New combo therapy aims to cut transfusions and boost brain health in premature infants
NCT ID NCT05340465
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving preterm babies (born before 32 weeks) a drug called darbepoetin plus a slow-release intravenous iron can reduce the need for blood transfusions, keep their iron levels healthy, and improve their brain development. About 120 infants will be enrolled and compared to those receiving standard oral iron. The goal is to find a safer, more effective way to support these fragile newborns.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Nov 2022
- Expected to finish
-
Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
Up to 3 days
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: • NICU patients (male and female) born at 24-0/7 to 31-6/7 weeks of gestation All patients who meet inclusion criteria will be approached without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, parents' country of origin, or religious preferences. Exclusion Criteria: * Known fetal/infant anomalies of clinical significance (brain, cardiac, chromosomal anomalies) * Parental consent unable to be obtained by 72 hours after birth * Central hematocrit \> 65% * Evidence of high iron stores prior to enrollment (e.g. Ferritin \>400 ng/mL with corresponding ZnPP/H of \<30, Transferrin saturation \>75%, iron \> 200 mcg/dL, TIBC \< 100 mcg/dL) * Culture proven sepsis, meningitis, urinary tract infection, or other significant infection at the time of enrollment * Mother under 18 years of age * Unable to consent in English or Spanish
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Iron deficiency anemia are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Washington
RECRUITINGSeattle, Washington, 98195, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a Preemie's first diet protect their heart for life?
- Can starting iron sooner protect preterm babies on donor milk?
- Can treating anemia before pregnancy stop it later?
- AI listens to the diaphragm to spot breathing pauses in premature babies
- Can a new iron injection match the standard treatment?
- One infusion before surgery: could it cut transfusions?