12 Aug Annual Report 2025
Annual Report 2025
Looking back at the year 2025, the Chinese Acute Pancreatitis Clinical Trials Group and the Chinese Critical Care Nutrition Trials Group (CAPCTG & CCCNTG) continued to generate high-quality evidence and pioneer new research paradigms.
【Fruitful 2025】
Publishing the results of the TIMING trial in Intensive Care Medicine
The TIMING trial is the first large-scale, multicenter, randomized controlled trial comparing early intervention for acute necrotic collection to standard delayed care in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis complicated by early persistent organ failure. The findings have sparked scholarly debate (Mokart, Djamel et al. Intensive care medicine 2025; Gatt, M et al. Intensive care medicine 2025). Clinically, the trial reinforces current guideline recommendations for delayed intervention in this high-risk population.
For more information: Early versus delayed catheter drainage for patients with necrotizing pancreatitis and early persistent organ failure (TIMING): a multicenter randomized controlled trial – PubMed (nih.gov)
Completed recruitment for multiple multicenter RCTs
The ESSENTIAL trial is an investigator-initiated, multicentre, open-label, randomised, parallel-controlled trial, aiming to test the hypothesis that augmented protein delivery, achieved via early intravenous amino acid supplementation, would reduce the risk of death in critically ill patients without AKI. Between Jan 2022 and Dec 2024, 1928 patients were randomised. The last patient completed the follow-up visit on March 9, 2025.
The PERFORM-R trial is a multicenter, pragmatic, registry-based, randomized controlled trial, aiming to evaluate the effect of plasmapheresis versus standard medical treatment on the duration of organ failure in HTG-AP patients with early organ failure. A total of 182 HTG-AP patients were finally enrolled in the trial and the last patient was randomized on April 21, 2025.
The BENICE trial is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial, aiming to test the hypothesis that early intravenous esmolol administration to control heart rate will improve the incidence and duration of organ failure in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis (pSAP). A total of 146 HTG-AP patients were finally enrolled in the trial and the last patient was randomized on July 21, 2025.
We eagerly await the publication of the results from these trials!
New studies in AP and Critical Care Nutrition
The RESTRAIN study is a prospective, multicenter cohort study designed to evaluate the impact of early anti‑inflammatory therapy on inflammatory responses and clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis, while also serving as a platform for future randomized controlled trials.
The ACTION-PEP study is a multicenter, prospective, observational study designed to evaluate the gastrointestinal tolerability and efficacy of a high-protein, isotonic, peptide-based enteral nutrition formula for nutritional support in critically ill patients in China.
【Global Collaboration】
GRIP Consortium
On March 21-23, 2025, the inaugural meeting of the Global Research Initiative on Post-ICU Nutrition (GRIP) was held in Bruges, Belgium. Professors Weiqin Li and Lu Ke joined this global academic network as core members. As an emerging leader in the field of critical care medicine in China, Professor Ke presented a substantial body of research achievements from the CCCNTG over the past decade to international experts in critical care nutrition. The presentation underscored the group’s rich clinical research experience and its strong potential to contribute to GRIP’s post-ICU research agenda.
Academic discussions
On November 22, 2025, the 12th Annual Symposium on Severe Acute Pancreatitis was held in Nanjing. Professor Stefan Bouwense, a core member of the Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group, was invited as a guest speaker. Looking ahead, CAPCTG will further strengthen academic collaboration with Professor Bouwense, fostering deeper intellectual exchange and synergy between the two groups.
【2026 Work Plan】
In 2026, CAPCTG will conduct a new innovative trial (the ULTRA trial) aiming to evaluate the efficacy and identify the optimal dose of early intravenous ulinastatin in acute pancreatitis patients with a high inflammatory burden. This trial is designed as a multicenter, double-blind, Bayesian multi-arm multi-stage randomized controlled trial.
More studies are on schedule…
CAPCTG & CCCNTG will remain dedicated to advancing the field of acute pancreatitis and critical care nutrition through innovative trial designs and robust international partnerships.