Clinical Research Directory

Multicenter Trial of Antithrombotic Strategies in Acute Coronary Syndrome With Coronary Artery Ectasia

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a condition in which a coronary artery becomes abnormally dilated, measuring at least 50% larger than the adjacent normal segment. Although relatively uncommon, CAE is clinically important because it can lead to abnormal blood flow and increase the risk of blood clot formation. Patients with CAE are at higher risk of angina, myocardial infarction, and complications during coronary interventions. Despite these risks, the optimal antithrombotic treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and CAE remains uncertain. Dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus clopidogrel) is currently the most commonly used treatment. However, the abnormal blood flow patterns observed in CAE may promote clot formation through mechanisms that could potentially be better addressed with anticoagulant therapy. The OVER-TIME II trial is a multicenter randomized clinical trial designed to compare two antithrombotic strategies in patients with ACS and CAE: standard dual antiplatelet therapy versus antiplatelet monotherapy combined with anticoagulation. The study aims to determine whether the addition of anticoagulation reduces major cardiovascular events without significantly increasing bleeding risk.

Prehospital Pulse-dose Glucocorticoid in Patients With ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction 2 - The PULSE-MI 2 Trial

BACKGROUND Myocardial reperfusion with the use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) including stent implantation is the most efficacious treatment for patients with (STEMI) and improves prognosis significantly. Due to continuous improvements in the treatment, the mortality for patients with STEMI has decreased dramatically, but despite these improvements, the mortality rate seems to have reached a plateau at around 10% within 1 year. In addition, 10% develop clinical heart failure with a per se 50% mortality rate within 5 years. Moreover, congestive heart failure is associated with a highly impaired quality of life due to fatigue dyspnea and reduced exercise capacity. Thus, there is a need for further improvement in the treatment to drive the event rates further down. One such key target is reducing the damage to the heart muscle (infarct size) to preserve the heart function and prevent mortality and heart failure. One major driver of infarct size and mortality is reperfusion injury which may account for up to 50% of the damaged myocardium. Reperfusion injury occurs within the first minutes to hours after the restoration of the blood flow in the occluded artery and reperfusion therapy can therefore be considered a "double-edged sword", since the ischemic injury may additionally be worsened by reperfusion injury. However, the phenomenon of reperfusion injury is not completely understood, and no preventive treatments exist. Multiple pathophysiological factors may contribute to reperfusion injury of which inflammation has been described as a key factor. Inflammation is induced immediately after the onset of acute myocardial ischemia and is subsequently exacerbated following reperfusion. Hence, inflammation per se may drive excessive cardiomyocyte death resulting in decreased contractility and increased infarct size post-STEMI. Moreover, in the course following STEMI and subsequently reperfusion, the myocardium starts healing and scarring resulting in remodelling of the ventricle potentially causing either compensatory hypertrophy or thinning of the myocardium, which may lead to reduced left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and heart failure. Of note, inflammation plays a critical role in ventricular remodeling post-AMI, thus inflammation in relation to reperfusion injury may extend myocardial damage following STEMI. Glucocorticoids are crucial in the regulation of the systemic inflammatory response and may therefore be beneficial in limiting myocardial injury following STEMI. We previously conducted the phase II randomized, placebo-controlled PULSE-MI trial (Nov 2022-Oct 2023) in 742 prehospital STEMI patients, showing pulse-dose glucocorticoid was safe and improved LVEF, infarct size, and microvascular obstruction, with a trend toward lower 3-month mortality. However, as the trial was not powered for clinical outcomes, it remains unproven whether this treatment reduces post-STEMI mortality. Thus, the aim of this prospective, randomized trial is to evaluate the effect of prehospital pulse-dose glucocorticoid on all-cause mortality in patients with STEMI. To reduce the degree of inflammation effectively and adequately, intervention is to be made as soon as possible as close to initiation of ischemia, as recognized from patients' symptom debut, and before revascularization with primary PCI in the prehospital setting since the effect is more pronounced if the treatment is initiated early after the onset of STEMI. In addition to reperfusion induced inflammation, ischemia itself, immediately after occlusion of the artery, induces inflammation. Hence, initiation of the intervention in the ambulance is needed to harvest the potentially beneficial effects of pulse glucocorticoid therapy as soon as possible. Thus, by performing intervention in the pre-hospital setting, the investigators expect that participation in the trial will have the potential to produce a direct clinically relevant benefit for the patient resulting in reduced all-cause mortality in patients with STEMI. HYPOTHESIS In patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI, 250 mg methylprednisolone administrated in the pre-hospital setting reduces all-cause mortality. SAMPLE SIZE The primary endpoint is all-cause mortality one year after the last patient has been included. The median follow-up of the trial is expected to be 3 years and minimum follow-up of 1 year. As an estimate based on findings from the PULSE-MI trial and the DANAMI-3 trial, the estimated event rate of in the placebo arm is 9% during follow-up. Glucocorticoid is expected to reduce all-cause mortality corresponding to a hazard ratio of 0.77. To demonstrate the reduction in the primary outcome with an 80% power at a 5% significance level, 2602 patients in each treatment arm is needed, thus 5204 patients in total. The primary analyses will be intention to treat principle

