Current Clinical Trials in Traumatic Brain Injury

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Clinical Pharmacology
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major global health concern causing significant morbidity and mortality.
• Current TBI treatments are largely palliative and fail to address progressive brain damage.
• Experimental therapies targeting TBI's biochemical and cellular consequences are under development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify drugs currently undergoing clinical evaluation for TBI treatment.
• To analyze the landscape of drug-related clinical trials for traumatic brain injury.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of ClinicalTrials.gov was conducted on December 3, 2021.
• Trials were identified using keywords "TBI" OR "traumatic brain injury" AND "drug".
• Data on registered trials, patient numbers, and drugs tested were extracted and analyzed.

Main Results:

• 362 TBI drug trials were initially identified; 138 were completed and 116 withdrawn.
• 125 different drugs were tested in TBI patients across completed studies.
• Only 7 drugs, including amantadine, botulinum toxin A, and tranexamic acid (TXA), were used in over three studies, with variable results.

Conclusions:

• The clinical trial landscape for TBI reveals a broad but fragmented approach to drug development.
• Limited re-use of specific drugs suggests variability in trial outcomes and efficacy.
• Future TBI clinical trials must prioritize rigorous design, considering TBI severity and intervention timing to reduce variability and enhance success.