A Phase 2 interventional study of Nicorandil Oral Tablet and Adriamycin (Doxorubicin) in Doxorubicin Induced Cardiotoxicity, Doxorubicin Induced Cardiomyopathy and Doxorubicin, sponsored by Universiti Sains Malaysia. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Egypt. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-03.
Sponsored by Universiti Sains Malaysia · Phase 2, Interventional, and Prevention
Breast cancer is one of the world's most common cancers in females. Most of the chemotherapy protocols used to treat breast cancer involve doxorubicin. Doxorubicin has a very significant antitumor effect on breast tumors. One of the obstacles that hinders the use of doxorubicin is cardiotoxicity. Although many agents are used to address this issue, only dexrazoxane is FDA-approved. One suggested pathway for doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is due to calcium imbalance. Calcium ions are very important in controlling the heart's function. Nicorandil is an anti-anginal agent that shows cardioprotective effects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in preclinical trials. Not only that, but preclinical studies on rats and mice have also shown that it has antitumor and augmenting effects on doxorubicin's anticancer properties. Here in our trial, the impact of the nicorandil will be assessed on breast cancer patients. The chosen method will be a parallel, open-label, randomized clinical trial. The selected sampling method will be stratified blocks based on radiotherapy and HFA-ICOS baseline scores. The sample size will be 146 patients, who will be randomized using a premuted block. The primary parameter will be the ejection fraction. The secondary parameters will include cardiac troponins, creatine kinase myocardial band, safety assessment of nicorandil use on the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems, quality of life after nicorandil use, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of nicorandil, and the quality of life and baseline cardiac scoring system.
There are different modalities for the treatment of breast cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy is important to decrease the tumor size of the breast, making breast conservation possible.
Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anticancer agent used in chemotherapy to treat hematological and solid cancers. In breast cancer, DOX is used in many protocols. One of the well-known chemotherapeutic protocols is AC-T (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and paclitaxel). The mechanism of DOX cytotoxicity is due to free radical formation, which is associated with DOX cardiotoxic adverse events. DOX-induced cardiomyopathy leads to fibrosis of myocardial cells that causes cardiovascular disorders. DOX-cardiotoxicity is considered irreversible (type I) cardiotoxicity. Echocardiography remains the gold standard for assessing cardiac function primarily by evaluating the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Besides, echocardiography could assess the global longitudinal strain (GLS), a measure of the left ventricle's longitudinal shortening, which is more sensitive for detecting early myocardial dysfunction that cannot be assessed by LVEF alone. Changes in GLS can indicate subclinical cardiac impairment, which is considered an early warning sign of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
Biomarkers of cardiotoxicity are a non-invasive method for early detection in patients undergoing doxorubicin therapy. These biomarkers enable clinicians to initiate preventive treatment regimens earlier, as they indicate long-term LVEF deterioration. Studies have shown that the risk of DOX cardiotoxicity increases at a cumulative dose of 400 mg/m² without other risk factors. DOX-induced cardiotoxicity may lead to increased morbidity and mortality.
As a consequence, for most of the patients with DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, their quality of life will be affected. One of the methods used for quality of life assessment is the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC) Core 30 (QLQ-C30), and another one for breast cancer patients (BR-42). A study has shown the deterioration in the psychological and physical state of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy treatment.
Many antioxidant supplements are used to treat DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Dexrazoxane is the only FDA-approved cardioprotective agent for DOX cardiotoxicity. Although other supplements like omega-3, vitamin E, and levocarnitine have shown significant effects in preclinical studies, only a few have been investigated in clinical practice. Yet, few studies have targeted the Ca²⁺ imbalance caused by DOX administration.
Nicorandil (NIC), a nicotinamide ester with a nitrate group, is used in several medical conditions in Japan and Europe. Nicorandil's (NIC) cardioprotective effect was caused by selective activation of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+ channel (mitoKATP) and nitric oxide (NO) donor activity. These will lead to cardiac muscle relaxation and decrease reactive oxygen species and cell death. They also maintain calcium homeostasis and prevent high intracellular calcium levels, which can cause cellular malfunction and apoptosis.
Available studies show promising results for NIC in patients with heart failure. Preclinical studies suggested that NIC may also have a protective effect against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by avoiding mitochondrial dysfunction without affecting the antitumor activity of DOX. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm the protective effect of NIC against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.
553 studies on the registry are indexed under Cardiomyopathies; 152 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 146 is above the median of 51 across 266 interventional studies indexed under Cardiomyopathies.
Browse Cardiomyopathies studies →Universiti Sains Malaysia is the lead sponsor of 177 studies on the registry; 51 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Inclusion 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.
The share of blood the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) pushes out with each beat, measured by an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a MUGA scan. About 50–70% is normal.
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction)
The share of blood the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) pushes out with each beat, measured by an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or a MUGA scan. About 50–70% is normal.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
GFR and eGFR (kidney filtering)
GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is how much blood the kidneys filter each minute. It is usually estimated from a blood test — eGFR, by formulas such as CKD-EPI or MDRD — and some studies ask for it to be measured directly instead. Usually given in mL/min/1.73 m².
Check the method, the units and the minimum the study states. A value of 90 or above is in the normal-or-high range, but kidney damage can show in other tests too.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.
Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
DOX protocol AC regimen (doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days, cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days for 4 cycles).
Drug: Adriamycin (Doxorubicin)
NIC ( 5-10 mg per day ) + DOX protcol
Drug: Nicorandil Oral Tablet · Drug: Adriamycin (Doxorubicin)
drug
Also known as: NIC
AC regimen (doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days, cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days for 4 cycles).
Also known as: DOX, AC-T PROTCOL
To evaluate the effect of nicorandil on left ventricular ejection fraction in breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin.
Elevation or maintenance of Ejection fraction percentage (EF %) using echocardiogram
Time frame: before the treatment initiation, at the 3rd and the 6th months of the treatment initiation
To evaluate the safety of nicorandil
possible hypotension (mmhg)
Time frame: before the treatment initiation, at the 3rd and the 6th months of the treatment initiation
To assess patients' quality of life
using the modified EORTC QLQ-BR42, where 100 is the best quality and 0 is the worst.
Time frame: From enrollment, at the 3rd and the 6th months of the treatment
To determine the effect of nicorandil on global longitudinal strain in breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin.
by using echogradiogram in %
Time frame: From enrollment and at the 3rd and the 6th months of treatment
To evaluate the cost-utility of nicorandil as a cardioprotective agent against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
using the QALY unit
Time frame: at the treatment initiation, the 3rd and the 6th months of the treament
To assess the effect of nicorandil on cardiac biomarkers
by assessing, including cardiac troponin ng/ml
Time frame: at the treatment initiation, at the 3rd and 6th months of the treament
PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Start is estimated for Dec 2026; primary completion for Jun 2027, 6 months later.
Start moved once since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026: Oct 2026 → Dec 2026, on Nov 3, 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Studies of the drug tested here: Nicorandil