SuperSaturated Oxygen Comprehensive Observational Registry

The SuperSaturated Oxygen Comprehensive Observational Registry (SSCORE) registry, a prospectively designed observational study, aims to evaluate the clinical utility and effectiveness of SuperSaturated Oxygen (SSO2) Therapy versus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) alone among patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in routine clinical practice. The goal is to collect real-world data from patients treated with SSO2 Therapy to determine its impact on the overall heart failure (HF) burden on patients and healthcare systems compared with usual care for treatment of patients with AMI. The SSCORE Registry will generate effectiveness and healthcare resource utilization data that will be used in cost-effectiveness analysis modeling.

Use of the Methoxyflurane as Pain-killer in the Prehospital Management of Acute Myocardial Infarction

* Chest pain is the main symptom of acute myocardial infarction. A precocious analgesic treatment is justified by patient's comfort and unfavorable hemodynamic consequences of persistent pain. Morphine is the painkiller historically prescribed in this situation. Morphine has never been evaluated vs placebo and is strongly suspected to decrease oral anti-platelet efficacy. Then, morphine has been downgraded, in the 2017 European guidelines (European Society of Cardiology - ESC) from I to IIa. To find alternative treatment is required. * The methoxyflurane is an anesthetic gas used in emergency setting for about twenty years. It is now commonly used in France. Its analgesic properties have been demonstrated. Its main advantages are its maneuverability as it is delivered by inhalation, i.e. without (before) any venous access and self-administered by the patient. Tolerability is good. It could be an excellent alternative to morphine.

Safety and Efficacy of FAP iCDC in Acute Myocardial Infarction With Cardiogenic Shock

To study the safety and efficacy of fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted allogeneic immunosuppressive chimeric antigen receptor-dendritic cell (CAR-DC) in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock and provide a new method for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock.

