NNUH recruits first patient to global research study

The Cardiology research team at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) has enrolled the first ever patient to a global cardiology study to look at potentially life-saving treatment.

This new study is a recent addition to the National Institute of Health Research’s (NIHR) Portfolio of studies and investigates the impact of a treatment in heart failure patients who experience a sudden worsening of their symptoms. The treatment is called LCZ696 (Sacubitril/Valsartan).

The treatment was previously examined in an international study and was indicated by some to be the future cornerstone of chronic-heart failure therapy.  It is now licensed in the UK for adult patients displaying symptoms of a type of chronic heart failure.

The new “TRANSITION” study investigates the medication’s impact on patients who are admitted to hospital with heart failure with worsening symptoms which require further emergency treatment. (The previous trial looked at the impact of this treatment on reducing mortality and hospitalisation in chronic heart failure patients.)

This challenging international study is being overseen at NNUH by Dr Alisdair Ryding, closely assisted by Clinical Research Nurse, Mary Ilsley. Dr Ryding commented on the achievement, saying “We are delighted to have put Norwich on the research map, and are extremely grateful to the patient for their kind participation in the study which may help others in the future.”

Clare Johnson, Therapeutic Area Lead for the Cardio-Metabolic team at Novartis in the UK says, “This is a great achievement for the team at NNUH. This has been a great example of collaboration within NNUH and also with the Novartis team. We very much look forward to working with NNUH on this study and wish them every success with this important research.”

The study funded by Novartis is intended to run until March, 2017.

For more information about this or any other commercial studies taking place in the Eastern region please email crneastern.industry@nihr.ac.uk.

Editors notes: 

TRANSITION (NIHR Portfolio ID 18825) is a Phase III multicentre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group study funded and sponsored by Novartis which aims to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of early pre-discharge initiation of LCZ696 compared to standard of care for angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/ angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) followed by post-discharge initiation of LCZ696 in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients.

About the NIHR
1.      The NIHR Clinical Research Network is part of the National Institute for Health Research.  We provide researchers with the practical support they need to make clinical studies happen in the NHS, so that more research takes place across England, and more patients can take part. This practical support includes: reducing the “red-tape” around setting up a study; enhancing NHS resources, by funding the people and facilities needed to carry out research “on the ground”; helping researchers to identify suitable NHS sites, and recruit patients to take part in research studies; advising researchers on how to make their study “work” in the NHS environment.

2.      The NIHR Clinical Research Network pledged research delivery support to 1869 new clinical studies and recruited more than 618,000 patients to studies in 2014/15.  More info is available at: www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/annualstats

3.      NHS Trusts are ‘clustered’ into categories. ‘Cluster’ is the term used for a group of NHS organisations with similar characteristics, which allows comparisons to be made between Trusts in similar circumstances