Part 1 of the study will be a single center study intended to assess the safety and tolerability of valproic acid dosages at 15 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg 180 mg/kg, 210 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg. Up to 72 healthy subjects (9 dose groups of 8 subjects) will receive single doses of valproic acid or placebo via a 60-min IV infusion in a ratio of 3:1 active drug: placebo.~Part 2 of the study will be a multicenter, double blind, placebo-controlled study in trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock who are able to give consent or severe trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock in whom a legally authorized representative can give consent. Up to 12 patients (2 dose groups of 6 patients) will receive single doses of valproic acid or placebo via a 60-min IV infusion in a ratio of 2:1 active drug : placebo. The dose levels in Part 2 will be the two highest doses that are demonstrated to have acceptable safety profile based on the review of safety data from Part 1.
The purpose of the first part of this study is to determine the safety and tolerability of ascending doses of valproic acid (also known as Depacon) administered as intravenous infusion (IV) in doses ranging from 15 mg/kg to 250 mg/kg in healthy subjects.~The second part of the study will also be to determine the safety and tolerability of single ascending doses of valproic acid administered as IV in trauma subjects with hemorrhagic shock.