Dexamethasone Palmitate for Postoperative Pain

Postoperative pain remains highly prevalent and inadequately managed in a significant proportion of surgical patients, often leading to delayed recovery, increased opioid consumption, and potential progression to chronic pain. While perioperative systemic dexamethasone is used for its anti-inflammatory and opioid-sparing effects, its efficacy is inconsistent, and concerns regarding systemic side effects persist. Dexamethasone palmitate, a novel lipophilic prodrug formulated as nanoparticle emulsion, leverages the enhanced permeability and retention effect to target inflammatory sites selectively, potentially offering superior anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy with reduced systemic exposure. This trial aims to evaluate whether preoperative intravenous dexamethasone palmitate is more effective than conventional dexamethasone in preventing moderate-to-severe postoperative pain.

NCT Number	NCT07341854
Lead Sponsor	Beijing Tiantan Hospital Collaborators: Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing Electric Power Hospital
Conditions	Pain, Postoperative, Dexamethasone Palmitate
Enrollment	446 participants
Start Date	2026-06-01
Primary Completion	2027-06-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-08