Halifax

Researchers are evaluating the safety and effectiveness of tezepelumab in adults aged 40 to 80 years with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. This phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study focuses on participants already receiving inhaled maintenance therapy and who have experienced multiple COPD exacerbations in the previous year. The trial aims to understand tezepelumabs impact on reducing COPD flare-ups and improving lung function compared to placebo. Participants are randomly assigned to receive monthly subcutaneous injections of one of two doses of tezepelumab or a matching placebo. The treatment period lasts between 52 and 76 weeks, followed by a 12-week safety monitoring period without treatment. Throughout the study, participants continue their inhaled COPD therapies, and their health is closely tracked to assess the study drugs effects. During the trial, participants will undergo various assessments including lung function tests, questionnaires measuring respiratory symptoms and quality of life, and blood tests to monitor drug levels and immune responses. Researchers will measure the annual rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations and other health outcomes over the study period. Safety will be monitored throughout treatment and during the follow-up period, with visits scheduled regularly to collect data and support participant care.

Researchers are evaluating the combined use of vicadrostat and empagliflozin in adults with chronic heart failure who have a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF below 40%. Participants must have had chronic heart failure diagnosed at least three months before starting the study. The trial aims to find out if this combination helps people with symptomatic heart failure classified as New York Heart Association classes II to IV. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups, with an equal chance of receiving either vicadrostat plus empagliflozin tablets or placebo plus empagliflozin tablets. The study medicines are taken once daily for approximately six months up to about 3.5 years. During this time, participants may continue their usual heart failure treatments, excluding certain medications. The trial includes a double-blind design, meaning neither participants nor study staff know who receives the active drug or placebo. Throughout the study, participants visit the study site regularly, with the number of visits depending on how long they stay enrolled. Some visits may occur by phone. They answer questions about their well-being, and doctors monitor health status, record any heart failure worsening, hospitalizations, or deaths. The main outcome is the time until cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalization, or urgent heart failure visit, which is compared between groups. Safety and side effects are also closely followed during the trial.

Researchers are evaluating whether the combination of vicadrostat BI 690517 and empagliflozin helps adults with heart failure who have symptoms and a left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF of 40% or more. This phase III study is designed to compare the effects of vicadrostatempagliflozin tablets versus placeboempagliflozin tablets on heart failure outcomes. The study aims to understand if this combined treatment improves health and reduces heart-related events. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one group takes vicadrostat plus empagliflozin tablets once a day, and the other takes placebo plus empagliflozin tablets once a day. The study has no fixed duration and continues as long as participants benefit and tolerate the treatment. Throughout the study, participants visit their doctors regularly for health checks, and study staff may also contact them by phone to monitor well-being and any side effects. During the study, researchers monitor participants health through regular doctor visits and phone contacts. They collect data on heart-related events such as cardiovascular death, hospitalizations for heart failure, and urgent visits for heart failure over up to 42 months. Participants also answer questions about their symptoms and well-being. The study carefully tracks safety and treatment tolerance while gathering information to determine if the combined treatment helps people with heart failure.

Researchers are evaluating treatments for high-risk polycythemia vera PV, a blood condition. This phase III international trial compares the drug ruxolitinib against the best available therapy, which includes hydroxycarbamide or any form of interferon alpha, chosen by the doctor before randomization. The study aims to determine which treatment better prevents serious complications and improves patient outcomes over about three years. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving oral ruxolitinib 10 mg twice daily, and the other receiving either hydroxycarbamide or interferon alpha via standard hospital care. There is no switching between treatments during the study. The trial is open-label, meaning both doctors and participants know which treatment is given. During the trial, participants will have regular assessments including blood tests, symptom and quality of life questionnaires, and monitoring for events like thrombosis, bleeding, or disease progression. Researchers will track treatment side effects, blood markers, spleen size, and time between blood removal procedures. The study duration is approximately three years per participant, with some outcomes followed up to eight years to assess long-term effects and health economics.

Researchers are evaluating the impact of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators ICDs on patients who have survived a myocardial infarction heart attack and have a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction LVEF of 35% or less. This group is at increased risk of sudden cardiac death caused by dangerous heart rhythms. Past landmark trials showed ICDs improved survival, but advances in medical therapy have changed patient outcomes, prompting the need to reassess the benefits and risks of ICDs alongside current optimal treatments. In this randomized trial, participants receive optimal medical therapy OMT based on European Society of Cardiology guidelines for managing heart failure and chronic coronary syndromes. One group will also receive an ICD device, while the other group will not. The study compares outcomes between these two groups to determine if OMT without ICD is not worse than OMT with ICD in preventing death. The trial includes patients with symptomatic heart failure and reduced LVEF after a myocardial infarction. Participants will be followed over time with regular evaluations to monitor health and outcomes. Researchers will measure the time from randomization to death from any cause as the primary outcome, with additional assessments including cardiovascular death, sudden cardiac death, hospital readmissions, length of hospital stays, and quality of life over a year. The study is event-driven and expects to observe outcomes about 15 months after the last participant is enrolled. Safety and effectiveness of treatments will be carefully monitored throughout.

The trial investigates the role of ixazomib in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who have previously undergone autologous stem cell transplant ASCT. It is a phase III, randomized, controlled, multi-center, open-label study aiming to assess whether adding a proteasome inhibitor to salvage ASCT conditioning improves depth of response and how consolidation and maintenance therapy influence the durability of response. The study also evaluates overall survival, progression-free survival, response rates, minimal residual disease, toxicity, and quality of life. Participants first receive re-induction therapy with 4 to 6 cycles of ixazomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone ITD, each cycle lasting 28 days. Those achieving at least stable disease are randomly assigned to receive either conventional ASCT using melphalan alone or augmented ASCT combining melphalan with ixazomib. After ASCT, participants with minimal response or better are further randomized to either receive consolidation with 2 cycles of ITD followed by ixazomib maintenance until disease progression or no further treatment. During the study, participants undergo regular assessments including response evaluation 100 days post-ASCT, monitoring of progression-free survival for up to 120 months, and measurement of minimal residual disease at several time points. Safety and toxicity are closely monitored throughout re-induction, post-ASCT, consolidation, and maintenance phases. Quality of life questionnaires are completed at baseline, post-re-induction, post-ASCT, and during follow-up visits up to 24 months. The study plans to register 406 participants, with 284 randomized at the first stage and 248 at the second stage.

The trial investigates whether stopping or continuing milk feeding around the time of blood transfusion in very premature infants born before 30 weeks gestation affects the risk of developing Necrotizing Enterocolitis NEC, a serious intestinal disease. NEC can cause severe damage or death in preterm infants, and this study aims to find out which feeding approach during transfusion may reduce this risk. The trial is conducted in neonatal intensive care units across Canada and the UK and compares two standard care methods currently in use. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one group will stop all enteral feeds for 4 hours before, during, and 4 hours after packed red cell transfusions, with hydration maintained by intravenous nutrition or glucose the other group will continue feeding as usual throughout the transfusion period. Infants stay in their assigned feeding group until they reach 34 weeks and 6 days gestational age. This approach follows practices identified as acceptable in prior surveys and studies. During the study, infants will be closely monitored for the development of NEC and other health outcomes from randomization until 40 weeks postmenstrual age. Researchers will track serious complications like severe NEC, infections, growth, lung disease, eye problems, brain injury, and hospital stay duration. The study collects detailed information about feeding, infections, nutrition, and clinical status to evaluate the safety and effects of each feeding strategy during transfusion.