Abbott launches new clinical trial focused on treating AFib, heart failure at the same time
Abbott is launching a new clinical trial designed to improve care for patients with both atrial fibrillation (AFib) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
The TAP-CHF trial is expected to enroll up to 100 AFib patients with a history of HFpEF at 10 different locations throughout the United States. First, those patients will be treated with either medication or cardiac ablation. The cohort will then receive Abbott’s Confirm Rx cardiac monitor, allowing researchers to monitor their heart rhythms at all times.
The trial’s next phase will randomly separate the patients into two groups: one that receives recommended clinical care and one that receives care guided by Abbott’s pulmonary pressure sensor, the CardioMEMS HF System. Patient outcomes will then be evaluated to determine which group received the most effective treatment strategy.
“Cardiovascular patients often have more than one heart condition. We believe that we can best help those patients live longer and better lives by providing their doctors improved therapy approaches that address the entirety of their heart disease,” Philip Adamson, MD, chief medical officer for Abbott's heart failure business, said in a prepared statement. “Trials that look at complex heart conditions together promise to offer new insights and will make a tremendous difference in the outcomes of our patients now and into the future.”
“In partnership with innovation leaders such as Abbott, we've made significant progress in how we treat patients battling AFib, and we've also made progress in how we manage heart failure,” added Sanjeev Saksena, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and principal investigator of the TAP-CHF trial. “But to continue to treat people more effectively who are facing both conditions, we need innovative treatment strategies, fresh insights and confirmation of new therapeutic approaches."
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.