NCT03223220 (QUEST-KETA) is a Phase 2, PHASE3 clinical trial of Ketamine in Acute Ischemic Stroke, sponsored by Lower Merion Neurology Research Foundation.

Who is sponsoring NCT03223220?

NCT03223220 is sponsored by Lower Merion Neurology Research Foundation.

What drugs are being tested in NCT03223220?

Interventions in NCT03223220: Ketamine, Normal Saline, Midazolam injection.

What condition does NCT03223220 study?

NCT03223220 studies Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Is NCT03223220 still recruiting?

NCT03223220 is currently not yet recruiting. Last updated 18 December 2023.

Last reviewed 2023-12-18 · How we verify

NCT03223220: QUEST-KETA

Name: Drug Landscape Pharmaceutical Database
Creator: Drug Landscape
Published: 2026-01-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Quelling of Excitotoxicity in Acute Stroke With Ketamine

Not yet recruiting Phase 2, PHASE3 Last updated 18 December 2023

What this trial tests

Phase 2, PHASE3 trial testing Ketamine in Acute Ischemic Stroke in 120 participants. Not yet recruiting.

Timeline

1 July 2024

Primary endpoint
31 December 2026

31 December 2027

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Lower Merion Neurology Research Foundation
Phase	Phase 2, PHASE3
Status	Not yet recruiting
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	quadruple
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	120
Start date	1 July 2024
Primary completion	31 December 2026
Estimated completion	31 December 2027
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

Ketamine (ketamine) — full drug profile →
Normal Saline
Midazolam injection — full drug profile →

Conditions studied

Acute Ischemic Stroke — all drugs for Acute Ischemic Stroke →

Sponsor

Lower Merion Neurology Research Foundation

Who can join

18 and older, any sex, with Acute Ischemic Stroke. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The investigators plan to undertake a phase II study to investigate the efficacy and side effects of intravenous ketamine to reduce neuroexcitotoxicity, and thus provide neuroprotection in patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke.

Publications & conference data

3 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

Extrasynaptic NMDA receptors in acute and chronic excitotoxicity: implications for preventive treatments of ischemic stroke and late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Yu SP, Jiang MQ, Shim SS, Pourkhodadad S, et al · · 2023 · cited 103× · PMID 37400870 · DOI 10.1186/s13024-023-00636-1
Ischemic stroke: From pathological mechanisms to neuroprotective strategies.
Jiang Y, Liu Z, Liao Y, Sun S, et al · · 2022 · cited 35× · PMID 36438975 · DOI 10.3389/fneur.2022.1013083
Ketamine and Esketamine in Clinical Trials: FDA-Approved and Emerging Indications, Trial Trends With Putative Mechanistic Explanations.
Vekhova KA, Namiot ED, Jonsson J, Schiöth HB. · · 2025 · cited 17× · PMID 39428602 · DOI 10.1002/cpt.3478

Verify or expand the search:

Other trials of Ketamine

Trials testing the same drug.

NCT05945147 — Ketamine and Midazolam Infusions for CRPS: Feasibility Study · Phase 2 · withdrawn
NCT06963294 — Ketamine and Dexmedetomidine for Delirium in Joint Arthroplasty · NA · not yet recruiting
NCT07294092 — Ketamine and Propofol NeuroImaging · EARLY_PHASE1 · recruiting
NCT07197684 — Ultrasound Guided Pecs Block and Ketamine Infusion for Preventing Chronic Pain in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surg · NA · not yet recruiting
NCT06231563 — Ketamine for Veterans With Parkinson's Disease · Phase 2 · recruiting

Other recruiting trials for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Currently open trials in the same condition.

NCT07115940 — Medical Management With Endovascular Thrombectomy Versus Medical Management Alone in Patients Presenting Beyond 24 Hours · NA · recruiting
NCT07404852 — Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Reduce Inflammation and Brain Injury Blood Biomarkers Following an Acute Ischemi · NA · recruiting
NCT07361302 — A Study to Test if Tenecteplase Helps People to Recover From an Acute Stroke When Given More Than 4.5 Hours After the Pe · Phase 3 · recruiting
NCT07436156 — SUMMIT RISE Study of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients · Phase 4 · recruiting
NCT07203625 — Tenecteplase Before Interhospital Transfer in Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion at 4.5 to 24 Hours · Phase 4 · recruiting

Verify against primary sources

ClinicalTrials.gov — authoritative US registry record
WHO ICTRP — international registry index
EU Clinical Trials Register
Sponsor press releases (Google)

Data sources for this page

Trial protocol + status: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03223220 (US National Library of Medicine, public domain)
Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by Lower Merion Neurology Research Foundation
Last refreshed: 18 December 2023

Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT03223220.

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing