Recent studies have shown that omecamtiv, a selective cardiac myosin activator, can improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction. However, the effect of omecamtiv on cardiovascular effects is not well known. This study aims to determine the efficacy of omecamtiv in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.
This randomized trial included a total of 8,256 patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure and ejection fraction. The patients were randomly assigned to receive omecamtiv mecarbil of a placebo, along with standard heart-failure therapy. The main outcome of the study was a composite of a heart failure event or cardiovascular death.
During a median follow-up of 21.8 months, a primary outcome was reported in 1,523 patients in the omecamtiv mecarbil group (37.0%) and 1,607 patients (39.1%) in the placebo group. 808 patients (19.6%) in the omecamtiv mecarbil group and 798 patients (19.4%) in the placebo group died from cardiovascular causes. Cardiac ischemia and ventricular arrhythmia were common adverse events. The frequency of the adverse events was similar in the two groups.
The research concluded that treatment with omecamtiv mecarbil in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection was associated with a lower incidence of heart failure or cardiovascular death when compared with a placebo.
Ref: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2025797
