Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy in Critical Limb Ischemia

Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy in Critical Limb Ischemia (NCT03982693) is a Phase 3 interventional studying Critical Limb Ischemia and Diabetes, sponsored by Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Miami. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 3 trials confirm efficacy and safety in large patient groups (often 300–3,000+) and form the evidence base for an FDA approval submission. For Critical Limb Ischemia, Phase 3 studies typically randomize participants between the investigational treatment and either a placebo or current standard of care. A successful Phase 3 result is the threshold most treatments need to clear before regulatory approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 50 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Critical Limb Ischemia subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Age ≥ 50 years - History of diabetes, defined as medical record evidence or patient report of currently using insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents, or with a history of fasting blood glucose measurement of 126 mg/dL or higher, or a history of HbA1c of 6.5% or higher. - Significant stenosis (≥ 75%) of two or more infra-popliteal arteries in the affected limb as verified by at least one imaging technique (angiography, magnetic resonance angiogram, coronary computed tomography angiogram, or doppler examination) within 6 months prior to enrollment; - History of CLI defined as moderate or high-risk infra-popliteal chronic critical limb ischemia (Rutherford Clinical Severity Score 4 or 5) defined as: - The presence of rest pain or non-healing ulceration or gangrene for at least 2 weeks plus documentation of severely compromised tissue perfusion: - If there is tissue loss, a resting ankle systolic pressure of ≤ 60 mmHg in the affected limb; or a resting toe systolic pressure of ≤ 40 mmHg or a tissue perfusion pressure (TPP) \<40 mmHg. - If there is no tissue loss, a resting ankle pressure of ≤ 50 mmHg or resting toe systolic pressure of ≤ 30 mmHg or a tissue perfusion pressure (TPP) \< 30 mmHg. - Not a candidate or a failed candidate for surgical or transcatheter revascularization; - Able to give willing to sign a consent form. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - \<7 days following lower extremity (infra-popliteal), carotid, or coronary revascularization. - Arterial insufficiency in the lower extremity as the result of a non-atherosclerotic disorder. - Subjects with evidence of active infection (e.g., cellulitis, osteomyelitis) or deep ulceration exposing bone or tendon or extensive heel ulceration - Subjects with extensive gangrene extending above the MT joint - Subjects in whom there is severe pain at rest uncontrollable with pain medications ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 50 years * History of diabetes, defined as medical record evidence or patient report of currently using insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents, or with a history of fasting blood glucose measurement of 126 mg/dL or higher, or a history of HbA1c of 6.5% or higher. * Significant stenosis (≥ 75%) of two or more infra-popliteal arteries in the affected limb as verified by at least one imaging technique (angiography, magnetic resonance angiogram, coronary computed tomography angiogram, or doppler examination) within 6 months prior to enrollment; * History of CLI defined as moderate or high-risk infra-popliteal chronic critical limb ischemia (Rutherford Clinical Severity Score 4 or 5) defined as: * The presence of rest pain or non-healing ulceration or gangrene for at least 2 weeks plus documentation of severely compromised tissue perfusion: * If there is tissue loss, a resting ankle systolic pressure of ≤ 60 mmHg in the affected limb; or a resting toe systolic pressure of ≤ 40 mmHg or a tissue perfusion pressure (TPP) \<40 mmHg. * If there is no tissue loss, a resting ankle pressure of ≤ 50 mmHg or resting toe systolic pressure of ≤ 30 mmHg or a tissue perfusion pressure (TPP) \< 30 mmHg. * Not a candidate or a failed candidate for surgical or transcatheter revascularization; * Able to give informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * \<7 days following lower extremity (infra-popliteal), carotid, or coronary revascularization. * Arterial insufficiency in the lower extremity as the result of a non-atherosclerotic disorder. * Subjects with evidence of active infection (e.g., cellulitis, osteomyelitis) or deep ulceration exposing bone or tendon or extensive heel ulceration * Subjects with extensive gangrene extending above the MT joint * Subjects in whom there is severe pain at rest uncontrollable with pain medications * Prior intravenous chelation therapy consisting of \> 1 infusion within 5 years; if only 1 infusion took place, patient cannot be enrolled for at least 12 months after said infusion. * Oral chelation with an FDA-approved chelating agent within 2 years * Allergy to any components of the study drug * Planned leg revascularization within 1 month of enrollment * Symptomatic or clinically evident acute heart failure * Heart failure hospitalization within 3 months * Blood pressure \>160/100 * No venous access * eGFR \< 30 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or lower (CKD stages 1-3) calculated with MDRD * Known or suspected acute kidney injury using prevalent KDIGO criteria45 * Platelet count \<100,000/mm3 * Cigarette smoking within the last 3 months * Liver disease or Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> 2.0 times the upper limit of normal (this will require clearance by the Study PI) * Diseases of copper, iron, or calcium metabolism (other than osteopenia or osteoporosis, or simple iron deficiency). These require evaluation by the Study PI * Inability to tolerate the study-required fluid load * Other medical condition likely to affect patient survival within 3 years * Women of child-bearing potential * Any factor that suggests that the potential participant will not be able to adhere to the protocol.

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Edetate Disodium

The solution contains up to 3 g of edetate disodium adjusted based on creatinine clearance, 2 g of magnesium chloride, 100 mg of procaine hydrochloride, 2500 U of heparin, 7 g of ascorbate, 2 milliequivalent (mEq) potassium chloride (KCl), 840 mg sodium bicarbonate, 250 mg pantothenic acid, 100 mg of thiamine, 100 mg of pyridoxine, and sterile water to complete 500 mL.

OTHER

Placebo

Placebo infusions consist of 500 ml normal saline.

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Mount Sinai Medical Center

Miami Beach, Florida, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT03982693), the sponsor (Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Miami), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT03982693 clinical trial studying?

TACT3a is a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to test a novel therapy, edetate disodium-based chelation of environmentally acquired toxic metals, to reduce cardiovascular events including amputation in high-risk diabetic patients. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT03982693?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT03982693?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT03982693. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT03982693. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.