Could viagra help COPD patients catch their breath?
NCT ID NCT05061368
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether sildenafil, a drug that widens blood vessels in the lungs, can improve exercise ability and reduce shortness of breath in people with mild COPD. Researchers think poor blood flow in the lungs may cause breathing trouble during activity. The trial will compare sildenafil to a placebo in 160 participants.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Sildenafil (oral drug, a pulmonary vasodilator)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new way to help people with mild COPD breathe easier during exercise and be more active.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early phase 2 trial with only 160 participants. Sildenafil may not improve symptoms or could cause side effects like headache or flushing. Results may not apply to all COPD patients.
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 160 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Mar 2022
- Expected to finish
-
May 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
-
40 to 80 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: Participants will have COPD as defined as: 1. Post bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) to Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) ratio (FEV1/FVC) below the lower limit of normal 2. FEV1 \>30% of predicted (lower limit of GOLD severe COPD classification) COPD Free Controls will have: 1. No diagnosis of COPD 2. Post bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) to Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) ratio (FEV1/FVC) above the lower limit of normal 3. FEV1 \>80% of predicted Exclusion Criteria: 1. Absolute contraindication to exercise testing or an orthopedic condition that may limit exercise testing. 2. Pre-existing cardiac conditions (heart failure, congenital heart defect, valvular disease) that may limit exercise testing 3. A diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension preceding COPD 4. Current phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, nitrate, opioid, azole antifungal, macrolide antibiotic, protease inhibitor, alpha blocker, riociguat, mifepristone or rifamycin use. 5. Pregnancy or lactation. 6. Women of childbearing potential must be willing to use an acceptable method of contraception to avoid pregnancy throughout the study. Acceptable methods of contraception include tubal ligation, oral contraceptive, barrier methods (intra-uterine device, diaphragm, female condom, male condom). Abstinence is an acceptable form of contraception, only insofar as patients agree to use another acceptable method of birth control, preferably a barrier method, if they become sexually active. 7. Postmenopausal female participants must be amenorrheic for ≥12 months.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 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
-
Clinical Physiology Laboratory
RECRUITINGEdmonton, Alberta, T6G2R3, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a COPD flare stun the heart? study watches for hidden strain
- Can better training get doctors to talk about what matters most to dying veterans?
- Can an injected antibody calm inflamed lungs and cut COPD flare-ups?
- Detailed lung scans could map COPD damage more precisely
- Can AI help nurses guide At-Risk seniors to better care and lower costs?
- Fine-Mist inhalers aim to reach deep lungs in COPD