ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT04054414Updated Jul 4, 2025

PMZ-1620 (Sovateltide) in Patients of Acute Spinal Cord Injury

A Phase 2 interventional study of Normal Saline along with standard treatment and PMZ-1620 along with standard treatment in Acute Spinal Cord Injury, sponsored by Pharmazz, Inc.. Recruiting at 5 sites in India. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-07-04.

Sponsored by Pharmazz, Inc. · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jun 2026, 5 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Registered 7 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jan 2019, registered Aug 2019).
  • Started Jan 2019; still recruiting 7 years 10 months later.
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This was a prospective, multicentric, randomized, double blind, parallel, saline controlled Phase II clinical study to compare the safety and efficacy of PMZ-1620 (INN: Sovateltide) therapy along with standard supportive care in patients of acute spinal cord injury.

Read the detailed description

Trauma is projected to be third largest killer in the developing world by 2020, with a large number of these injuries comprising of traumatic spinal cord injury. People with spinal cord injuries (SCI) are two to five times more susceptible to die than people without an injury. More than 80% cases of SCIs occur among young people between the ages of 20 and 45 years and majority of sufferers are male. In developed countries, the incidence of spinal injuries varies from 20 to 50 per million. Every year about 250,000 to 500,000 number of SCI cases are reported.

There are hidden stem cells in the brain, which becomes active following injury to the spinal cord. Intravenous administration of PMZ-1620 (sovateltide) augments the activity of neuronal progenitor cells in the spinal cord to repair the damage by formation of new mature neurons and blood vessels. In addition, PMZ-1620 has anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidant activity.

Sovateltide is an endothelin B (ETB) receptor agonist (previously used names IRL-1620, SPI-1620 and PMZ-1620; International Non-proprietary Name (INN) approved by WHO is sovateltide). Activation of ETB receptors with PMZ-1620 produces neurovascular repair and remodeling or neuroregeneration.

02

Conditions studied

  • Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Keywords

  • Endothelin
  • Neurogenesis
03

In context

Spinal Cord Injuries

2,025 studies on the registry are indexed under Spinal Cord Injuries; 537 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 40 is above the median of 24 across 1,633 interventional studies indexed under Spinal Cord Injuries.

Browse Spinal Cord Injuries studies →

Lead sponsor

Pharmazz, Inc. is the lead sponsor of 14 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
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

  1. Adult males or females aged between 18 and 75 years inclusive
  2. Able to give consent for participation on their own or through their Legally Acceptable Representative (LAR)
  3. Able to cooperate in the completion of a standardized neurological examination by ISNCSCI standards (excludes patients who are on ventilator)
  4. ISNCSCI Impairment Scale Grade "B," "C" or "D" based upon first ISNCSCI evaluation after arrival to the hospital is classified as motor or sensory incomplete
  5. Willing and able to comply with the study Protocol
  6. Women must be of non- or surgically sterile or willing to use adequate ; men who are sexually active will also be required to use adequate birth control
  7. Able to receive the Drug within 48 hours of injury
  8. Neurological Level of Injury between C5-C8, T1-T12, L1-L5 and S1-S5 based upon first ISNCSCI evaluation after arrival to the hospital
  9. Patient with incomplete/partial damage/transaction as shown by CT or MRI scan
  10. Patients with any other chronic conditions, who are stable with appropriate treatment

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Previous history related to spinal cord disease
  2. Patient on ventilator or requires ventilator
  3. Patient with pathological fracture of vertebral column
  4. Impairment Scale Grade "A" based upon first ISNCSCI assessment and classified as complete injury
  5. One or more upper extremity muscle groups un-testable during baseline ISNCSCI examination
  6. Concomitant head injury with a abnormality on a head CT (head CT required only for patients suspected to have a brain injury at the discretion of the investigator)
  7. Females who are breastfeeding or have a positive urine pregnancy test
  8. (BMI) of ≥35 kg/m2 at screening
  9. Known immunodeficiency, including , or use of or cancer chemotherapeutic drugs
  10. Patient having rheumatoid arthritis
  11. The participant has a clinically significant cardiovascular disorder or an abnormal (ECG) at the discretion of the investigator
  12. Pre-existent neurologic disorder which would preclude accurate evaluation and follow-up (i.e. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, any psychiatric disorder with hallucinations/delusions/schizophrenia)
  13. Patients who are currently participating in a clinical trial with an drug or investigational device
  14. Patients who, in the opinion of the investigator, are otherwise unsuitable for this study
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(8)

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.

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.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

ECG (electrocardiogram)

A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Normal Saline

    Patients will receive the best available standard of care. In control group, 3 doses of equal volume of normal saline will be administered as an IV bolus over 1 minutes every 3 hours ± 1 hour on day 1, 3 and day 6 post randomization.