Hong Kong Cardiogenic Shock Initiative

Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) is a severe condition with high mortality. Early revascularization and Impella device (Abiomed) support improve outcomes. Observational studies like the National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (NCSI), Inova-Shock registry, and J-PVAD (Japan registry for percutaneous ventricular assist device) registry emphasize the importance of structured care systems when using mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Following the release of the Danger Shock trial, MCS use is expected to rise. Hospitals will need to monitor practices and work with payers to ensure coverage. Using regional real-world data can assist this process, making the collection and analysis of MCS outcomes essential. The NCSI (NCT03677180) aimed to evaluate outcomes with a protocolized approach prioritizing rapid diagnosis, timely MCS delivery, and invasive hemodynamic monitoring via pulmonary artery (PA) catheters. The study involved 406 patients from 2016 to 2020, with an average age of 64 years. Most (67%) had shock, with 85% on vasoactive drugs. Witnessed outof-hospital cardiac arrest occurred in 17%, and in-hospital arrest in 30%. During MCS implantation, 9% were actively resuscitating. Patients mostly in SCAI stage C/D (73%) and stage E (27%) presented with low blood pressure, high lactate, and reduced cardiac power output. About 70% received MCS before PCI, with 90% using PA catheters. Most had STEMI, with median door-to-support and door-to-balloon times of about 78 and 81 minutes. Survival rates were high: 99% procedural, 79% to discharge, 77% at 30 days, and 62% at one year for stage C/D shock. Patients with stage E shock had lower survival. Early use of MCS improved hemodynamics and survival. Further research, like the CERAMICS (Can Escalation Reduce Acute Myocardial Infarction in Cardiogenic Shock) study, aims to refine escalation strategies. The Danger Shock trial highlighted the importance of minimizing complications such as bleeding, limb ischemia, haemolysis, and kidney injury. Currently in Hong Kong, prevalence of CS among AMI patients is 5-10%, in-line with global statistics. Among which, 30-day and 1-year mortality of AMI-CS patients in Hong Kong was reported at 29% and 39.5% respectively. Although the use of MCS has been shown in the above overseas studies to improved survival rates of AMI-CS patients, the utilisation rate of MCS among AMI-CS patients in Hong Kong was reported at 36.5% in a previous single-centre study, limited by an array of factors including limited device availability, allocations of resources and patient selection strategy, lack of region-specific evidence and device affordability. Global Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (GCSI) is an ongoing international multicenter registry involving centers from USA, Germany, and Hong Kong, and focus on the outcomes of AMI-CS patients received Impella support. The GCSI is expanding to many other regions. In the Hong Kong Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (HK-CGSI) study we aim to include sites with experience in MCS, all of whom have the capability of MCS escalation and evaluate outcomes across these centers. The goal is not only to capture the effects of previously established best practices but gain insights into regional best practices, and together with data from the global cardiogenic shock initiative (GCSI), to better establish the adoption of novel best practices and their effect on complication rates. In parallel to GCSI-eligible cohort, i.e. Impella used as the first supporting device for patients with AMI-CS, given the significant portion of patients who could not receive MCS under current limitations in Hong Kong, in the HK-CSI, we will include also the GCSI-ineligible cohort, i.e. AMI-CSI without using Impella or not as the first MCS used, to understand the full picture of clinical outcomes of AMI-CS patients of Hong Kong. The HK-CSI study is an observational registry solely and not a treatment study. This single-arm registry captures data generated during procedures which are considered standard of care. Participation in this registry will be performed with waiver of consent of the patient and will have no influence on the type and extent of treatment.

Epicardial Cardiac Fat-CT (EPIC-CT)

Both globally and nationally, heart disease remains the leading cause of death overall and across genders, with ischemic heart disease being the primary cause. It is now understood that multiple risk factors contribute to the development of this condition, notably type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, especially an increase in visceral fat. Among these, the role of epicardial fat volume in the presence of atheromatous plaques in patients with coronary artery disease has been emphasized, along with the link between its volume and the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events. Consequently, recent decades have seen focused research on the potential of epicardial fat as a marker for major adverse cardiac events and on strategies to reduce its volume as a treatment goal for patients with risk factors. Selective sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are drugs that, beyond their antihyperglycemic effect, have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits through various mechanisms, including a reduction in epicardial fat. This was supported by a previous study conducted by our research group, although no statistically significant difference was found. On the other hand, GLP-1 agonists are effective drugs for weight control in patients with severe obesity. However, little research has been done on their effect on more localized fat, such as epicardial fat.

