About the Network
Mission
The EMPRESS Research Network is a multicenter, internationally collaborative clinical research network initiated by the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, dedicated to improving the critical care of septic shock. The network’s core mission is to conduct high-quality multicenter clinical trials, while also providing methodological support, data governance, and investigator training. The first study of the network is the EMPRESS trial — a multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluating whether early administration of methylene blue reduces mortality in patients with high-dose vasopressor-dependent septic shock.
Organization
- Lead institution: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China); serves as sponsor and coordinating center
- Study centers: more than 50 tertiary hospital centers across China (emergency, respiratory, medical, surgical, and other ICUs)
- International collaboration: the Steering Committee includes international members from the United Kingdom, France, Chile, Mexico, and Ireland (see Members)
- Governance bodies: Steering Committee, Coordinating Committee, Data Safety Monitoring Board (see Members)
Research Areas
- Mechanisms and targeted therapy of vasoplegia in septic and distributive shock
- Clinical evaluation of catecholamine-sparing strategies (methylene blue, vasopressin, etc.)
- Methodology and data governance for multicenter clinical trials
Data and Quality
The network follows international standards of clinical trials (ICH-GCP) and applicable regulations. Key documents, including the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and interim reports, are reviewed by the Steering Committee and published in the Documents section. Study registration and ethics information are verifiable in public registries.