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Heart FailurePhase 4OBSERVE-IVANCT03168529

Trial Assessing the Effectiveness of Ivabradine Started at Discharge From the Observation Unit

A Phase 4 study testing Ivabradine in people with Heart Failure, run by Phillip Levy at 2 sites in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

Ivabradine (IVA) has been shown to decrease the risk of hospitalizations for worsening Heart Failure and was associated with a trend towards improved mortality in the SHIFT1 trial. SHIFT1 excluded patients within 4 weeks of hospital discharge, so the efficacy and safety of IVA in this setting is less clear. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 to 89 years
Conditions the study is for
Heart Failure
What is being tested?
Ivabradine
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
19 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
1 Jul 2018to 31 Dec 2021
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 19 to 89 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age >18 and <90.
  • Established HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF ≤35 %), assessment done within 12 months of index visit.
  • Admitted under observation unit for management of AHF.
  • Heart rate ≥70 beats per minute, with sinus rhythm.
  • Receiving guideline based medical therapy in the judgement of the treating physician.
  • Patient currently on a Beta Blocker regimen. Achieved clinically determined stabilization during treatment under observation unit such that the treating physician is planning to discharge home without hospital admission.

Who cannot join

  • Known intolerance to study drug.
  • End stage renal disease.
  • Plan to titrate BB at the time of discharge from the observation unit.
  • Any condition that in the opinion of the investigators will interfere with the ability to complete the study (e.g. history of extreme non-adherence, extreme psychosocial instability).
  • Inability to provide written informed consent.
  • Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women, where pregnancy is defined as the state of a female after conception and until the termination of gestation, confirmed by a positive hCG laboratory test (women of childbearing age will be included only if they agree to use adequate contraceptive methods or engage in sexual abstinence).
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  • Systolic Blood pressure less than 100 mmHg.
  • Sick sinus syndrome, sinoatrial block or 3rd degree AV block, unless a functioning demand pacemaker is present.
  • Severe hepatic impairment.
  • Pacemaker dependence (i.e. heart rate maintained exclusively by the pacemaker).
  • Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. Examples of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors include azole antifungals (e.g., itraconazole), macrolide antibiotics (e.g., clarithromycin, telithromycin), HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., nelfinavir), and nefazodone.
  • Concomitant use of diltiazem or verapamil that are not planned for discontinuation.
  • Severe, left sided valvular abnormalities (severe aortic stenosis, severe mitral stenosis, severe aortic insufficiency or severe mitral regurgitation.
  • Documented, prior to or at the time of randomization, restrictive amyloid cardiomyopathy, or acute myocarditis, or hypertrophic obstructive, restrictive, or constrictive cardiomyopathy.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites
  • Wayne State University

    Detroit, Michigan, 48201

  • Henry Ford Hospital

    Detroit, Michigan, 48202

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Ivabradine Initiated at the Time of Discharge From the Observation Unit

Ivabradine (IVA) has been shown to decrease the risk of hospitalizations for worsening Heart Failure and was associated with a trend towards improved mortality in the SHIFT1 trial. SHIFT1 excluded patients within 4 weeks of hospital discharge, so the efficacy and safety of IVA in this setting is less clear.

In today's health care environment more and more patients that present to the Emergency Department (ED) for mild Acute Heart Failure (AHF) are being placed into observation unit and subsequently discharged, or discharged outright from the ED. This is not only a growing segment of patients, but also represents an important window of opportunity to intervene with a potentially effective therapy.

Read more

Moreover, at this point in a patient's experience (being discharged after getting treated for exacerbation of Heart Failure), it's not clear that beta blockers (BB) should yet be increased/started due to the recent state of exacerbation.

Standard treatment of worsened heart failure presenting to the ED or urgent care includes diuretics (e. g. furosemide) and vasodilators (e.g. ACE-I, ARB, Hydralazine/Isosorbide or ARNi), but according to usual standard of care, titration of beta blockade is often reserved for outpatient follow up after a period of demonstrated stability (in the ambulatory setting).

This is in contradistinction to hospitalized patients, where patients have been observed by the treating team for days, presumably show stability and improvement, and starting low dose BB at the time of hospital discharge has been shown to be safe. As such these ED/Observation discharge patients are often not optimal candidates for intensification of BB at the time of release, and could be considered to be at maximally tolerated BB dose (for at least for 2-4 weeks). This may represent a vulnerable period for these patients; its unknown in the setting of Observation discharge but evidence from hospitalized patients indicates that the highest daily risk of rehospitalization is in the days just after discharge. IVA may be effective post observation unit management (where lower risk Heart Failure (HF) patients are typically placed), to reduce heart rate (without decreasing contractility, such as a BB would) to help reduce the risk of hospitalization or emergency care, but safety and efficacy (in terms of heart rate lowering) in this setting has not been previously explored.

Additionally, the SHIFT1 trial lacked African Americans and this unique patient population has not been previously studied with IVA. The investigating sites serve a predominantly African American patient population. Therefore the proposed study represents an important opportunity to gather data on IVA effect in this understudied group of patients.

Read the detailed description

Subjects will be enrolled at the time of discharge from the observation unit (visit 1), all baseline procedures will be performed at this time, these would include blood draw for biomarker assessments, vitals, physical examination, and IP dispensation. At the baseline visit, the study team will schedule a follow-up appointment post Day 28 +/- 2 (Visit 3) with the subject's primary care physician(PCP)/cardiologist, if the subject does not have their own PCP/cardiologist the study team will schedule and facilitate this appointment with the Gateway Clinic. A list of current medications and doses will be provided. At Day 14 +/-1 (visit 2) the subject will return for a follow up visit for IP accountability and titration (if needed), BB uptitration (if needed), replacement of the HR monitor (Zio patch), assessment of any adverse events, ECG, vital signs, and will undergo a physical examination. At Day 28 +/-2 (visit 3), the patient will return for study exit procedures, which include blood draw for biomarker assessments, vitals, physical examination, assessment of adverse events (if any), and IP return.

As with any clinical trial, no un-blinding will occur unless there is a concern for patient safety, as this could affect the integrity of data. The study team will provide the patient and patient's PCP/cardiologist a clinical summary, inclusive of ECGs. On-going management for the patient's condition will be at the discretion of their PCP/cardiologist and will not be influenced directly by participation in this study.

At Randomization the initial Ivabradine dose will be 5 mg BID. At Day 14 follow up, medication adjustments will be made (if needed). At Day 28 follow up, IP will be permanently stopped.

At the last visit, the study team will contact the patient's primary care physician and/or the cardiologist to notify that the patient has completed the study and is off study drug and it is now the PCP/cardiologist's discretion to prescribe open label ivabradine (Corlanor) to the patient or not, as clinically indicated. If the patient's primary care physician and/or cardiologist prescribes open label ivabradine (Corlanor) after the completion of the study, the patient or patient's insurance will be responsible for payment as this would then be part of routine clinical care.

The Zio patch will be placed at discharge from the observation unit. At the 14-day follow-up the original Zio patch will be collected and a second one will be placed. At the 28-day follow-up the second Zio patch will be collected

Based on the SHIFT1 study, the mean heart rate reduction with IVA is 8 bpm with a standard deviation of 13 bpm. A sample size of 57 in each group will have 90% power to detect a difference in means of 8.0 assuming that the common standard deviation is 13.0 using a two group t-test with a 0.05 two-sided significance level. To account for a projected dropout rate of 15%, 66 subjects will be enrolled in each group (132 total for the study over a 2-year period). Furthermore, the investigators expect that the enrollment centers will recruit a cohort that is 75% self-identified African Americans. This number (n=99) will provide 80% power to detect the same effect size when analyzed in African Americans only.

For the safety endpoint (unplanned presentation for medical care), assuming an event rate of 25% at 1 month (estimated based on local hospital readmission rates), the sample size will provide 80% power to detect a doubling of the relative risk. If the Control group event rate is higher there will be greater power; for example, with an event rate of 35% we would have 98% power for risk ratio of 2.0 and 83% power for risk ratio of 1.75.

Conditions
Heart Failure
Being tested
Ivabradine, Placebo
Keywords
Acute Heart Failure, Observation, Ivabradine
Medical subject headings
Heart Failure

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • IvabradineDrug

    Also called Corlanor

    At discharge from the observation unit, subjects will receive a pill bottle containing oral capsules containing active drug to take at home. This arm will require the subject to take the study medication BID for the duration of the study period. Neither study team nor subject will know if the pill bottle contains active drug or placebo.

  • PlaceboDrug

    At discharge from the observation unit, subjects will receive a pill bottle containing oral capsules not containing active drug to take at home. This arm will require the subject to take the study medication BID for the duration of the study period. Neither study team nor subject will know if the pill bottle contains active drug or placebo.

Study groups in NCT03168529
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Ivabradine (Corlanor)Active comparatorAll subjects will complete the same number of follow-ups, dose titrations (if necessary) and study procedures however, subjects in this arm will be receiving active drug for study duration.
Receives: Drug: Ivabradine
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorAll subjects will complete the same number of follow-ups, dose titrations (if necessary) and study procedures however, subjects in this arm will be receiving placebo for study duration.
Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Heart Rate

    Change in heart rate from final visit to baseline visit, measured by 12-lead ECG and Zio® patch.

    Measured: Heart rate to be recorded at baseline, day 14 (+/-1), and day 28 (+/-2).

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Change in Heart Rate in Self-identified African Americans

    Change in heart rate in self-identified African Americans from final visit to baseline visit, measured by 12-lead ECG and Zio® patch.

    Measured: Heart rate to be recorded at baseline, day 14 (+/-1), and day 28 (+/-2).

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted30 May 2017
  2. Study start1 Jul 2018
  3. Primary completion31 Jul 2020
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2021

Why it stopped: Lack of patient enrollment

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Prospective, randomized (1:1), placebo-controlled, double blind, study of ivabradine (Corlanor®)
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
19 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03168529
Sponsor's protocol ID
1701000235
Acronym
OBSERVE-IVA
Status last verified
Aug 2026
First submitted
24 May 2017
Last updated
11 Sep 2026
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Bohm M, Robertson M, Borer J, Ford I, Komajda M, Mahfoud F, Ewen S, Swedberg K, Tavazzi L. Effect of Visit-to-Visit Variation of Heart Rate and Systolic Blood Pressure on Outcomes in Chronic Systolic Heart Failure: Results From the Systolic Heart Failure Treatment With the If Inhibitor Ivabradine Trial (SHIFT) Trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016 Feb 12;5(2):e002160. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.115.002160.

    PubMed 26873681
  • Gattis WA, O'Connor CM, Gallup DS, Hasselblad V, Gheorghiade M; IMPACT-HF Investigators and Coordinators. Predischarge initiation of carvedilol in patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure: results of the Initiation Management Predischarge: Process for Assessment of Carvedilol Therapy in Heart Failure (IMPACT-HF) trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 May 5;43(9):1534-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2003.12.040.

    PubMed 15120808

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Ivabradine in people with Heart Failure, run by Phillip Levy at 2 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 8 Jun 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Heart Rate (time frame: Heart rate to be recorded at baseline, day 14 (+/-1), and day 28 (+/-2).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03168529, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Sep 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.

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