# A Phase 1b Study of Inhaled CO for the Treatment of Sepsis-Induced ARDS

> **NIH NIH R61** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2020 · $452,945

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT:
Mortality from sepsis and the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain unacceptably high despite
advances in critical care. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a novel therapeutic for ARDS supported by compelling
data from experimental models of sepsis and acute lung injury (ALI). We have demonstrated that low dose CO
confers protection in cell culture and animal models of sepsis and ALI. We have shown that CO suppresses
mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammasome activation, activates mitochondrial biogenesis, and accelerates
resolution of inflammation via biosynthesis of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM), making CO a highly
promising therapy for treatment of sepsis and ARDS. We have developed and tested a ventilator-compatible
CO Delivery System and a CO dosing strategy in a non-human primate model of pneumonia-induced ALI. We
demonstrated that low dose inhaled CO (iCO) can be safely administered to mechanically ventilated baboons
with sepsis and ALI, and that the rise in carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) can be accurately predicted using the
Coburn-Forster-Kane (CFK) equation. We recently completed a fixed dose Phase Ia trial of iCO in patients with
sepsis-induced ARDS, which showed that precise delivery of low dose iCO is feasible and safe in mechanically
ventilated ARDS patients. We showed that the CFK equation is highly accurate at predicting COHb levels,
suggesting that the CFK equation can be used to individually titrate iCO dosing to ensure consistent and safe
systemic uptake in ARDS patients with varying degrees of impaired gas exchange. We now propose a Phase
Ib trial to evaluate a personalized medicine approach to iCO dosing and to examine functional biological
signatures underlying the beneficial effects of iCO in sepsis-induced ARDS. In Aim 1, we will conduct a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase Ib trial to evaluate the safety and accuracy of a CFK
equation-based personalized iCO dosing algorithm in mechanically ventilated patients with sepsis-induced
ARDS. For our primary endpoint, we will evaluate safety and the accuracy of our precision medicine approach
to achieve a target COHb level of 6-8%. In Aim 2, we will examine the impact of personalized iCO therapy on
biological signatures of mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammasome activation, necroptosis, and resolution of
inflammation in patients with sepsis-induced ARDS. We will measure levels of mitochondrial DNA,
inflammasome-regulated cytokine IL-18, necroptosis regulator RIPK3, and SPMs in plasma and
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in iCO- and placebo-treated subjects to determine whether CO modulates these
pathways. We will examine whether modulation of these novel pathways correlates with plasma COHb levels
and clinical outcomes in the Phase Ib trial. At the completion of this study, we will be well-poised to conduct a
Phase IIb trial to evaluate the efficacy of precision-based low dose iCO therapy in patients with sepsis-induced
ARDS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10028004
- **Project number:** 1R61HL153011-01
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Augustine M Choi
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $452,945
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10028004

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10028004, A Phase 1b Study of Inhaled CO for the Treatment of Sepsis-Induced ARDS (1R61HL153011-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10028004. Licensed CC0.

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