Implementing LISA Surfactant in Nigeria

August 22, 2025 updated by: Osayame Ekhaguere, Indiana University

Less Invasive Surfactant Administration in Nigeria

Implement surfactant (BLES®) replacement therapy using the Less Invasive Surfactant Administration technique in six tertiary institutions in Nigeria and evaluate its impact on 72-hour neonatal mortality in premature infants born less than 2000 grams at birth.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Background: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) accounts for ~45% of all in-hospital neonatal mortality. Surfactant use is limited in LMICs, in part, due to the high cost, the lack of skill to perform laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation, and perhaps a perception that surfactant administration and mechanical ventilation must occur together. In LMICs, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is often the highest mode of respiratory support available, and CPAP failure invariably means death. If Less Invasive Surfactant Administration (LISA) can reduce CPAP failure, as shown in high-income settings, it potentially can reduce prematurity-related neonatal mortality in LMICs. There are, however, no studies on how to safely implement LISA in LMICs. The LISA procedure is novel in LMICs; the procedure is not without risk (severe and minor), laryngoscopy is a difficult skill to acquire, master, and maintain, and the resource limitations in LMICs need consideration while implementing LISA.

Hypothesis: Compared to a historical control, introducing non-invasive surfactant administration through the less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) techniques will result in a relative risk reduction of all-cause 72-hour in-hospital mortality by at least 20%.

PICO Outline:

Population: Preterm infants </= 2 kg with respiratory distress defined by a Downes Respiratory Distress Score of >4, who are spontaneously breathing, and on CPAP.

Intervention: Surfactant administered through the less invasive surfactant administration (LISA), technique.

Comparator: A historical control of preterm babies </= 2 kg with respiratory distress defined by a Downes Respiratory Distress Score of >4, who are spontaneously breathing, and on CPAP.

Outcome measures:

Primary Outcome: 72-hour all-cause in-hospital mortality.

Secondary outcomes

  • All-cause in-hospital mortality
  • Change in respiratory distress score, pre- to -post interventions.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
349

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Osayame A Ekhaguere, MBBS
  • Phone Number: +1 (317) 944 3691
  • Email: osaekhag@iu.edu

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Nigeria
      • Enugu, Nigeria, 11111
        • University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital
    • Delta State
      • Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, 11111
        • Federal Medical Center Asaba
    • Edo State
      • Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, 11111
        • University of Benin Teaching Hospital
    • FCT Abuja
      • Garki, FCT Abuja, Nigeria, 11111
        • National Hospital Abuja
    • Kano
      • Zaria, Kano, Nigeria, 11111
        • Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital
    • Lagos
      • Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria, 11111
        • Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

1 hour to 2 days (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Newborns with birth weight between 500-2000 grams (determined by birth weight or admission weight if birth weight is unavailable).
  • ≤48 Hours old at recruitment.
  • Spontaneously breathing but have clinical signs of respiratory distress (defined by Anderson Silverman Score (ASS) ≥4 (range 0-10)) and on CPAP.
  • Admitted to the neonatal/newborn units (or special care nurseries).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any newborn intubated before admission to the neonatal/newborn units.
  • Any newborn infants with a significant congenital abnormality
  • Any preterm infant considered nonviable by the managing clinician.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: LISA Arm
Eligible subjects who have respiratory distress syndrome (Anderson Silverman Score >4) managed on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) will receive surfactant via a thin catheter while on CPAP.
Drug: Surfactant
Laryngoscopy is performed, and BLES® surfactant is administered through BLEScath™ (a thin catheter) into the trachea to a spontaneously breathing preterm infant with respiratory distress syndrome who is being managed on CPAP
Other Names:
  • BLES® Surfactant
  • BLEScath™
  • Less Invasive Surfactant Administration

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
72-hour mortality
Time Frame: 72 hours of life
All cause mortality with 72-hours of life
72 hours of life

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
In-hospital mortality
Time Frame: Through hospitalization, an average of 1 day to 10 weeks.
All cause mortality during hospitalization
Through hospitalization, an average of 1 day to 10 weeks.
Difference in RDS score before and after the procedure.
Time Frame: 6 hours post procedure
Change in Anderson Silverman RDS Score before and after intervention (range: 0 to 10)
6 hours post procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Indiana University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
BLES Biochemicals Inc.

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Osayame A Ekhaguere, MBBS, MPH, Indiana University School of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 25, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 28, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 2, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 6, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 24, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 22, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NHREC/01/01/2007-12/10/2022

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

On request and approval from local principal investigators and ethical approval committee

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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