gone by the time the patient wakes up. Informed consent will be obtained from the patient prior to the operation by one of the investigators or the ICU research nurse.
This clinical research study is to investigate the prevention of relapse in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) using enzastaurin daily. This is a randomised trial which compares Enzastaurin to Placebo (dummy treatment), the chance of receiving Enzastaurin is 2 to 1.
The purpose of this study is to assess if 10 mg BAY 59-7939, taken once daily as a tablet, is safe and can help prevent blood clots forming after a hip replacement operation.