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NCT06907173PHASE3Recruiting

Ketamine add-on Therapy for Established Status Epilepticus Treatment Trial (KESETT)

University of Virginia

Start Date

3/6/2026

Completion Date

12/1/2029

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if treatment of patients with two doses of ketamine plus levetiracetam versus levetiracetam alone leads to more effective control of status epilepticus.

Detailed Description

KESETT is a multicenter, randomized, blinded study to determine whether adding 1 mg/kg or 3 mg/kg dose of KET to 60 mg/kg LEV can terminate status epilepticus (SE) in a larger fraction of subjects with benzodiazepine-refractory SE than those treated with LEV (60 mg/kg) alone. The primary outcome is termination of SE from 15 minutes after starting the study drug infusion, sustained until 60 minutes from enrollment without using additional anti-seizure medication. Termination of SE is determined by (1) improving consciousness and absence of clinically apparent seizures at 60 minutes or (2) absence of any electrographic SE after 15 minutes in those with EEG monitoring and no improvement in consciousness. Secondary objectives include determining the relative safety of the treatment arms on defined safety outcomes and all adverse events, analysis of secondary/exploratory efficacy outcomes, and evaluation of both effectiveness and safety in the pediatric subpopulation. The trial will initially allocate subjects equally (1:1:1) for the first 350 participants (burn-in period) before transitioning to response-adaptive randomization. Interim analyses will be conducted for efficacy and futility beginning when 350 subjects have been randomized, and will occur every 100 subjects thereafter. A maximum of 770 participants will be enrolled.

Eligibility Criteria

Age Range: 1 years to No maximum

Inclusion Criteria: * The patient was witnessed to have a convulsive seizure for greater than 5-minute duration * The patient received an adequate dose of benzodiazepines. The doses may be divided. * The last dose of a benzodiazepine was administered 5-30 minutes before study drug administration. * Continued or recurring seizures in the Emergency Department. * Age 1 years or older * Known or estimated weight ≥10 Kg Exclusion Criteria: * Known pregnancy * Prisoner * Opt-out identification or otherwise known to be previously enrolled in KESETT * Treatment with a second line anticonvulsant (FOS, PHT, VPA, LEV, phenobarbital, or other agents defined in the MoP) for this episode of SE * Treatment with sedatives with anticonvulsant properties other than benzodiazepines for this episode of SE(propofol, etomidate, ketamine or other agents defined in the MoP) * Endotracheal intubation prior to enrollment * Acute traumatic brain injury clearly precedes seizures * Scalp injury or burn preventing EEG placement * Known allergy or other known contraindication to KET or LEV * Hypoglycemia \< 50 mg/dL * Hyperglycemia \> 400 mg/dL * Cardiac arrest / post-anoxic seizures

Interventions

DRUG

Levetiracetam (LEV) (60 mg/Kg) + 1 mg/kg Ketamine (KET)

DRUG

Levetiracetam (LEV) (60 mg/Kg) + 3 mg/kg Ketamine (KET)

DRUG

Levetiracetam (LEV) (60 mg/Kg)

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Conditions

Status Epilepticus

Locations

Banner University Medical Center - Tucson Campus

Tucson, Arizona 85724

United States

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Los Angeles, California 90024

United States

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California 90027

United States

Stanford University Medical Center

Palo Alto, California 94304

United States

UC Davis Medical Center

Sacramento, California 95817

United States

San Francisco General Hospital

San Francisco, California 94143

United States

UCSF Medical Center

San Francisco, California 94143

United States

Yale New Haven Hospital

New Haven, Connecticut 06519

United States

Christiana Hospital

Newark, Delaware 19718

United States

Nemours Children's Hospital

Wilmington, Delaware 19803

United States

Children's National Medical Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia 20010

United States

Orlando Regional Medical Center

Orlando, Florida 32806

United States

Grady Memorial Hospital

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

United States

Arthur M. Blank Hospital

Atlanta, Georgia 30329

United States

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Chicago, Illinois 60611

United States

Comer Children's Hospital

Chicago, Illinois 60637

United States

University of Chicago Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois 60637

United States

IU Health Methodist Hospital

Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

United States

Riley Hospital for Children

Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

United States

University of Iowa Medical Center

Iowa City, Iowa 52242

United States

University of Maryland Medical Center

Baltimore, Maryland 21201

United States

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts 02114

United States

University of Michigan University Hospital

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109

United States

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Detroit, Michigan 48201

United States

Sinai-Grace Hospital

Detroit, Michigan 48201

United States

Henry Ford Hospital

Detroit, Michigan 48202

United States

University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414

United States

Hennepin County Medical Center

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415

United States

University of Minnesota Medical Center

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

United States

SUNY Upstate Medical University

Syracuse, New York 13210

United States

Duke Regional Hospital

Durham, North Carolina 27710

United States

Duke University Hospital

Durham, North Carolina 27710

United States

University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Cincinnati, Ohio 45267

United States

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Columbus, Ohio 43205

United States

OSU Wexner Medical Center

Columbus, Ohio 43210

United States

Oregon Health & Science University Hospital

Portland, Oregon 97239

United States

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

United States

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

United States

Temple University Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140

United States

Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141

United States

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213

United States

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224

United States

Reading Hospital

West Reading, Pennsylvania 19611

United States

Children's Medical Center Dallas

Dallas, Texas 75235

United States

Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center

Houston, Texas 77030

United States

Primary Children's Hospital

Salt Lake City, Utah 84108

United States

University of Utah Healthcare

Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

United States

University of Virginia Medical Center

Charlottesville, Virginia 22908

United States

VCU Medical Center

Richmond, Virginia 23298

United States

Harborview Medical Center

Seattle, Washington 98104

United States

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226

United States

Froedtert Hospital

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226

United States