Blood filtering treatment tested for sudden liver failure

NCT ID NCT03702920

Terminated Disease control Sponsor: Instituto Grifols, S.A. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested a blood filtering procedure called plasma exchange using a 5% albumin solution in people with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), a sudden worsening of chronic liver disease. The trial enrolled 274 high-risk patients across the US, Canada, and Europe, comparing standard medical care plus plasma exchange to standard care alone. The goal was to see if the treatment could reduce deaths within 90 days. However, the study was terminated early, so the results are not conclusive.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: plasma exchange with human serum albumin 5% (Albutein 5%)
What this could lead to: If successful, this treatment could improve short-term survival for people with acute-on-chronic liver failure who are at high risk of dying in the hospital.
What could go wrong: The trial was terminated early, so results are limited. The treatment involves risks like infection or bleeding, and it is unclear if it works better than standard care alone.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ACUTE-ON-CHRONIC LIVER FAILURE

Contacts and locations

Locations

ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda

Milan, 20162, Italy
Aurora Health Care, Inc.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53215, United States
Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova

Padova, 35128, Italy
Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico Umberto I

Roma, Roma, 161, Italy
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States
Centre Hépato-Biliaire - Hôpital Universitaire Paul Brousse

Villejuif, 94804, France
Centro Hospitalar do Porto

Porto, Portugal
Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
Hannover Medical School

Hanover, 30625, Germany
Hospital Clínic de Barcelona

Barcelona, 08036, Spain
Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal

Madrid, 28034, Spain
Hospital Universitario del Valle Hebron

Barcelona, 08035, Spain
Hôpital Beaujon

Clichy, 92110, France
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
Klinikum der Universitaet Muenchen

München, 81377, Germany
Mayo Clinic Rochester

Rochester, New York, 55905, United States
McGuire VA Medical Center

Richmond, Virginia, 23249, United States
Medical University of Vienna

Vienna, A-1090, Austria
Milano Hospital Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico

Milan, Milan, 20122, Italy
Nottingham University Hospital

Nottingham, Nottingham, NG72UH, United Kingdom
Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust Hospital

London, London, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School

Newark, New Jersey, 07101, United States
Southern California Research Center

Coronado, California, 92118, United States
UZ Leuven - Campus Gasthuisberg

Leuven, 3000, Belgium
Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig

Leipzig, 4103, Germany
University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
University of Washington Medical Center

Seattle, Washington, 98195, United States
Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt

Frankfurt, 60590, Germany
Université libre de Bruxelles

Brussels, 1070, Belgium

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