Recruiting
Phase 2

Ticagrelor

Sponsor:

University of Arkansas

Code:

NCT07911124

Conditions

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 21 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Ticagrelor: an oral, direct-acting, reversibly binding P2Y12 receptor antagonist

Placebo

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if treatment with ticagrelor tablets can decrease inflammation in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Inflammation is thought to contribute to the risk of heart disease which is the leading cause of death in patients with CKD. Decreasing inflammation may decrease the risk of heart disease.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Why are patients with CKD at increased risk for heart disease and how to reduce that risk in the future.
  • If there could be new treatment options for managing inflammation in blood of patients with CKD.

Researchers will compare Ticagrelor to a Placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if ticagrelor decreases inflammation in adult patients with CKD. A comparator (control) group not receiving the drug/placebo will consist of adults without CKD.

Participants with CKD will:

  • Take ticagrelor 90 mg or placebo orally twice daily for 42 days
  • Visit the clinic once every 2 weeks for checkups, tests, and bloodwork
  • Participation will last approximately 12 weeks

Participants without CKD (control group) will visit the clinic twice (7 weeks apart) to provide information and bloodwork. Participation will last approximately 7 weeks with additional optional visits.

Conditions

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Study ID

NCT07911124

Start date

Nov, 2026

Status verified date

Nov, 2026

Completion date

Jul, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 21 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Population 1: CKD Participants

  • Provision of signed and dated written informed consent.
  • Age 21 to 75 years at the time of screening, inclusive.
  • Diagnosis of chronic kidney disease with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <45 ml/min/1.73m² as calculated by the CKD-EPI equation, confirmed from medical records or laboratory results.
  • Currently receiving the maximally tolerated or labeled dose of a renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi) as guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), or documentation of the reason for not receiving RAASi (e.g., intolerance, contraindication).

Population 2: Control Participants

  • Provision of signed and dated written informed consent.
  • Age 21 to 75 years at the time of screening, inclusive.
  • Normal kidney function, defined as eGFR >60 ml/min/1.73m² (CKD-EPI equation) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) <30 mg/g, confirmed from medical records or laboratory results.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Population 1: CKD Participants

  • Unwilling or unable to participate in the protocol or comply with its components.
  • End-stage renal disease (defined as receiving peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis) or any prior solid organ or bone marrow transplant. Rationale: dialysis directly affects platelet function and would confound the primary endpoint.
  • Acute kidney injury superimposed on CKD at the time of screening.
  • Acute coronary syndrome, acute myocardial infarction, or acute cerebrovascular event within 6 months prior to screening. Rationale: these participants are likely receiving P2Y12 inhibitor therapy, and their enrollment would confound the primary endpoint.
  • Hospitalization, major surgery, or use of systemic antibiotics within 1 month prior to screening. Rationale: these events are potentially associated with acute inflammatory changes that would confound baseline cytokine measurements.
  • Blood dyscrasias, active bleeding of any site, or a known bleeding diathesis.
  • History of gastrointestinal bleeding within 6 months prior to screening.
  • Concomitant use of any antiplatelet agent other than aspirin (e.g., clopidogrel, prasugrel, dipyridamole) or any antithrombotic or anticoagulant medication (e.g., warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants) at the time of screening or anticipated need during the study period.
  • Hemoglobin <8 g/dL, white blood cell count >20,000/μL, or platelet count <50,000/μL at the time of screening.
  • Any active malignancy requiring systemic treatment, or chronic liver disease (including cirrhosis or hepatitis with active inflammation).
  • Current use of immunosuppressive medications (e.g., corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate). Rationale: these medications independently alter cytokine profiles and leukocyte gene expression, confounding the primary and mechanistic endpoints.
  • Age older than 75 years. Rationale: individuals older than 75 years carry a substantially higher risk of bleeding on antiplatelet therapy and are excluded for participant safety.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding at the time of screening or plans to become pregnant during the study period. Women of reproductive potential will undergo a urine pregnancy test at screening (Visit 1); a positive result excludes from participation.
  • Known severe hypersensitivity or allergy to ticagrelor or any component of the study drug formulation.
  • Treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention ongoing, or within a month of randomization.
  • Ongoing treatment for infection.

Population 2: Control Participants

  • Any known diagnosis of chronic kidney disease, eGFR ≤60 ml/min/1.73m², or UACR ≥30 mg/g.
  • Inability to sign consent and HIPAA form. Legal Authorized Representatives are not allowed to sign the consent form.
  • Unwillingness or inability to participate in the protocol or comply with any of its components.
  • Any current use of aspirin or NSAIDs and not willing to hold.
  • Current use of antibiotics or ongoing infection.

Study Design

Enrollment

230 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Arm 1 - Ticagrelor for adults with CKD

Ticagrelor 90 mg orally twice daily for 42 days

placebo comparator: Arm 2 - Placebo for adults with CKD

Placebo orally twice daily for 42 days

Interventions

Ticagrelor: an oral, direct-acting, reversibly binding P2Y12 receptor antagonist

Ticagrelor 90 mg orally twice daily for 42 days

Placebo

Placebo orally twice daily for 42 days

Primary outcome measure

  • Aim 1: post-treatment IL-1β value [ Time Frame: from baseline (day 0) to post-treatment (day 42) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Jonathan Young

501-526-7984jayoung@uams.edu

David Avery

501-214-2101DAAvery@uams.edu

Locations

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Recruiting

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205

Contacts

Jonathan Young

501-526-7984jayoung@uams.edu

David Avery

501-214-2101DAAvery@uams.edu

Principal Investigator:

Nishank Jain, M.D.

More Information

Sponsor

University of Arkansas

Last update posted

Nov 10, 2026

Last verified

Nov, 2026

Keywords

  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • CKD
  • Ticagrelor
  • Inflammation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-11-11. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Arkansas on 2026-11-10. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.