Clinical Research Directory

Very Low-volume Plasma Exchange in ACLF

This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of very low plasma exchange (400 mL plasma + prothrombin complex concentrate) and plasma-free (prothrombin complex concentrate only) artificial liver support systems compared with standard low-volume plasma exchange (1000 mL plasma) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). A total of 840 eligible patients (COSSH grade 1-2) will be enrolled from 10 centers across China and randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive three sessions of treatment (every 2-3 days) combined with standard medical therapy. The primary endpoint is 28-day non-liver-transplant mortality, with a non-inferiority margin of 10%. Secondary endpoints include 90-day non-liver-transplant mortality, 90-day bridging to liver transplantation rate, changes in prognostic scores (COSSH-ACLF Ⅱ, MELD, CLIF-C ACLFs) from baseline at 2 weeks, and total plasma volume used during hospitalization. Safety outcomes include adverse events (bleeding, coagulation disorders, thrombosis, hypotension, infections, allergic reactions). The study aims to establish a plasma-sparing treatment strategy that reduces dependence on blood products while maintaining non-inferior efficacy. The trial is funded by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (Approval No.: 中大附三医伦RG2026-044-01; Approval Date: April 29, 2026). Enrollment is planned from May 2026 to October 2027, with follow-up completed by October 2028. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants.

RENEW: Study of Porcine Liver Support in Participants With Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

This is a Phase 1/2, first-in-human (FIH) safety, proof-of-concept, two-part study of the genetically-engineered EGEN-5784 liver in combination with the metra® extra-corporeal liver cross-circulation (ELC) system in participants with Grade 2 to Grade 3 acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and hepatic encephalopathy Grade 1-3. The metra® device has been modified for the purposes of cross-circulation with an extra-corporeal porcine liver. The EGEN-5784 liver and metra® ELC system are designed to support liver function during the treatment period

A Novel COMBinATorial Therapy With Albumin and Enoxaparin in Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis at High-risk of Poor Outcome (COMBAT Trial).

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine primarily whether a combinatorial therapy based on the administration of human albumin and enoxaparin is safe and effective in patients with decompensated cirrhosis discharged from the hospital. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is this combinatorial therapy safe and tolerable? * Is this combinatorial therapy effective? * does this combinatorial therapy cost more or less than standard medical therapy? Participants will attend to study visits in which several test will be performed to asses disease evolution while they are taking study medication. Researchers will compare experimental group treated with combinatorial therapy plus standard treatment with control group treated with standard treatment to see if there are differences in the responses to the questions raised above.

Plasma Exchange Half-dose and Extracorporeal Detoxification for ACLF

Clinical trial The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a liver support protocol works to treat Liver failure in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does hemoadsorption plus half-dose plasma exchange provide support to liver failure patients until recovery or transplant * What medical problems do participants have during the technique? Researchers will compare DPMAS plus half-dose plasma exchange with conventional treatment to evaluate a gain in recovery Participants will: * Be submitted to DPMAS plus half dose plasma exchange daily according to protocol. * Monitoring will be continuous in the ICU

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Intensity in Hyperammonemia

Acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are life-threatening conditions often associated with hyperammonemia, hepatic encephalopathy, and multi-organ dysfunction. Ammonia plays a central role in the pathogenesis of cerebral edema and neurotoxicity. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) has been shown to effectively reduce serum ammonia levels and may improve transplant-free survival in ALF. However, the optimal dialysis dose for ammonia clearance and neurological recovery remains uncertain. This randomized, multicenter clinical trial aims to compare conventional-dose (25-35 mL/kg/h) versus high-dose (45-55 mL/kg/h) CRRT in patients with ALF or ACLF and arterial ammonia \>72 μmol/L. The primary outcome is the number of coma- and delirium-free days. Secondary outcomes include ammonia clearance and additional parameters of cerebral function monitoring.

Study About Hepatic Toxins Kinetic and Evaluation of Organ Damage in Acute on Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) Patients

Spontaneous Observational Prospective Multicenter study of all patients admitted to Intensive Care with a diagnosis of Acute on Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) of grade ≥ 2 for which the use of the system will be authorized extracorporeal purification with DM CYTOSORB. The hypothesis underlying the study is to evaluate whether the modulation of bilirubin and other toxic molecules and mediators, obtainable through the use of systems extracorporeal purification (specifically DM CYTOSORB), may have an impacton the degree of organ failure in patients with ACLF. The study proposes the compilation of a structured and shared data collection with other Italian Intensive Care Centers which include patients suffering from ACLF (multicenter study) of clinical and laboratory parameters, which are part of normal clinical practice.