Testing Doxapram against a placebo for apnea of prematurity
Official title: Doxapram Therapy in Preterm Infants (DOXA Trial)
Doxapram Versus Placebo in Preterm Newborns: An International Double Blinded Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
- Phase 3
- 2 groups
- Sites in Calgary, Edmonton and 3 more cities
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medication
Doxapram
Loading dose and continuous doxapram infusion.
- Medication
Placebo
Loading dose and continuous placebo infusion.
Canadian Sites (5)
5 listed, none recruiting
- Not yet recruiting
Foothills Medical Centre
Calgary, Alberta
- Not yet recruiting
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Edmonton, Alberta
- Not yet recruiting
McMaster Children's Hospital
Hamilton, Ontario
- Not yet recruiting
Montreal Children's Hospital
Montreal, Quebec
- Not yet recruiting
Centre Mère-Enfent Soleil
Québec, Quebec
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for11 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Admitted to the neonatal intensvie care unit (NICU) of one of the participating centres
- +Written informed consentInformed consentThe process of being told what taking part involves, then choosing freely.Read more → of both parents or legal representatives
- +Gestational age at birth \< 29 weeks
- +Caffeine therapy, adequately dosed (see also under co-medication)
- +Optimal Non-invasively supported with nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or ventilation ((S)NIPPV, NIV-NAVA, BIPAP/Duopap, SIPAP)
- +Apnea that require a medical intervention as judged by the attending physician
Exclusion
- −Previous use of open labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more → doxapram
- −Use of theophylline (to replace doxapram)
- −Chromosomal defects (e.g. trisomy 13, 18, or 21)
- −Major congenital malformations that: compromise lung function (e.g. surfactant protein deficiencies, congenital diaphragmatic hernia); result in chronic ventilation (e.g. Pierre Robin sequence); increase the risk of death or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome (congenital cerebral malformations, chromosomal abnormalities);
- −Palliative care or treatment limitations because of high risk of impaired outcome.
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
Phase 3Phase 3A large study comparing a treatment against the current standard.Read more → — a large study comparing this against the current standard, usually across many hospitals.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A receives Doxapram.
Registry label: A: Doxapram
Group B, the placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group, receives Placebo.
Registry label: B: Placebo
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 23 weeks to 29 weeks.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 396 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around May 2034.
The main measurement is taken over: 2 years corrected age.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Death or severe disability — measured over 2 years corrected age.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT04430790 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About DoxapramDrug
Loading dose and continuous doxapram infusion.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About PlaceboDrug
Loading dose and continuous placebo infusion.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: an age range of 23 weeks to 29 weeks.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
Yes. This study includes a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group — a dummy treatment with no active medicine in it.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists an age range of 23 weeks to 29 weeks.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: 2 years corrected age.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2034-05-01.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 396 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists 5 locations, including: Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Québec, Quebec, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Preterm infants often suffer from apnea of prematurity (AOP; a cessation of breathing) due to immaturity of the respiratory system. AOP can lead to oxygen shortage and a low heart rate which might harm the development of the newborn, especially the central nervous system. In order to prevent oxygen shortage, infants are treated with non-invasive respiratory support and caffeine. Despite these treatments, many preterm newborns still suffer from AOP and need invasive mechanical ventilation. Although this will result in complete resolution of AOP, invasive mechanical ventilation has the disadvantage of being a major risk of chronic lung disease and impaired neurodevelopmental outcome. Restrictive invasive ventilation is therefore advocated nowadays in preterm infants. Doxapram is a respiratory stimulant that has been administered off-label to treat AOP. Doxapram, as add-on treatment, seems to be effective in treating AOP and to prevent invasive mechanical ventilation. It is unclear if a preterm infant benefit from doxapram treatment on the longer term. This study compares doxapram to placebo and hypothesizes that doxapram will protect preterm infants from both invasive ventilation (and related lung disease) and AOP related oxygen shortage (and related impaired brain development).
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.