Intensive Cholesterol-Lowering Within 24 Hours of PCI Perioperative Period

This project team is conducting a multicenter randomized controlled study, aiming to administer PCSK9 inhibitors subcutaneously as early as possible within 24 hours during the perioperative period of AMI (included \<24h STEMI and NSTEMI), and subsequently once every 12 weeks for a total of 6 months, followed by step-down therapy according to guideline-recommended lipid-lowering strategies based on LDL-C target levels. The study will evaluate changes in blood lipids and inflammatory markers during hospitalization and at follow-up visits at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, as well as the incidence of MACE events. Safety will also be assessed, including liver enzymes, kidney function, and other adverse reactions. Compared with conventional treatment, the study will test efficacy and ultimately clarify that early combined use of PCSK9 inhibitors during the perioperative period of AMI patients can safely and effectively reduce LDL-C, control systemic inflammatory responses, and improve the incidence of MACE events.

Evolocumab or Normal Strategies to Reach LDL Objectives in Acute Myocardial Infarction Upbound to PCI

AMUNDSEN-real is a phase IV, international (7 European countries), multicenter, controlled, open label study randomized, in 2 parallel groups of patients with a diagnosis of STEMI or NSTEMI with an indication for PCI, using the PROBE study design (Prospective Randomised Open, Blinded Endpoint). The objective of this study is to demonstrate the superiority of evolocumab versus standard of care in reaching a LDL-C reduction of ≥ 50% from baseline and a LDL-C goal of \<1.4 mmol/L (\<55 mg/dL) at 12 months follow-up on the overall population. Central randomization uses an IWRS. Stratification is by center and stratum with random block size, generated according to the procedures of the sponsor, by a statistician not involved in the study.

Early Thrombolysis Guided by AI-Assisted App in Patients With STEMI

The aim of the study is to elucidate whether guiding by a novel artificial intelligence assisted mobile application can improve the clinical outcomes of patients in whom "guide wire passing through the lesion" could not be achieved within 120 min after diagnosis of STEMI, compared to conventional treatment strategies. With concerns of the inadequate use of thrombolysis in patients with STEMI in China, this study applies a new artificial intelligence assisted mobile application to guide the process of thrombolysis combined with PCI treatment, in order to accomplish the rapid coordination and cooperation of the whole medical network during re-perfusion treatment in different regions and different medical institutions in China, increases the proportion of early thrombolysis in pre-hospital setting, shortens the time from STEMI onset to reperfusion, and provides a reliable, effective and replicable new strategy for promoting and optimizing early reperfusion.

Microvascular Obstruction Diagnosis Using the CoFI™ System Assessment - II

A prospective, multicenter, international single-arm, pivotal clinical study designed to validate the performance of the CoFI system in detecting MVO in STEMI subjects, as confirmed by CMRI. The study will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, EN ISO 14155:2020, local and national regulations. Each study site will receive support from a sponsor-certified proctor during the learning curve to ensure consistent and accurate application of the CoFI system.

Can Escalation Reduce Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality in Cardiogenic Shock

The CERAMICS study is designed to more clearly delineate the current care of acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock (AMICS) patients who are treated with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices in the United States with significant experience in MCS, all of whom have the capability of MCS escalation on-site. Study enrollment is targeted at 120 patients at 20 hospital sites, evaluating clinical outcomes, and focusing on outcomes MCS escalation decision making and ICU level management.

Correlation Between Triglyceride Glucose Index and Residual SYNTAX Score in STEMI Patients Undergoing PPCI

The goal of this study To check correlation between triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and residual SYNTAX score (RSS) in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI. 2\. Impact of both TyG index and RSS in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI on LV EF recovery after 3 months using LV speckle tracking. 3\. Impact of RSS and TyG index in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI on short term MACE at 3 months duration.

