Ropiclobet for Regional Anesthesia and Post-Operative Pain Control in Upper Extremity Surgery

This national, single-center, single-arm, open-label Phase II clinical trial includes three dose groups and aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ropiclobet. Ropiclobet Injectable Solution is a fixed-dose combination containing Ropivacaine HCl, Betamethasone Sodium Phosphate, and Clonidine HCl at concentrations of 5.0/0.4*/0.015 mg/mL (*the 10 mL ampoule contains 0.53 mg of betamethasone sodium phosphate, equivalent to 0.4 mg of betamethasone).

A total of 60 volunteers (Hospitalized patients in the orthopedic department or outpatients who are scheduled for surgery) undergoing upper extremity surgery (including arm, elbow, forearm, and hand surgeries) will receive a single administration of the Ropiclobet combination via supraclavicular brachial nerve blockade (SCB) under ultrasound guidance.

The study will include three dose groups:

• Group I: 10 mL Ropiclobet combination (1 ampoule) diluted with 10 mL of 0.9% isotonic saline
• Group II: 15 mL Ropiclobet combination (1.5 ampoules) diluted with 5 mL of 0.9% isotonic saline
• Group III: 20 mL Ropiclobet combination (2 ampoules), administered undiluted. There will be no randomization for dose groups. The first 20 participants will be assigned to Group I. The study team will assess safety and efficacy parameters in these participants. Following the completion of 20 participants in Group I, the study will proceed to Group II. Group III will follow in the same manner, with 20 participants planned per group.

Ropiclobet injection will be performed preoperatively under sterile conditions by an experienced anesthesiologist. Only sedation may be administered if needed, and volunteers requiring general anesthesia will be withdrawn from the study.

Standard monitoring will include ECG, non-invasive blood pressure measurement, and pulse oximetry. Postoperatively, volunteers will be monitored in the PACU for 2 hours, followed by observation in the hospital ward under an anesthesiologist's supervision. Volunteers will remain under clinical observation for 48 hours post-procedure. If motor or sensory blockade persists beyond this period, monitoring will continue until full resolution plus an additional 6 hours. Follow-up visits will be at Day 15 and Day 30.

Inclusion criteria

• Male and female patients with age of ≥18 years and ≤ 65 years at the time of consent.
• Ability and willingness to provide informed consent or consent from their legal representative and willingness to comply with all planned visits and study procedures.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class of I-III
• BMI ≤ 30 kg/m2
• An ECG within normal values or clinically insignificant findings.
• Patients undergoing upper extremity procedures suitable for SCB anesthesia, including arm, elbow, forearm, and hand surgeries.
• Emergency and/or elective surgeries
• Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must have a negative urine pregnancy testing at screening visit.

Exclusion criteria

• An inability to cooperate during the block placement.
• Patients undergoing shoulder procedures.
• History of allergy to active ingredients (including their derivatives) of the study medication.
• History of allergy to analgesics (e.g. acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, oral opioid analgesics)
• History of shoulder or clavicular surgery.
• Known bronchopulmonary or phrenic pathology compromising respiratory function.
• Existing chronic pain disorders or history of use of ≥ 30mg oxycodone or equivalent per day
• Pre-existing neurological deficits or peripheral neuropathy involving the operative upper extremity
• Infection at the puncture site for the block.
• History of coagulopathy disorders and/or bleeding diathesis.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding.
• History of any documented medical condition considered to be clinically significant and could potentially affect patient safety or study outcome, in the opinion of the investigator: uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, acute or chronic kidney diseases, liver diseases, psychiatric disorders, malignancy, systemic infection.
• Any clinically significant abnormal findings in physical examination, vital signs, hematology, clinical chemistry, or urinalysis during screening which, in the opinion of the investigator, may put the patient at risk because of his/her participation in the study, or might influence the results of the study, or the patient's ability to complete the entire duration of the study.
• Participation in a clinical trial involving current or another investigational product in the previous 3 months.
• Currently taking long-term systemic steroids (excluding inhaled medication for asthma treatment)