Septic ShockPhase 2B12NCT03783091
A Trial of Vitamin B12 in Septic Shock
A Phase 2 study testing Hydroxocobalamin in people with Septic Shock, run by Medical College of Wisconsin at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will randomize 20 septic shock patients to receive either a single 5 gram dose of IV vitamin B12 (Cyanokit® Meridian Medical Technologies, Columbia, MD) versus placebo in addition to standard of care to test the feasibility of completing clinical and laboratory protocols. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Septic Shock
- What is being tested?
- Hydroxocobalamin
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 5 Aug 2019to 23 Feb 2023
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adult patients at least 18 years of age
- Admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) service at Froedtert Hospital
- Diagnosis of septic shock, as defined by sepsis-3 criteria
Who cannot join
- History of calcium oxaluria
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226
About this study
Official title: A Phase II Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of High Dose Vitamin B12 in Septic Shock
This study will randomize 20 septic shock patients to receive either a single 5 gram dose of IV vitamin B12 (Cyanokit® Meridian Medical Technologies, Columbia, MD) versus placebo in addition to standard of care to test the feasibility of completing clinical and laboratory protocols.
Read the detailed description
Following informed consent from patient's legally authorized representative, patients will be randomized to hydroxocobalamin or saline. Patients will have blood samples drawn up to 3 hours pre-dose and 3 hours post-dose to measure for hydrogen sulfide levels. Patients will also be followed for 3 hours after study drug infusion to monitor and record vasopressor dependence in norepinephrine-equivalent dose. Patients will then be followed through their medical record for 28 days to determine persistent organ dysfunction syndrome (PODS).
- Conditions
- Septic Shock
- Being tested
- Hydroxocobalamin, Placebo
- Medical subject headings
- Shock, Septic
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
HydroxocobalaminDrug
Also called Cyanokit
Single IV administration of Vitamin B12
PlaceboDrug
Also called 200-250 mL of intravenous saline or dextrose
Single IV administration of saline
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroxocobalamin | Experimental | Single IV infusion administered over a 10-15 minute period Receives: Drug: Hydroxocobalamin |
| Saline Placebo | Placebo comparator | Single IV saline administered over a 10-15 minute period. Receives: Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility of Clinical and Protocol Completion
Feasibility of completing clinical and laboratory protocols to the arm assigned
Measured: 28 days
Secondary outcomes (4)
Hydrogen Sulfide Concentration
Difference between pre- and post-dose hydrogen sulfide levels
Measured: 30 minutes post infusion
Persistent Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (PODS)
Prevalence of Persistent organ dysfunction syndrome (PODS)
Measured: 28 days
Change in Vasopressor Dose
Vasopressor dose in mcg/kg/min (norepinephrine equivalents)
Measured: 3 hours
ICU Mortality
Intensive care unit mortality
Measured: during ICU stay, up to 30 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Dec 2018
- Study start5 Aug 2019
- Primary completion23 Feb 2023
- Study completion23 Feb 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (33)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Septic ShockStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Medical College of WisconsinThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jayshil J. Patel, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Investigators
- Jayshil J Patel, MD, Principal investigator, Medical College of Wisconsin
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03783091
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 32950
- Acronym
- B12
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Dec 2018
- Last updated
- 27 May 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, Shankar-Hari M, Annane D, Bauer M, Bellomo R, Bernard GR, Chiche JD, Coopersmith CM, Hotchkiss RS, Levy MM, Marshall JC, Martin GS, Opal SM, Rubenfeld GD, van der Poll T, Vincent JL, Angus DC. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016 Feb 23;315(8):801-10. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.0287.
PubMed 26903338Abraham E, Reinhart K, Svoboda P, Seibert A, Olthoff D, Dal Nogare A, Postier R, Hempelmann G, Butler T, Martin E, Zwingelstein C, Percell S, Shu V, Leighton A, Creasey AA. Assessment of the safety of recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor in patients with severe sepsis: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, dose escalation study. Crit Care Med. 2001 Nov;29(11):2081-9. doi: 10.1097/00003246-200111000-00007.
PubMed 11700399Bernard GR, Wheeler AP, Russell JA, Schein R, Summer WR, Steinberg KP, Fulkerson WJ, Wright PE, Christman BW, Dupont WD, Higgins SB, Swindell BB. The effects of ibuprofen on the physiology and survival of patients with sepsis. The Ibuprofen in Sepsis Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1997 Mar 27;336(13):912-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199703273361303.
PubMed 9070471Lopez A, Lorente JA, Steingrub J, Bakker J, McLuckie A, Willatts S, Brockway M, Anzueto A, Holzapfel L, Breen D, Silverman MS, Takala J, Donaldson J, Arneson C, Grove G, Grossman S, Grover R. Multiple-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 546C88: effect on survival in patients with septic shock. Crit Care Med. 2004 Jan;32(1):21-30. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000105581.01815.C6.
