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Published on: January 18, 2018
Advanced coronary artery disease: Appropriate end points for trials of novel therapies
D E Kandzari1, L C Lam, E L Eisenstein
1Division of Cardiology and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. kandz002@onyx.dcri.duke.edu
Insights
Patients with advanced coronary artery disease (CAD) showed improved general health status, similar to those receiving conventional treatments. Trial endpoints for novel CAD therapies should include angina and mortality.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Clinical Trials
- Health Outcomes Research
Background:
- Growing population of patients with advanced coronary artery disease (CAD) unsuitable for conventional revascularization.
- Uncertainty regarding appropriate clinical trial endpoints for novel CAD therapies due to undefined natural history.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare outcomes of patients with advanced CAD to a reference group undergoing standard revascularization.
- To inform the design of clinical trials for novel CAD therapies.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of 1189 patients in the Mediators of Social Support Study (MOSS).
- Comparison of long-term survival, quality of life, resource use, and costs between advanced CAD patients and a control group.
Main Results:
- Patients with advanced CAD experienced higher disease burden, costs, and mortality.
- Self-reported general health status improved similarly in advanced CAD patients compared to the control group.
Conclusions:
- General health status improvements in advanced CAD patients suggest novel trial endpoints.
- Angina status and mortality should be primary endpoints for novel CAD therapy trials.
- Larger sample sizes may be needed for definitive efficacy characterization of new CAD therapies.
Background:
The segment of patients with advanced coronary artery disease, or disease that is not amenable to conventional revascularization therapies, continues to grow. Because the natural history of these patients is less defined, the appropriate end points for trials of novel revascularization therapies involving patients with advanced coronary artery disease are not certain.
Methods And Results:
The Mediators of Social Support Study (MOSS) prospectively followed up outcomes of long-term survival, quality of life, resource use, and costs for 1189 patients and compared outcomes of patients with advanced coronary artery disease with those of a reference group who underwent bypass surgery or angioplasty.
Conclusions:
Despite greater disease burden, cost, and mortality for patients with advanced coronary artery disease, a number of self-reported measures of general health status improved in a similar fashion to that of patients eligible for angioplasty or bypass surgery. These findings should inform the design of trials involving novel therapies, suggesting that angina status and mortality be included as primary end points in the consideration of efficacy. This work also suggests that additional studies of novel therapies involving larger sample sizes may be required to confidently characterize efficacy.
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