ASICS –II
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prevention of acute muscle wasting in critically ill adults using enteral ketogenic feeding: the Alternative Substrates In the Critically Ill Subject II (ASICS –II) trial
IRAS ID
356548
Contact name
Zudin Puthucheary
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Barts Health NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, months, days
Research summary
Each month over 50000 patients stay in hospital for more than a week, and spend time waiting for help at home or a place in a care home afterwards because of muscle weakness. The more seriously ill patients are, the more muscle they lose and the weaker they become. Patients who are in intensive care lose a kilo of muscle mass every day, meaning that this treatment is needed urgently. One year later, half cannot return to work, and a third need help with daily activities. We have developed a safe, novel medical food to prevent muscle wasting and want to see if it can help patients in intensive care recover their independence, called a ketogenic diet.
We will randomise 282 critically ill patients into a trial of ketogenic feeding against usual feeding for 10 days, and see if this changes the number of times they can stand up from sitting in 30 seconds. During this time participants will also have routine blood tests and a series of questionnaires as well as physical tests to determine physical independence. The study will run for four years, at nine NHS sites.At the end of this trial we aim to have a ketogenic diet ready for regulatory approval as a feed to prevent muscle wasting and help them regain their independence faster and decreasing their need for support in the community.
REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
25/WA/0190
Date of REC Opinion
22 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion