Summary
Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Sepsis would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Sepsis. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride to Sepsis: 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 1 has completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 42 participants. Registration activity spans 2020 to 2026. The literature layer holds 1 publication for this pair: 1 Cochrane review. The dated items are from 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Sepsis ranks 518 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Not applicable — sepsis is an acute life-threatening syndrome; hospital mortality 15-25% for sepsis, 30-45% for septic shock with standard care; long-term complications (post-sepsis syndrome) in 50-70% of survivors.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 30.0 (trials 5.0, literature 5.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 3 total: 0 recruiting, 1 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 1 (1 Cochrane review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | agonist |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ADRA2C |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06169475 | Effect of Dexmedetomidine vs Esmolol or Placebo on Cerebral Hemodynamics in Septic Shock 2020 | completed | Not applicable | 14 |
| NCT07657715 | Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Sublingual Microcirculation and Vascular Waterfall Phenomenon in Patients With Septic Shock 2026 | not yet recruiting | Not applicable | 20 |
| NCT04876937 | Low-Dose Dexmedetomidine for Delirium Prevention in Mechanically Ventilated Septic Patients 2021 | terminated | Not applicable | 42 |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Dexmedetomidine reduces the inflammation level and morality in adult sepsis: a systemic review and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trialsPeng B, Huang X, Xue Q et al. · Frontiers in medicine · 2025 · PMID 41195185
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: agonist.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride approved for Sepsis?
Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Sepsis would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Sepsis. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride in clinical trials for Sepsis?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride to Sepsis: 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 1 has completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 42 participants. Registration activity spans 2020 to 2026.
What does the evidence show for Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride in Sepsis?
Dexmedetomidine Hydrochloride has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Sepsis. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.