Sepsis — Evolocumab for PCSK9 Lowering in Early Acute Sepsis (The PLEASe Study)
Citation(s)
Boyd JH, Fjell CD, Russell JA, Sirounis D, Cirstea MS, Walley KR Increased Plasma PCSK9 Levels Are Associated with Reduced Endotoxin Clearance and the Development of Acute Organ Failures during Sepsis. J Innate Immun. 2016;8(2):211-20. doi: 10.1159/000442976. Epub 2016 Jan 13. Review.
Cirstea M, Walley KR, Russell JA, Brunham LR, Genga KR, Boyd JH Decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level is an early prognostic marker for organ dysfunction and death in patients with suspected sepsis. J Crit Care. 2017 Apr;38:289-294. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2016.11.041. Epub 2016 Dec 7.
Topchiy E, Cirstea M, Kong HJ, Boyd JH, Wang Y, Russell JA, Walley KR Lipopolysaccharide Is Cleared from the Circulation by Hepatocytes via the Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor. PLoS One. 2016 May 12;11(5):e0155030. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155030. eCollection 2016. Erratum in: PLoS One. 2016;11(7):e0160326.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