AI Algorithms in Prediction of ACS Based on Leukocyte Properties

The goal of this observational study is to find out if artificial intelligence (AI) can accurately predict acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using data on white blood cells in adults. The main question it aims to answer is: \- Can AI algorithms based on white blood cell data predict ACS with accuracy comparable to that of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn)? Researchers will look at how the AI model's predictions stack up against the standard hs-cTn blood tests to see which is more accurate in diagnosing ACS. Participants in this study will have already had blood tests as part of their usual care. Their previously collected health information and blood test results will be used to help train and test the AI algorithms. Participants will not undergo any new procedures for the study itself.

Century Clot-Guided Prophylactic Rivaroxaban for Post STEMI Complicating Left Ventricular Thrombus

To manage the ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) caused by plaque rupture, triggers platelet activation/aggregation and thrombin generation, requires dual (platelet and coagulation) pathway inhibition. However, triple antithrombotic therapy with standard dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and oral anticoagulant (OAC) in the STEMI setting is a challenge, since that increase in potential risk of bleeding. Although the incidence of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) formation after STEMI decreased in modern reperfusion therapy, including primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), remains at 4% to 26%, especially that complicated by anterior STEMI. The recommendation of an OAC prophylactic therapy for preventing LVT formation in current STEMI guidelines is limited. How to optimize antithrombotic therapy to balance the bleeding-thrombotic profile, and prevent LVT formation is challenging, since insufficient evidence is available from randomized trials. Century Clot analyzer is point-of-care testing that could assess the coagulate state: normal, hypo-coagulable, or hyper-coagulable states according to clot rate (CR) value. Whether Century Clot-guided rivaroxaban prophylactic therapy (2.5 mg twice daily, if the hypercoagulable state, defined as CR ≥24) in combination with standard DAPT could reduce LVT formation without increasing major bleeding is uncertain.

What is the Optimal Antithrombotic Strategy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing PCI?

The optimal antithrombotic management in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) is unknown. AF patients are treated with oral anticoagulation (OAC) to prevent ischemic stroke and systemic embolism and patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), i.e. aspirin plus P2Y12 inhibitor, to prevent stent thrombosis (ST) and myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with AF undergoing PCI were traditionally treated with triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT, i.e. OAC plus aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitor) to prevent ischemic complications. However, TAT doubles or even triples the risk of major bleeding complications. More recently, several clinical studies demonstrated that omitting aspirin, a strategy known as dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) is safer compared to TAT with comparable efficacy. However, pooled evidence from recent meta-analyses suggests that patients treated with DAT are at increased risk of MI and ST. Insights from the AUGUSTUS trial showed that aspirin added to OAC and clopidogrel for 30 days, but not thereafter, resulted in fewer severe ischemic events. This finding emphasizes the relevance of early aspirin administration on ischemic benefit, also reflected in the current ESC guideline. However, because we consider the bleeding risk of TAT unacceptably high, we propose to use a short course of DAPT (omitting OAC for 1 month). There is evidence from the BRIDGE study that a short period of omitting OAC is safe in patients with AF. In this study, these patients are treated with DAPT, which also prevents stroke, albeit not as effective as OAC. This temporary interruption of OAC will allow aspirin treatment in the first month post-PCI where the risk of both bleeding and stent thrombosis is greatest. The WOEST 3 trial is a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial investigating the safety and efficacy of one month DAPT compared to guideline-directed therapy consisting of OAC and P2Y12 inhibitor combined with aspirin up to 30 days. We hypothesise that the use of short course DAPT is superior in bleeding and non-inferior in preventing ischemic events. The primary safety endpoint is major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding as defined by the ISTH at 6 weeks after PCI. The primary efficacy endpoint is a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, systemic embolism, or stent thrombosis at 6 weeks after PCI.

Predictors of Failed Thrombolysis in Acute Myocardial Infarction

The purpose of this observational study is to assess why thrombolytic treatment with tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) fails in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The study will include 200 STEMI patients at the time of arrival at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål after receiving prehospital thrombolysis. A blood sample will be taken immediately for the study of factors related to coagulation, fibrinolysis and inflammation. Levels of the biomarkers will be compared between patients with successful and failed thrombolysis.