PubMed 14707556Lorente JA, Landin L, De Pablo R, Renes E, Liste D. L-arginine pathway in the sepsis syndrome. Crit Care Med. 1993 Sep;21(9):1287-95. doi: 10.1097/00003246-199309000-00010.
PubMed 8370291Szakmany T, Hauser B, Radermacher P. N-acetylcysteine for sepsis and systemic inflammatory response in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Sep 12;2012(9):CD006616. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006616.pub2.
PubMed 22972094Takala J, Ruokonen E, Webster NR, Nielsen MS, Zandstra DF, Vundelinckx G, Hinds CJ. Increased mortality associated with growth hormone treatment in critically ill adults. N Engl J Med. 1999 Sep 9;341(11):785-92. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199909093411102.
PubMed 10477776Shatalin K, Shatalina E, Mironov A, Nudler E. H2S: a universal defense against antibiotics in bacteria. Science. 2011 Nov 18;334(6058):986-90. doi: 10.1126/science.1209855.
PubMed 22096201Lambden S, Creagh-Brown BC, Hunt J, Summers C, Forni LG. Definitions and pathophysiology of vasoplegic shock. Crit Care. 2018 Jul 6;22(1):174. doi: 10.1186/s13054-018-2102-1.
PubMed 29980217Kosir M, Podbregar M. Advances in the Diagnosis of Sepsis: Hydrogen Sulfide as a Prognostic Marker of Septic Shock Severity. EJIFCC. 2017 May 1;28(2):134-141. eCollection 2017 May.
PubMed 28757821Zhang H, Moochhala SM, Bhatia M. Endogenous hydrogen sulfide regulates inflammatory response by activating the ERK pathway in polymicrobial sepsis. J Immunol. 2008 Sep 15;181(6):4320-31. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.6.4320.
PubMed 18768890Goslar T, Mars T, Podbregar M. Total plasma sulfide as a marker of shock severity in nonsurgical adult patients. Shock. 2011 Oct;36(4):350-5. doi: 10.1097/SHK.0b013e31822bcfd0.
PubMed 21897337Li L, Bhatia M, Zhu YZ, Zhu YC, Ramnath RD, Wang ZJ, Anuar FB, Whiteman M, Salto-Tellez M, Moore PK. Hydrogen sulfide is a novel mediator of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in the mouse. FASEB J. 2005 Jul;19(9):1196-8. doi: 10.1096/fj.04-3583fje. Epub 2005 Apr 29.
PubMed 15863703Zundel MT, Feih JT, Rinka JRG, Boettcher BT, Freed JK, Kaiser M, Ghadiali HY, Tawil JN, Woehlck HJ, Pagel PS. Hydroxocobalamin With or Without Methylene Blue May Improve Fluid Balance in Critically Ill Patients With Vasoplegic Syndrome After Cardiac Surgery: A Report of Two Cases. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2018 Feb;32(1):452-457. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2017.04.002. Epub 2017 Apr 5. No abstract available.
PubMed 28778773Truong DH, Mihajlovic A, Gunness P, Hindmarsh W, O'Brien PJ. Prevention of hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-induced mouse lethality and cytotoxicity by hydroxocobalamin (vitamin B(12a)). Toxicology. 2007 Dec 5;242(1-3):16-22. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2007.09.009. Epub 2007 Sep 15.
PubMed 17976885
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Phase II Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of High Dose Vitamin B12 in Septic Shock
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03783091
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- B12 / 32950
- Conditions
- Septic Shock
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Medical College of WisconsinUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 Aug 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 23 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 23 Feb 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Dec 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 27 May 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will randomize 20 septic shock patients to receive either a single 5 gram dose of IV vitamin B12 (Cyanokit® Meridian Medical Technologies, Columbia, MD) versus placebo in addition to standard of care to test the feasibility of completing clinical and laboratory protocols.