    Drug: Normal Saline along with standard treatment

  • Experimental
    PMZ-1620

    Patients will receive the best available standard of care. In PMZ group, 3 doses of PMZ-1620, at 0.3 μg/kg body weight will be administered as an intravenous bolus over 1 minute every 3 hours ± 1 hour on day 1, 3, and day 6 (total dose/day: 0.9 µg/kg body weight).

    Drug: PMZ-1620 along with standard treatment

Interventions

  • DrugNormal Saline along with standard treatment

    The arm is for active comparison for PMZ-1620 (sovateltide), an endothelin-B receptor agonist. PMZ-1620 has the potential to be a first-in-class neuronal progenitor cell therapeutics that is likely to promote quicker recovery and improve neurological outcome in cerebral ischemic stroke patients. Normal saline (vehicle) with standard treatment will be provided.

    Also known as: Vehicle

  • DrugPMZ-1620 along with standard treatment

    Drug page: Sovateltide

    PMZ-1620 (sovateltide) is an endothelin-B receptor agonist. PMZ-1620 has the potential to be a first-in-class neuronal progenitor cell therapeutics that is likely to promote quicker recovery and improve neurological outcome in cerebral ischemic stroke patients.

    Also known as: Sovateltide (IRL-1620) along with standard treatment

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of PMZ-1620 related adverse events

    The primary objective of the study is to determine incidence of drug (PMZ-1620) related adverse events.

    Time frame: 90 days

  2. Number of patients not receiving full treatment

    Tolerability will be determined by the number of patients that do not receive all the 9 doses of PMZ-1620.

    Time frame: 90 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in clinical progression of International Standards for Neurological Classification of spinal cord injury (ISNCSCI)

    Statistically relevant changes in clinical progression of ASCI as measured by ISNCSCI scoring at one, two and three months after treatment. The International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) or more commonly referred to as the ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS), is a universal classification tool for Spinal Cord Injury based on a standardized sensory and motor assessment. Ranges from A to E where A = Complete and no sensory or motor function is preserved and E = Normal sensory and motor functions

    Time frame: 90 days

  2. Changes in walking index for spinal cord injury (WISCI) score

    Statistically relevant changes in WISCI Score at one, two and three months after treatment. This test assesses the amount of physical assistance needed, as well as devices required, for walking following paralysis that results from SCI. It rank orders the ability of a person to walk 10 meter after a spinal cord injury from most to least severe impairment. A score from 0 to 20 is assigned, level 0: patient is unable to stand and/or participate in walking and level 20 patient ambulates with no devices, with brace and no assistance.

    Time frame: 90 days

  3. Changes in Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) score

    Statistically relevant changes in SCIM score at one, two and three months after treatment. Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) scale is used to measure the disability to specifically address the ability of SCI patients to perform basic activities of daily living independently. The SCIM scores range from 0 to 100 where where a score of 0 defines total dependence and a score of 100 is indicative of complete independence.

    Time frame: 90 days

  4. Changes in MRI/CT

    Changes in MRI/CT, before (baseline) and three months after treatment. Radiological evidence of transaction of spinal cord will be recorded by CT or MRI scan. In addition, edema, contusion, extent of spinal cord damage will be recorded.

    Time frame: 90 days

  5. Changes in electromyography (EMG)

    Changes in EMG, before (baseline) and three months after treatment. Changes in nerve conduction parameters are recorded from the peroneal, tibial, and sural nerves. The presence of spontaneous activity (SA), including fibrillation and positive sharp waves are recorded in muscle groups vastus medialis, iliopsoas, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, and lumbar paraspinals. A decrease in nerve conduction parameters are indicative to greater severity. A high degree of abnormal SA on electromyographic testing represents the presence of muscle membrane instability.

    Time frame: 90 days

07

Study locations

4 of 5 sites recruiting
  • KLE's Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Centre
    Belagavi, 590010, India
    Not yet recruiting
  • Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital
    Kolkata, 700020, India
    Recruiting
  • King George's Medical University
    Lucknow, 226018, India
    Recruiting
  • Rahate Surgical Hospital & ICU
    Nagpur, 440008, India
    Recruiting
  • Indian Spinal Injury Centre
    New Delhi, 110070, India
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Results will be communicated and published as manuscript

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Jan 2019 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jun 2026, 89 months after the start.

Of 49 phase 2 interventional studies under Spinal Cord Injuries, half reached primary completion within 46 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 28 and three quarters within 64. This study's planned 89 months is above that.

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

Registered
Aug 10, 2019
First posted
Aug 13, 2019
StartActual
Jan 10, 2019
Primary completionEst.
Jun 2026
CompletionEst.
Jul 2026
Last update
Jul 4, 2025
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 4, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04054414
Lead sponsor
Pharmazz, Inc.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 13, 2019
Start date
Jan 10, 2019
Primary completion
Jun 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 4, 2025

Study contacts

Manish S Lavhale
Contact
manish.lavhale@pharmazz.com
+91 9873847397
Ravi Kant
Contact
ravi.kant@pharmazz.com
Anil Gulati
study chair · Pharmazz, Inc.

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Studies of the drug tested here: Sovateltide

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