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PROGAIN Trial in Gastric Cancer Surgery

The PROGAIN Trial : A Randomized Study of Protein-enriched Parenteral Nutrition on Nitrogen Balance and Recovery in Perioperative Gastric Cancer Surgery

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07488611
Acronym
PROGAIN
Enrollment
110
Registered
2026-03-23
Start date
2026-02-13
Completion date
2028-03-01
Last updated
2026-05-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Stomach (Gastric) Cancer

Keywords

Parenteral Nutrition, Gastrectomy, Nitrogen Balance, Protein enriched, Perioperative nutrition, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, Stomach Neoplasms

Brief summary

This randomized study will evaluate whether protein-enriched parenteral nutrition improves early postoperative recovery in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Participants will be assigned to receive either protein-enriched parenteral nutrition or standard parenteral nutrition during the perioperative period. The primary outcome is nitrogen balance on postoperative day 5. Secondary outcomes include postoperative complications, recovery of oral intake, and short-term changes in nutritional status and body composition.

Detailed description

Gastrectomy for gastric cancer induces a significant postoperative catabolic state, making adequate protein delivery crucial for optimal tissue healing and recovery. In the modern era of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, the routine use of central venous catheters for total parenteral nutrition (CPN) is heavily discouraged due to its invasiveness, infection risks, and hindrance to early mobilization. Consequently, Supplemental Parenteral Nutrition (SPN) via a peripheral route has emerged as the preferred strategy to bridge the nutritional gap when early oral intake is insufficient. However, traditional standard peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) is inherently limited by osmolarity constraints to prevent peripheral phlebitis. This physical restriction often results in a critically inadequate supply of amino acids, failing to meet the heightened protein demands required to reverse acute postoperative catabolism and prevent rapid muscle depletion. Recently, novel protein-enriched peripheral parenteral formulations have been developed to overcome this exact limitation, allowing for a higher, optimal amino acid load to be delivered safely via peripheral veins. The PROGAIN trial aims to evaluate the clinical impact of these advanced formulations. The investigators hypothesize that utilizing protein-enriched PPN, compared to standard PPN, will effectively blunt the catabolic response, significantly improve postoperative nitrogen balance, and facilitate earlier functional recovery in gastric cancer patients without compromising the principles of the ERAS pathway.

Interventions

DRUGProtein-enriched peripheral parenteral nutrition (Winuf A+ injection)

A novel, high-amino acid peripheral parenteral nutrition formulation (Winuf A+ injection; JW Pharmaceutical) designed to provide optimal protein delivery with lower glucose load. Administered intravenously.

DRUGStandard peripheral parenteral nutrition (Winuf injection)

A conventional, standard 3-chamber peripheral parenteral nutrition formulation (Winuf injection; JW Pharmaceutical). Administered intravenously.

Sponsors

Soonchunhyang University Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER
JW Pharmaceutical
CollaboratorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Adults aged 19 years or older scheduled to undergo gastric cancer surgery. - Patients who have provided written informed consent to participate in this study.

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with uncontrolled severe systemic diseases (e.g., decompensated diabetes, cerebrovascular event within the last 6 months, sepsis, heart failure). * Patients who have received intravenous parenteral nutrition within 7 days prior to randomization. * Patients with severe metabolic abnormalities confirmed by preoperative laboratory tests, including but not limited to: * Triglyceride \> 400 mg/dL * AST or ALT \> 3 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) * Total Bilirubin \> 3 x ULN * Serum Creatinine \> 2 x ULN * HbA1c \> 9.0% * Potassium \< 3.0 mEq/L or \> 6.0 mEq/L * Calcium \> 12.5 mg/dL * Sodium \> 155 mmol/L * Magnesium \> 3.0 mg/dL * Patients deemed inappropriate for participation in this clinical trial by the investigator.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Nitrogen BalancePostoperative Day 5 (POD 5)Change in nitrogen balance, assessed by measuring 24-hour urinary urea nitrogen excretion and calculating total daily protein intake (from both oral diet and parenteral nutrition)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Skeletal Muscle Index (Sarcopenia Assessment)Baseline (preoperative), and 6 months postoperativelQuantitative changes in skeletal muscle mass evaluated using the Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI). SMI is a continuous physiological measurement derived from cross-sectional imaging (such as abdominal computed tomography) and/or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Because it is a continuous physiological variable, there are no predefined minimum or maximum values on a scale. Higher SMI values indicate greater skeletal muscle mass, representing a better clinical outcome (prevention of muscle depletion).
Nutritional Status Assessed by GLIM CriteriaBaseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperativelyChange in nutritional status evaluated using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Participants will be categorized into normal nutritional status, moderate malnutrition, or severe malnutrition. This is a categorical assessment, not a numerical scale with minimum or maximum values. The "normal nutritional status" category represents the best clinical outcome, while "severe malnutrition" represents the worst.
ComplicationsUp to 30 days postoperativelyRate of postoperative complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade 2 or higher, specifically monitoring for delayed gastric emptying (DGE) and infectious complications (surgical site infection, pneumonia). The Clavien-Dindo classification is an ordinal scale used to grade surgical complications. The scale ranges from Grade I (minimum value, mild complication) to Grade V (maximum value, death of a patient). A higher grade indicates a more severe complication, representing a worse clinical outcome.
Glycemic ControlPostoperative Day 1 to Day 5Frequency of hyperglycemic events, defined as plasma glucose levels of 180 mg/dL or higher, during the parenteral nutrition administration period.
Functional RecoveryUp to hospital discharge (expected average up to 7-10 days)Recovery of Oral Intake, Length of Hospital Stay
Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI)Baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperativelyChange in the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), calculated based on serum albumin concentration and total peripheral lymphocyte count. Because it is a continuous physiological calculated index, there are no predefined minimum or maximum values on a scale. Higher PNI values indicate better nutritional and immunological status, representing a better clinical outcome.
C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio (CAR)Baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperativelyChange in the C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio (CAR), calculated by dividing the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level by the serum albumin level. This is a continuous physiological ratio, thus there are no predefined minimum or maximum values. Lower CAR values indicate lower systemic inflammation and better nutritional status, representing a better clinical outcome.
Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS)Baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperativelyChange in the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), an inflammation-based prognostic score based on serum CRP and albumin thresholds. The mGPS is an ordinal scale with predefined values of 0, 1, or 2 (minimum value: 0, maximum value: 2). A lower score indicates a lower level of systemic inflammation, representing a better clinical outcome (0 is the best outcome, 2 is the worst outcome).

Countries

South Korea

Contacts

CONTACTJong Hyuk Yun, MD, PhD
109206@schmc.ac.kr+82-10-3328-4380
CONTACTHyun Seob Shin
124909@schmc.ac.kr+82-10-7687-3350
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORGeum Jong Song, MD, PhD

Soonchunhyang University Hospital

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 9, 2026