A Phase 4 interventional study of Intranasal DEX-ESK combination and Intranasal ESK alone in Postherpetic Neuralgia, Esketamine and Dexmedetomidine, sponsored by Peking University First Hospital. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-13.
Sponsored by Peking University First Hospital · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment
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Among 31 studies in Neuralgia, Postherpetic with a site in China — 12 open to participants now, 13 under way, none of them phase 3. Neuralgia, Postherpetic · China.
Among the 31 studies in Neuralgia, Postherpetic with a site in China, this one is the 18th largest by planned enrollment of the 24 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 5 that started in 2026, is one of 5 in phase 4, reaches primary completion later than 12 of the 12 other live ones, and was the 31st registered.
197 studies on the registry are indexed under Neuralgia, Postherpetic; 29 are open to participants now.
Browse Neuralgia, Postherpetic studies →12 of the 31 studies in Neuralgia, Postherpetic with a site in China are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:
Shanghai Yidian Pharmaceutical Technology Development Co., Ltd. · Sites in China
Ages 18+
Neurodawn Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. · Sites in China
Ages 18+
Beijing Tiantan Hospital · Sites in China
Ages 18+
Beijing Tiantan Hospital · Sites in China
Ages 18+
Shirong Tan · Sites in China
Ages 40–85
A study can be open while its sites in China have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in China →
Of the 18 Neuralgia, Postherpetic studies recruiting now, 8 (44%) set no upper age limit and 5 (28%) stop at 75 or younger; none take children under 18; 2 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 50 Years and older · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
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31 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2011; this study’s year is marked. 5 started in 2026.
By drug class, each counting the studies that test any of its medicines:
This study's planned enrollment of 80 is below the median of 94 across 163 interventional studies indexed under Neuralgia, Postherpetic.
Median enrollment 141 across the 24 interventional studies, 151 across the 7 observational. Of the 13 that completed or were terminated, 1 (8%) have results posted.
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9 of 31 have an industry lead sponsor. The 10 most frequent:
Peking University First Hospital is the lead sponsor of 392 studies on the registry; 187 are open to participants now.
Peking University First Hospital has 1 study filed under Neuralgia, Postherpetic — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
4 of the studies in Neuralgia, Postherpetic with a site in China that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT06990854Dexiong HanElectroacupuncture for PHN: Efficacy and Biomarker Evaluation in a Multicenter, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial Protocol | 2026-12 |
| NCT07758920Shanghai Yidian Pharmaceutical Technology Development Co., Ltd.A Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of HL-1186 Tablet in the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia | 2027-06 |
| NCT07361796Beijing Tiantan HospitalThe Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Venlafaxine for Prevention of Postherpetic Neuralgia in Patients With Acute Herpes Zoster | 2027-09-30 |
| NCT07934901Peking University First HospitalIntranasal Esketamine-dexmedetomidine Combination in Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia | 2027-11 |
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Among the 31 studies in Neuralgia, Postherpetic with a site in China, from their registry updates:
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome suffered by patients with herpes zoster and often adversely affect patients' normal lives, leading to declines in sleep and quality of life. Ketamine/esketamine has been used for treatment of chronic pain but may produce adverse psychiatric reactions at slightly higher doses, including dissociative symptoms, hallucinations, and nightmares; the sedative effect of dexmedetomidine helps mitigate its psychiatric side effects. A previous study in orthopedic surgery patients also showed that dexmedetomidine combined with esketamine can significantly improve perioperative analgesia and sleep quality. The investigators hypothesize that intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine combined with esketamine in patients with postherpetic neuralgia can improve analgesic efficacy.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome suffered by patients with herpes zoster. The typical feature of PHN is deep burning pain in the affected unilateral dermatome, often accompanied by stabbing pain and itching, persisting for more than 3 months after the initial onset of herpes zoster. The incidence of PHN among patients with herpes zoster is approximately 10-20%. The chronic pain symptoms of PHN often adversely affect patients' normal lives, leading to declines in sleep and quality of life. Approximately 50% of PHN patients have sleep disturbances. These ultimately affect cognitive function and mental health.
Ketamine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist and has long been used as a dissociative anesthetic. At subanesthetic doses, ketamine exhibits analgesic and antihyperalgesic effects. Guidelines recommend low-dose ketamine infusion for the treatment of chronic pain. Esketamine is the more potent right-handed enantiomer of ketamine, with stronger affinity for the NMDA receptor; its potency is approximately twice that of ketamine, and the incidence of adverse psychiatric reactions is lower in clinical use. Intranasal esketamine has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of adults with treatment-resistant depression and represents a more non-invasive route of administration.
Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. Dexmedetomidine acts on the locus coeruleus, inhibiting the release of norepinephrine from neurons in the locus coeruleus and the activity of the medullary-spinal descending neural pathways, thereby producing sedative and analgesic effects. In perioperative management, dexmedetomidine is widely used for postoperative adjuvant analgesia; it can also improve patients' sleep, producing a state resembling non-rapid eye movement sleep. Intranasal dexmedetomidine can be safely used in adults and children and is currently widely used for pediatric procedural sedation and preoperative medication.
Ketamine/esketamine can produce adverse psychiatric reactions at slightly higher doses, including dissociative symptoms, hallucinations, and nightmares; the sedative effect of dexmedetomidine helps mitigate its psychiatric side effects. A previous study in orthopedic surgery patients also showed that dexmedetomidine combined with esketamine can significantly improve perioperative analgesia and sleep quality. The investigators hypothesize that intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine combined with esketamine in patients with postherpetic neuralgia can improve analgesic efficacy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.
Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
TIA (transient ischaemic attack)
A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.
Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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.
For each administration: dexmedetomidine (1 spray = 0.05 ml = 25 μg) is administered as one spray into each nostril; after 1 minute, esketamine (1 spray = 0.05 ml = 1.25 mg) is administered alternately into each nostril, 4 sprays per nostril. Esketamine administration is repeated every 5 minutes until a total dose of 0.3 mg/kg is reached (using the number of sprays closest to the predetermined dose). If a dose is not tolerated, one administration may be omitted. Administer once daily for 4 consecutive days, with the same administration method as above.
Drug: Intranasal DEX-ESK combination
For each administration: placebo (0.9% saline; 1 spray = 0.05 ml) is administered as one spray into each nostril; after 1 minute, esketamine (1 spray = 0.05 ml = 1.25 mg) is administered alternately into each nostril, 4 sprays per nostril. Esketamine administration is repeated every 5 minutes until a total dose of 0.3 mg/kg is reached (using the number of sprays closest to the predetermined dose). If a dose is not tolerated, one administration may be omitted. Administer once daily for 4 consecutive days, with the same administration method as above.
Drug: Intranasal ESK alone
For each administration: dexmedetomidine (1 spray = 0.05 ml = 25 μg) is administered as one spray into each nostril; after 1 minute, esketamine (1 spray = 0.05 ml = 1.25 mg) is administered alternately into each nostril, 4 sprays per nostril. Esketamine administration is repeated every 5 minutes until a total dose of 0.3 mg/kg is reached (using the number of sprays closest to the predetermined dose). If a dose is not tolerated, one administration may be omitted. Administer once daily for 4 consecutive days, with the same administration method as above.
Also known as: Intranasal dexmedetomidine and esketamine
For each administration: placebo (0.9% saline; 1 spray = 0.05 ml) is administered as one spray into each nostril; after 1 minute, esketamine (1 spray = 0.05 ml = 1.25 mg) is administered alternately into each nostril, 4 sprays per nostril. Esketamine administration is repeated every 5 minutes until a total dose of 0.3 mg/kg is reached (using the number of sprays closest to the predetermined dose). If a dose is not tolerated, one administration may be omitted. Administer once daily for 4 consecutive days, with the same administration method as above.
Also known as: Intranasal placebo (normal saline) and esketamine
Sum of pain intensity difference (SPID) within 7 days after the first administration
Follow-up time points: before each administration (Days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of enrollment; face-to-face follow-up); on Days 1, 2, and 3 after the last administration (Days 5, 6, and 7 of enrollment; telephone follow-up at the same time of day as drug administration). Pain intensity: the patient's NRS pain score over the past 24 hours is recorded (0-10; 0 = no pain at all, 10 = the worst pain imaginable). Sum of pain intensity difference (SPID): calculated as the sum of (baseline NRS score - NRS score at each scheduled daily follow-up) within 7 days after the first administration (i.e., 3 days after the last treatment).
Time frame: Within 7 days after the first administration
Sum of pain intensity difference (SPID) during Weeks 2 to 12 after the first administration
Follow-up time points: once weekly after the last administration until Week 12 of enrollment (Days 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, and 84 of enrollment; telephone follow-up). Pain intensity: the patient's NRS pain score over the past 24 hours is recorded (0-10; 0 = no pain at all, 10 = the worst pain imaginable). Sum of pain intensity difference (SPID): calculated as the sum of (baseline NRS score - NRS score at each scheduled weekly follow-up) during Weeks 2 to 12 after the first administration.
Time frame: During Weeks 2 to 12 after the first administration
Change from baseline in ZBPI chronic pain and impact scores within 3 months after treatment
Follow-up time points: Days 7 and 14 after the first administration (telephone follow-up); Months 1, 2, and 3 after the first administration (Days 28, 56, and 84 of enrollment; telephone follow-up). Severity of chronic pain and its impact on patients: assessed using the Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI, Appendix 7). Pain severity is rated from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain severity; pain interference is rated from 0 to 10 across 7 domains, with higher scores indicating greater interference with daily functioning. Within 3 months after the first dose
Time frame: Up to 3 months after the first administration
Plan to share: No
Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for Nov 2027, 12 months later.
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 ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Nov 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Peking University First Hospital →