A Phase 2/3 interventional study of Nalbuphine Injection and Next Generation Sequencing in Cholecystectomy, Hernia, Abdominal and Appendectomy, sponsored by Dr. Asma Abdus Salam. Recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-15.
Sponsored by Dr. Asma Abdus Salam · Phase 2/3, Interventional, and Other
The goal of this study is to identify the genes as well as their association with Nalbuphine. This will help the investigator to identify opioid vulnerability in Pakistani population in the postoperative patients and will contribute to overcoming the opioid crisis, resulting in better and safer outcomes.
Research question is:
Is there any association between the underlying genetic variations and the analgesic efficacy of Nalbuphine in postoperative patients? The Research Objectives are
Procedure: After the written informed consent adult men and women will be enrolled in the study. On the day of surgery in the preoperative area, a 5 ml blood sample will be drawn before surgery and will be sent to laboratory for analysis. After routine hemodynamic monitoring in the operative room, general anesthesia will be given including nalbuphine. Standard routine anesthesia monitoring will be done and maintained while monitoring heart rate, ECG, NIBP oxygen saturation, ETCO2 and temperature. Incremental analgesia will be provided whenever needed. After extubation and shifting to recovery room the 2nd sample of blood will be taken and will be sent for analysis. Pain score, nausea vomiting, sedation, requirement of analgesia will be assessed till 24 hours postoperatively.
The available data suggests that nalbuphine, tramadol, and morphine exhibit comparable efficacy in treating moderate to severe postoperative pain. However, significant individual variations exist in the analgesic response, which can be attributed to genetic differences. These are the variations that are influenced by a combination of demographic, clinical, and environmental factors with a significant contribution from genetic factors that regulate receptor function and signal transduction. Due to the limited availability of morphine, nalbuphine is an extensively used alternative for managing intraoperative and postoperative pain in many LMICs, particularly in Pakistan. While nalbuphine is clinically effective, there is a gap in understanding the molecular factors that contribute to its efficacy in this genetically distinct population. This highlights the need to investigate the genetic variability and to establish the analgesic efficacy of nalbuphine within Pakistani population. There is no molecular data from the region where the investigator belongs, which highlights the importance of genetic testing to tailor opioid therapy to individual needs, optimizing pain management while minimizing risks such as overdose or inadequate pain relief. By implementing genetics into clinical practice, the investigator can offer more personalized, effective, and safer opioid use, addressing the challenges associated with opioid therapy in diverse patient populations.
82 studies on the registry are indexed under Hernia, Abdominal; 19 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 263 is above the median of 90 across 48 interventional studies indexed under Hernia, Abdominal.
Browse Hernia, Abdominal studies →This is the only study on the registry with Dr. Asma Abdus Salam as lead sponsor.
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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.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Given as intravenously, 0.1-0.2 mg / kg at induction and intermittently
Drug: Nalbuphine Injection · Genetic: Next Generation Sequencing · Genetic: whole exome sequencing
Anaesthesia induction will be done with propofol (2 mg/kg) nalbuphine (0.1mg/kg) and atracurium (0.6mg/kg) intravenously. Maintenance of anaesthesia will be achieved with oxygen (O2), nitrous oxide (N2O) in 1:2 ratio and isoflurane (0.8-1%). Intermittent top up of the study drug 1-2 ml boluses will be administered if either the patient's HR or BP increased to 20 % above baseline and when other causes of tachycardia and hypertension are excluded. Timing of analgesia will be recorded. Pain will be assessed for 24 hours postoperatively using verbal rating scale (VRS) with 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain. Sedation will be assessed as 0=no sedation, 1= mild sedation, (eye-opening on verbal commands), 2= moderate sedation (eye-opening on painful stimulus), 3= deep sedation (not waking up on pain). All patients will be prescribed paracetamol one gram IV six hourly and nalbuphine 1-2 mg IV infusion in the first 24 hours post operatively.
5ml of blood samples by venipuncture will be obtained from the first 70 patients half an hour before extubation at the time of muscle closure. These blood samples will be processed for DNA analysis. Only the 15 samples where pain persisted despite nalbuphine administration, with a pain score remaining above 4, continuous use of rescue analgesia, or any documented opioid side effects (such as nausea, vomiting, or sedation), or the need for additional analgesia within 24 hours, will be sent for NGS analysis. These samples will undergo whole exome sequencing via NGS, based on patient parameters and pain scores, after being categorized as responders or non-responders to nalbuphine
Also known as: NGS, whole exome sequencing, sanger's technique
Only the 15 samples will be sent for NGS based on patient parameters and pain scores after being categorized as responders or non-responders to nalbuphine
Also known as: NGS, next generation sequencing
pain score
Zero is equivalent to no pain and 10 indicates the worst possible pain
Time frame: 24 hours postoperatively
sedation score
Sedation will be assessed as 0=no sedation, 1= mild sedation, (eye-opening on verbal commands), 2= moderate sedation (eye-opening on painful stimulus), 3= deep sedation (not waking up on pain).
Time frame: 24 hours
nausea vomiting score
o as no nausea and vomiting and 3 as continous vomiting despite giving antiemetic
Time frame: 24 hours postoperatively
rescue analgesia
How much nalbuphine ( opioid) in mg was needed in 24 hours. will signify those not responding to conventional analgesia
Time frame: 24 hours postoperatively
Plan to share: Yes — only IPD used in the results publication
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form, Clinical study report
Time frame: Beginning 3 months and ending 3 years after the publication of results
Access criteria: A data sharing agreement must be signed. Consent and permission should be taken from the PI and officials of Ziauddin for further publication
Data sharing details ↗ · zu.edu.pk
Started Sep 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2027, 16 months after the start.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Nalbuphine