EXPAREL or Lidocane as Local Anesthetic in Patients Undergoing Pleuroscopy With Pleural Biopsy and Indwelling Pleural Catheter Placement

March 5, 2026 updated by: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

A Randomized Blinded Controlled Trial of EXPAREL vs 1% Lidocane as Local Anesthetic in Patients Undergoing Pleuroscopy With Pleural Biopsy and Indwelling Pleural Catheter Placement

This phase II trial investigates the effect of EXPAREL compared to lidocane as a local anesthetic in patients who are undergoing pleuroscopy with pleural biopsy and indwelling pleural catheter placement. This trial aims to see whether EXPAREL or lidocane is able to make patients more comfortable.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To compare Global chest pain score (measured on the Visual Analog Scale [VAS] scale) post-procedure and post procedural chest pain (measured on the numerical rating scale), at the time of discharge from recovery between liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL) and 1 percent lidocaine.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare post procedural chest pain (measured on the numerical rating scale) at the time of discharge from recovery, 24 hours and 48 hours post procedure between EXPAREL and 1 percent lidocaine.

II. To assess the change in global chest pain score (measured on the VAS scale) from baseline to the time of discharge from recovery, and post procedural chest pain (measured on the numerical rating scale) from baseline over time between EXPAREL and 1 percent lidocaine.

III. To compare the number of narcotics within 24 hours, and from 24 to 48 hours post procedure between EXPAREL and 1 percent lidocaine.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

GROUP A: Patients receive liposomal bupivacaine via injection into the intercostal nerve block.

GROUP B: Patients receive lidocaine via injection into the pleuroscopy port incision sites and indwelling pleural catheter site.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • M D Anderson Cancer Center

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion criteria:

  1. Referral to pulmonary services for pleuroscopy with biopsies and IPC placement/chest tube placement
  2. Age > 18

Exclusion criteria:

  1. Inability to provide informed consent

  2. Study subject has any disease or condition that interferes with safe completion of the study including:

    a. Allergic reaction to EXPAREL

  3. Need for pleurodesis
  4. Allergies to lidocaine or other local anesthetics.
  5. Pregnancy
  6. Advanced liver disease where the clinician deems the procedure unsafe

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group A (liposomal bupivacaine)
Patients receive liposomal bupivacaine via injection into the intercostal nerve block.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Drug: Liposomal Bupivacaine
Given via injection
Other Names:
  • Exparel
  • Bupivacaine Liposome Injectable Suspension
Active Comparator: Group B (lidocaine)
Patients receive lidocaine via injection into the pleuroscopy port incision sites and indwelling pleural catheter site.
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Ancillary studies
Drug: Lidocaine
Given via injection
Other Names:
  • Lignocaine
  • .omega.-Diethylamino-2,6-dimethylacetanilide
  • Cuivasil
  • Duncaine
  • Leostesin
  • Lidothesin
  • Rucaina
  • 2-(Diethylamino)-2'',6''-acetoxylidide

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Global chest pain score
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Will be evaluated by the Global chest pain score at the time of discharge from recovery area using a Visual Analog Scale 0-100 and represents the pain experienced by the patient.
Through study completion, an average of 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Horiana Grosu, MD, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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)

March 23, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 2, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 13, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

September 14, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 5, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2019-0237 (Other Identifier: M D Anderson Cancer Center)
  • NCI-2021-08954 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

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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