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NCT Number: NCT04031573

Ivabradine for Heart Rate Control In Septic Shock

Septic shock is a major health problem, with several million cases annually worldwide and a mortality approaching 45%. Tachycardia is associated with excess mortality during septic shock. This pejorative effect could be related to the increase in cardiac metabolic demand, impaired cardiac diastolic function, and/or poorer tolerance of administered exogenous catecholamines. Recent studies suggest that controlling the heart rate with the use of beta blockers has beneficial effects on the morbidity and mortality of septic shock. However, the negative effects of beta-blockers on cardiac contractility and blood pressure complicate their use during septic shock, particularly because about one-half of patients exhibit a septic-associated systolic dysfunction, which often requires the use of inotropes.

Ivabradine is a selective inhibitor of If channels in the sinoatrial node. It is a pure bradycardic agent with no deleterious effect on other aspects of cardiac function (contractility, conduction and repolarization) nor on blood pressure. Ivabradine can therefore alleviate sinus tachycardia without negative inotropic effects nor hypotension. Moreover, the improvement in diastolic function (ventricular filling) with ivabradine may increase stroke volume, even in case of severe impairment of systolic function. Controlling sinus tachycardia with ivabradine during septic shock would allow reducing cardiac metabolic demand (and potentially associated ischemic events) and improving the chronotropic tolerance of exogenous catecholamines. The effectiveness of ivabradine in controlling the heart rate was demonstrated in various clinical settings such as coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Encouraging preliminary data are reported in critically ill patients.

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This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Septic Shock Infections Inflammation Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sepsis Shock Shock, Septic Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Henri Mondor Hospital

Créteil, 94000, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years of age or older,
  • Proven or suspected site of infection,
  • Septic shock (defined as hypotension unresponsive to fluid resuscitation and requiring vasopressor treatment to maintain adequate blood pressure in the context of proven or suspected site of infection) for at least 2 hours and less than 24 hours (inclusion is possible before 2 hours in case of increasing doses of norepinephrine),
  • In sinus rhythm with heart rate ≥ 95 bpm at time of randomization,
  • Informed consent obtained in accordance with local regulations,
  • Affiliation to a social security regime.

Exclusion criteria

  • Age < 18 years,
  • Cardiac arythmia, conduction disorder, sinus syndrome ("sick sinus syndrome"), sino-atrial block; 3rd degree atrioventricular block, "IRISS" protocol, version 6.0 of 30/10/2023 7/47 This document is the property of DRCD / APHP. All reproduction is strictly prohibited.
  • Cardiogenic shock or unstable or acute heart failure without proven or suspected infection,
  • Acute myocardial infarction with angiographic documentation; CCS class

≥ II angina pectoris;

  • Septic shock requiring vasopressor treatment for more than 24 hours,
  • Refractory shock with systolic arterial pressure <90 mm Hg) despite the use of high doses of vasopressors (norepinephrine BASE or epinephrine BASE > 2.4 µg/kg/min; these doses should be multiplied by two for noradrenaline salt (tartrate or bitartrate),
  • Co-treatment with drugs inducing bradycardia, QT lengthening or strong inhibition of CYP4503A4, pacemaker, defibrillator, kalemia <3 mM,
  • Co-treatment with verapamil or diltiazem (which are moderate CYP4503A4 inhibitors with heart rate reducing properties)
  • Known pregnancy, breast feeding, women with childbearing potential will be tested for pregnancy and excluded if pregnant,
  • Known allergy to ivabradine or to any of the excipients, retinitis pigmentosa, congenital galactosemia, lactase deficiency, glucose or galactose malabsorption,
  • Severe chronic renal failure (creatinine clearance <15 ml/min) or hepatic failure (prothrombin time <20%),
  • Enteral feeding impossible, vomiting, congenital galactosemia, lactase deficiency, glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome,
  • Tachycardia due to hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma or severe anemia (<7 g/dL),
  • Prior enrolment in the trial, participation in another interventional study on septic shock,
  • Known legal incapacity (patients under guardianship or curatorship),
  • Decision to limit full care taken before obtaining informed consent,
  • Patient under AME (state emergency medical help),
  • Lack of affiliation to social security.

Treatment and study plan

Ivabradine

Drug

Ivabradine will be administered via the enteral route, every 12 hours, at doses ranging from 2.5 to 5 mg to achieve a target heart rate between 80 and 94 bpm

Other names: Ivabradine Low

Placebo

Drug

Placebo will be administered via the enteral route, every 12 hours.

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of patients with heart rate within the predefined threshold (80-94 bpm) at hour-48

    Time frame: hour 48 after treatment

    for activity and treatment selection at interim analysis

  2. Percentage of patients dead at 28 days

    Time frame: 28 days

    for efficacy and the final analysis

Secondary outcomes

  1. percentage of patients with bradycardia (heart rate <60/min), atrial fibrillation, phosphenes or blurred vision up to day-17

    Time frame: Day 17

    Tolerance of ivabradine

  2. Percentage of patients with a heart rate within the target range (80-94 bpm) at hour-72

    Time frame: hour-72

    percentage of heart rate measurements (assessed every 3 to 4 hours) within the target range at hour-72; changes in heart rate, mean arterial pressure and cardiac output evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) versus time at hour-72;

  3. Organ failures free days (SOFA<3 for each organ) at day-14 and day-28,

    Time frame: at day-14 and day-28

  4. Number of catecholamines-, vasopressor- and mechanical ventilation-free days at day-14 and day-28,

    Time frame: at day-14 and day-28

  5. lactate clearance

    Time frame: at day-2 and day-3;

  6. Left ventricle ejection fraction

    Time frame: at randomization (hour-0) , 12 hours, and 24 hours after the first administration of study drug

    to assess left ventricle ejection fraction

  7. cardiac troponin assessment

    Time frame: a blood sample will be collected at randomization, day-2 and day-3

    a blood sample will be collected for measurement of troponin T

  8. Pharmacokinetics of ivabradine

    Time frame: Day-3

    A blood sample for measurement of plasma concentration of ivabradine will be collected at day-3 at three time points: just before study drug administration (5th dose), 60 minutes later, and during the next routine blood sampling at a random schedule (during the next blood sampling for clinical purposes).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Multi-arm, Multi-stage Clinical Trial of Ivabradine for Heart Rate Control In Septic Shock

Acronym: IRISS

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 24, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 23, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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