Phuturdex › Diseases › Post-cardiac arrest syndrome
Drugs in development · updated 13 November 2026
Post-cardiac arrest syndrome: drugs in development
What it is
Post-cardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) is an inflammatory state of pathophysiology that can occur after a patient is resuscitated from a cardiac arrest. While in a state of cardiac arrest, the body experiences a unique state of global ischemia. This ischemia results in the accumulation of metabolic waste which instigate the production of inflammatory mediators. If return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is achieved after CPR, then circulation resumes, resulting in global reperfusion and the subsequent distribution of the ischemia products throughout the body. While PCAS has a unique cause and consequences, it can ultimately be thought of as type of global ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Description not checked by Phuturdex: excerpt from the introduction of the article “Post-cardiac arrest syndrome” on English Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org · version of 7 September 2026 · licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
As of 13 November 2026 there are 2 active clinical trials (recruiting or ongoing, phases I–III) on 3 drugs for post-cardiac arrest syndrome. None is experimental: all are already approved in the United States, for this or other indications.
In Phuturdex every drug has its map of sites in Europe, every trial and its alerts, and you get an email when something changes. Full access free until 31 March 2027, no card needed.
Approved drugs in new trials
Approved by the US FDA for at least one indication, not necessarily this disease, and now in active trials on it.
| Drug | Most advanced phase | Active trials | Reference trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| DexamethasoneDexametasone, Dexamethesone | III | 1 | NCT05895838 |
| OlanzapineWeltruza®, Zyprexa Relprevv® | III | 1 | NCT05895838 |
| Xenon | III | 1 | NCT03176186 |
Sorted by most advanced phase and number of active trials.
Sites in Europe
7 sites of the active trials in one European country, 0 recruiting.
- Denmark7
Sites declared by the sponsors on ClinicalTrials.gov; region worked out by Phuturdex from the geographic point. The list of sites with city and recruitment status is in the app. See the sites →
All 3 drugs, with the details
In Phuturdex every drug has all its trials, sponsors and countries, FDA and EMA approvals, orphan designations and safety alerts. Free until 31 March 2027.
Open in Phuturdex →Broader categories
- Nervous System Diseases 1,473 drugs
- Vascular disease 832 drugs
- Cardiovascular disease 987 drugs
- Heart disease 308 drugs
- Brain Diseases 855 drugs
- Central nervous system disease 978 drugs
Source: Phuturdex analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov data (U.S. National Library of Medicine), updated 13 November 2026. Active trials = recruiting or ongoing, phases I–III, with at least one identified drug; phase and sites refer to the trials on this disease. Disease name: Wikidata; NLM MeSH term: D000080942 “Post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome”.