ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT00072683Updated Jul 13, 2026

"SALT Trial" Study of Ascending Levels of Tolvaptan in Hyponatremia

A Phase 3 interventional study of tolvaptan and placebo matching tolvaptan in Hyponatremias, Water Intoxication and Inappropriate ADH Syndrome, sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.. Completed at 23 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-13.

Sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (part of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.) · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 7 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Apr 2003, registered Nov 2003).
Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
205
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study's purpose is to determine whether tolvaptan can safely and effectively return the body's balance of sodium and water toward normal, and to characterize and quantify the potential clinical benefits of this treatment.

Read the detailed description

Hyponatremia is defined as a serum sodium concentration below the lower limit of normal and is the most frequently encountered electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients. Generally speaking, most cases of hyponatremia are mild. However, as the serum sodium falls below 130 milliequivalents/liter (mEq/L), the possibility of significant morbidity and mortality increases, and most clinicians will initiate corrective therapy for serum sodium values approaching 130 mEq/L and lower. The reasons for treating hyponatremia relate both to the symptoms, which may be quite disturbing to patients, as well as to potential outcomes including permanent neurological damage and death. There is also growing awareness of the association between hyponatremia and increased mortality in patients with heart failure.A common theme underlying the occurrence of hyponatremia whether in the setting of congestive heart failure, hepatic failure with ascites, or the syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone (SIADH) is the non-osmotic secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP). The presence of excess AVP leads to fluid retention and hyponatremia. Agents that antagonize AVP, causing proportionally more water diuresis than solute excretion, could offer a significant treatment option for patients with hyponatremia, compared to fluid restriction alone. Treatment of hyponatremia, particularly in clinical settings such as decompensated congestive heart failure, is difficult as conventional diuretics cause neurohormonal activation and further stimulate the inappropriate release of vasopressin, leading to additional retention of free water and aggravation of hypoosmolality. Similarly, for cirrhosis with ascites and SIADH, conventional diuretics are either minimally effective or completely contraindicated. An alternative approach to symptom relief and treatment of hyponatremia may be the use of vasopressin antagonists, which increase free water clearance with proportionally less effect on sodium excretion. Tolvaptan is an oral vasopressin antagonist with relative affinity for the V2 receptor which has been shown to induce a diuresis with proportionally more free-water than sodium loss. The current study is being undertaken in order to evaluate whether tolvaptan, an oral AVP inhibitor, will be effective in correcting mild to moderate hyponatremia, and to elucidate the effect of this correction on the subject's well-being.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hyponatremias
  • Water Intoxication
  • Inappropriate ADH Syndrome
  • Water-Electrolyte Imbalances

Keywords

  • Sodium
  • SIADH
  • Vasopressin
  • CHF
  • Cirrhosis
  • salt
  • water
  • electrolyte
03

In context

Hyponatremia

164 studies on the registry are indexed under Hyponatremia; 16 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 205 is above the median of 60 across 98 interventional studies indexed under Hyponatremia.

Browse Hyponatremia studies →

Lead sponsor

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. is the lead sponsor of 295 studies on the registry; 18 are open to participants now.

Of its 106 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 71 (67%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Hyponatremia in euvolemic or hypervolemic states, defined as serum sodium \<135 mEq/L prior to randomization
  • Able to give .

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

  • Women who are breast feeding and females of who are not using acceptable methods
  • Hyponatremia in hypovolemic states
  • Acute and transient hyponatremia associated with head trauma or post-operative state
  • Hyponatremia due to uncontrolled hypothyroidism or uncontrolled adrenal insufficiency
  • Cardiac surgery within 30 days of potential study enrollment, excluding percutaneous coronary interventions
  • History of a myocardial infarction within 30 days of potential study enrollment
  • History of sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation within 30 days, unless in the presence of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator
  • Severe angina including angina at rest or at slight exertion and/or unstable angina
  • History of a cerebrovascular accident within the last 30 days
  • Subjects with psychogenic polydipsia may not be included, however subjects with other psychiatric illness may be included
  • Systolic arterial blood pressure \< 90 mmHg
  • History of and/or idiosyncratic reaction to benzazepine or benzazepine derivatives (such as benazepril)
  • History of drug or medication abuse within the past year,or current alcohol abuse
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus defined as fasting glucose > 300 mg/dL
  • Urinary tract obstruction except benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) if non-obstructive
  • Previous participation in another clinical drug trial within the past 30 days
  • Previous participation in this or any other tolvaptan clinical trial
  • Terminally ill or moribund condition with little chance of short term survival
  • Serum creatinine > 3.5 mg/dL
  • Serum sodium \< 120 mEq/L with associated neurologic impairment, i.e. symptoms such as apathy, confusion, seizures
  • Patients with progressive or episodic neurologic disease such as multiple sclerosis or history of multiple strokes
  • score greater than 10 (unless approved)
  • Patients receiving intravenous fluids at a rate greater than KVO (Keep Vein Open)
  • Hyponatremia due to lab artifacts
  • Patients receiving arginine vasopressin (AVP) or its analogs for treatment of any condition
  • Patients receiving within 7 days of randomization, other medications for treatment of hyponatremia specifically: demeclocycline, lithium carbonate or urea
  • Patients likely requiring intravenous (IV) saline for correction of symptomatic or asymptomatic severe hyponatremia during the course of the study
  • Severe pulmonary artery hypertension
  • Hyponatremia should not be the result of any medication that can safely be withdrawn.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Childbearing potential

Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).

Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Hypersensitivity

An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.

Child-Pugh class

A score of how well the liver works in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis: class A is mild, B moderate and C severe.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
205 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Tolvaptan

    Tolvaptan 15 mg tablet taken orally once daily for up to 30 days. Dose titration to 30 mg and then 60 mg occurred if the participant's sodium level change from the previous day was \<5 mEq/L and ≤ 135 mEq/L. The dose could be decreased at the investigator's discretion.

    Drug: tolvaptan

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Placebo matching tolvaptan tablet taken orally once daily for up to 30 days.

    Drug: placebo matching tolvaptan

Interventions

  • Tolvaptan tablet taken orally once daily.

  • Drugplacebo matching tolvaptan

    Placebo matching tolvaptan tablet taken orally once daily.

06

Study locations

23 sites
  • VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care Ctr
    Los Angeles, California 90073, United States
  • UCLA
    Los Angeles, California 93552, United States
  • UCSF Medical Center
    San Francisco, California 94143, United States
  • Aurora Denver Cardiology Association
    Denver, Colorado 80218, United States
  • University of Colorado Health Science Center
    Denver, Colorado 80262, United States
  • University of Florida Gainesville
    Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
  • Charlotte Heart Group Research Ctr
    Port Charlotte, Florida 33952, United States
  • Medical College of Georgia
    Augusta, Georgia 30912, United States
  • Northwestern University
    Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
  • University of Chicago
    Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
  • University of Iowa Hospital
    Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
  • Minneapolis VA Medical Center
    Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, United States
  • Washington University Ctr for Clinical Studies
    St Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
  • Mercury Street Medical
    Butte, Montana 59701, United States
  • Northshore University Hospital
    Great Neck, New York, United States
  • New York, New York 10010, United States
  • University of North Carolina, Div. of Cardiology
    Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
  • University Hospitals of Cleveland
    Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
  • Ohio State University Medical Center
    Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
  • The Arthur P. Noyes Research Foundation
    Norristown, Pennsylvania 19401, United States
  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
  • Baptist Clinical Research Ctr
    Memphis, Tennessee 38120, United States
  • Tennessee Center for Clinical Trials
    Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388, United States
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Lee MY, Kang HJ, Park SY, Kim HL, Han E, Lee EK. Cost-effectiveness of tolvaptan for euvolemic or hypervolemic hyponatremia. Clin Ther. 2014 Sep 1;36(9):1183-94. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2014.07.010. Epub 2014 Aug 21. PubMed 25151571 ↗
  • Cardenas A, Gines P, Marotta P, Czerwiec F, Oyuang J, Guevara M, Afdhal NH. Tolvaptan, an oral vasopressin antagonist, in the treatment of hyponatremia in cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2012 Mar;56(3):571-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2011.08.020. Epub 2011 Oct 23. PubMed 22027579 ↗
  • Schrier RW, Gross P, Gheorghiade M, Berl T, Verbalis JG, Czerwiec FS, Orlandi C; SALT Investigators. Tolvaptan, a selective oral vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist, for hyponatremia. N Engl J Med. 2006 Nov 16;355(20):2099-112. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa065181. Epub 2006 Nov 14. PubMed 17105757 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Anonymized Individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results of this study will be shared with researchers to achieve aims pre-specified in a methodologically sound research proposal. Small studies with less than 25 participants are excluded from data sharing.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form

Time frame: Data will be available after marketing approval in global markets or beginning 1-3 years following article publication. There is no end date to the availability of the data.

Access criteria: Otsuka will share data on the Vivli data sharing platform which can be found here: https://vivli.org/ourmember/Otsuka/

Data sharing details ↗ · clinical-trials.otsuka.com

08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Apr 2003 to primary completion in Dec 2005, 32 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 7, 2003
First posted
Nov 11, 2003
StartActual
Apr 1, 2003
Primary completionActual
Dec 1, 2005
CompletionActual
Dec 1, 2005
Last update
Jul 13, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 13, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00072683
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 11, 2003
Start date
Apr 1, 2003
Primary completion
Dec 1, 2005
Completion
Dec 1, 2005
Last update
Jul 13, 2026

Study contacts

Nestor Molfino, MD
study director · Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Discussion

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Studies of the drug tested here: Tolvaptan

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