Mount Pleasant

Researchers are evaluating whether ziltivekimab can help people who were hospitalized due to a heart attack by potentially reducing the development of heart disease and preventing new heart attacks or strokes. This Phase 3 study compares ziltivekimab with a placebo, which is a dummy medicine that has no effect on the body. Both treatments are given by chance, with equal likelihood for participants to receive either ziltivekimab or placebo. Participants will inject the study medicine once a month under the skin in the stomach, thigh, or upper arm. Ziltivekimab is given as an initial loading dose followed by monthly maintenance doses. The placebo group receives a matching injection schedule. The study duration is about two years. During the study, researchers will monitor participants for the time until the first serious heart-related event, including cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack, or non-fatal stroke. Participants will be closely observed from the start of randomization up to 25 months. The study includes regular follow-ups to assess safety and effectiveness of the treatments throughout this period.

Researchers are evaluating surgical and minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) by comparing Medicare patients who received the MILD procedure against those who had interspinous process decompression (IPD). The study focuses on outcomes such as the rate of harms related to the initial procedure and the frequency of additional surgical or minimally invasive interventions within 24 months after treatment. Enrollment includes patients treated from January 1, 2017, onward, with continuation until the sponsor decides to stop. The MILD procedure involves percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression, performed under fluoroscopy through a dorsal approach to partially remove tissue and bone at the affected spinal level. The control group receives the IPD procedure for LSS. Both groups are monitored for a 24-month period post-index procedure using Medicare claims data to track reoperations and any harms. Participants contribute data through Medicare claims without needing prior enrollment or consent, as the study is exempt from IRB oversight. Researchers collect and analyze information on procedure-related harms and subsequent interventions over two years. This approach allows evaluation of long-term safety and effectiveness outcomes for patients treated with either MILD or IPD.