Could a skin blister test lead to a treatment for 'Drowning from the Inside'?
NCT ID NCT05600062
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a drug called racecadotril can reduce fluid leakage in skin blisters, as a model for what happens in the lungs during Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a severe lung injury with no effective drug treatments, where patients' lungs fill with fluid. The trial involves 48 healthy volunteers and uses a safe blister-inducing substance to measure whether the drug strengthens blood vessel barriers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Racecadotril (an oral capsule that blocks an enzyme called neutral endopeptidase)
- What this could lead to
- If this drug reduces fluid leak in the blister model, it could point toward a new treatment for ARDS, a severe lung condition with no current drug therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not ARDS patients. The skin blister model may not fully reflect what happens in the lungs, and the drug may not work in real ARDS cases.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
William Harvey Research Institute- Heart Centre
London, United Kingdom
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Could simply sitting up ease breathing in severe lung failure?
- Could lung fluid proteins reveal a new way to track severe lung injury?
- Could a spirometer test guide breathing support in respiratory failure?
- Which ventilator setting saves more lungs? a Head-to-Head test
- Can a single antibody turn down the immune storm in ARDS?