Detailed description
Following informed consent from patient's legally authorized representative, patients will be randomized to hydroxocobalamin or saline. Patients will have blood samples drawn up to 3 hours pre-dose and 3 hours post-dose to measure for hydrogen sulfide levels. Patients will also be followed for 3 hours after study drug infusion to monitor and record vasopressor dependence in norepinephrine-equivalent dose. Patients will then be followed through their medical record for 28 days to determine persistent organ dysfunction syndrome (PODS).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Hydroxocobalamin | Experimental | Drug: HydroxocobalaminSingle IV infusion administered over a 10-15 minute period |
| Saline Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: PlaceboSingle IV saline administered over a 10-15 minute period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Adult patients at least 18 years of age
- Admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) service at Froedtert Hospital
- Diagnosis of septic shock, as defined by sepsis-3 criteria
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- History of calcium oxaluria
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| HydroxocobalaminAlso: CyanokitSingle IV administration of Vitamin B12 | Drug | Hydroxocobalamin |
| PlaceboAlso: 200-250 mL of intravenous saline or dextroseSingle IV administration of saline | Drug | Saline Placebo |
Primary outcome
Feasibility of Clinical and Protocol Completion
Time frame: 28 days
Feasibility of completing clinical and laboratory protocols to the arm assigned
4 secondary outcomes
Hydrogen Sulfide Concentration
Time frame: 30 minutes post infusion
Persistent Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (PODS)
Time frame: 28 days
Change in Vasopressor Dose
Time frame: 3 hours
ICU Mortality
Time frame: during ICU stay, up to 30 days
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 May 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Background: PubMed 26903338Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, Shankar-Hari M, Annane D, Bauer M, Bellomo R, Bernard GR, Chiche JD, Coopersmith CM, Hotchkiss RS, Levy MM, Marshall JC, Martin GS, Opal SM, Rubenfeld GD, van der Poll T, Vincent JL, Angus DC. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016 Feb 23;315(8):801-10. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.0287.
- Background: PubMed 11700399Abraham E, Reinhart K, Svoboda P, Seibert A, Olthoff D, Dal Nogare A, Postier R, Hempelmann G, Butler T, Martin E, Zwingelstein C, Percell S, Shu V, Leighton A, Creasey AA. Assessment of the safety of recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor in patients with severe sepsis: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, dose escalation study. Crit Care Med. 2001 Nov;29(11):2081-9. doi: 10.1097/00003246-200111000-00007.
- Background: PubMed 9070471Bernard GR, Wheeler AP, Russell JA, Schein R, Summer WR, Steinberg KP, Fulkerson WJ, Wright PE, Christman BW, Dupont WD, Higgins SB, Swindell BB. The effects of ibuprofen on the physiology and survival of patients with sepsis. The Ibuprofen in Sepsis Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1997 Mar 27;336(13):912-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199703273361303.
- Background: PubMed 14707556Lopez A, Lorente JA, Steingrub J, Bakker J, McLuckie A, Willatts S, Brockway M, Anzueto A, Holzapfel L, Breen D, Silverman MS, Takala J, Donaldson J, Arneson C, Grove G, Grossman S, Grover R. Multiple-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 546C88: effect on survival in patients with septic shock. Crit Care Med. 2004 Jan;32(1):21-30. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000105581.01815.C6.
- Background: PubMed 8370291Lorente JA, Landin L, De Pablo R, Renes E, Liste D. L-arginine pathway in the sepsis syndrome. Crit Care Med. 1993 Sep;21(9):1287-95. doi: 10.1097/00003246-199309000-00010.
- Background: PubMed 22972094Szakmany T, Hauser B, Radermacher P. N-acetylcysteine for sepsis and systemic inflammatory response in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Sep 12;2012(9):CD006616. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006616.pub2.
- Background: PubMed 10477776Takala J, Ruokonen E, Webster NR, Nielsen MS, Zandstra DF, Vundelinckx G, Hinds CJ. Increased mortality associated with growth hormone treatment in critically ill adults. N Engl J Med. 1999 Sep 9;341(11):785-92. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199909093411102.
- Background: PubMed 22096201Shatalin K, Shatalina E, Mironov A, Nudler E. H2S: a universal defense against antibiotics in bacteria. Science. 2011 Nov 18;334(6058):986-90. doi: 10.1126/science.1209855.
- Background: PubMed 29980217Lambden S, Creagh-Brown BC, Hunt J, Summers C, Forni LG. Definitions and pathophysiology of vasoplegic shock. Crit Care. 2018 Jul 6;22(1):174. doi: 10.1186/s13054-018-2102-1.
- Background: PubMed 28757821Kosir M, Podbregar M. Advances in the Diagnosis of Sepsis: Hydrogen Sulfide as a Prognostic Marker of Septic Shock Severity. EJIFCC. 2017 May 1;28(2):134-141. eCollection 2017 May.
- Background: PubMed 18768890Zhang H, Moochhala SM, Bhatia M. Endogenous hydrogen sulfide regulates inflammatory response by activating the ERK pathway in polymicrobial sepsis. J Immunol. 2008 Sep 15;181(6):4320-31. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.181.6.4320.
- Background: PubMed 21897337Goslar T, Mars T, Podbregar M. Total plasma sulfide as a marker of shock severity in nonsurgical adult patients. Shock. 2011 Oct;36(4):350-5. doi: 10.1097/SHK.0b013e31822bcfd0.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Sepsis
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jayshil J Patel, MD principal investigator
Medical College of Wisconsin
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Hydroxocobalamin in people with Septic Shock, run by Medical College of Wisconsin at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 27 May 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility of Clinical and Protocol Completion (time frame: 28 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03783091, which also lists 33 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 May 2026.