A Study of Vericiguat in People With Breast Cancer and Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction
This phase II trial tests how well vericiguat works in treating patients with breast cancer and cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction. Vericiguat may help improve heart (cardiac) function because it works by stimulating an enzyme, sGC, to produce a molecule called cGMP, which is necessary for normal cardiac function. By stimulating the sGC enzyme, vericiguat may help improve lung, heart, blood vessel, and muscle function. Giving vericiguat may improve cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with breast cancer and cancer therapy related cardiac dysfunction.
Inclusion Criteria
- Age >= 18 years
- Current or prior history of biopsy proven breast cancer (stage I-IV)
- Cancer treatment related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD), established by an absolute decrease in LVEF >= 10% from baseline/pre-treatment to < 53% and attributable to prior cardiotoxic cancer treatment, per the clinical investigator
- Able to complete an acceptable baseline CPET, in the absence of high-risk electrocardiogram (ECG) findings or other inappropriate response to exercise as determined by the primary investigator (PI), as defined by any of the following criteria: * Achieving a plateau oxygen consumption, concurrent with an increase in power output * A respiratory exchange ratio >= 1.00 * Attainment of maximal predicted heart rate, as defined by a peak heart rate within 10 bpm of the age predicted maximal heart rate (220 – Age[years]) or if on a betablocker, 164 – (age * 0.7) * Volitional exhaustion, as measured by a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) >= 18 on the Borg scale
- Willing to use highly effective contraceptive measures if of child-bearing potential or if the patient’s sexual partner is a woman of child-earing potential while receiving study drug and for 30 days after the last dose of study drug: * Female subjects should be using highly effective contraceptive measures, and must have a negative pregnancy test (within 6 months prior to study enrollment) and not be breast-feeding prior to start of dosing if of child-bearing potential or must have evidence of non-child-bearing potential by fulfilling one of the following criteria at screening: ** Post-menopausal defined as aged more than 50 years and amenorrheic for at least 12 months following cessation of all exogenous hormonal treatments ** Women under 50 years old would be considered postmenopausal if they have been amenorrheic for 12 months or more following cessation of exogenous hormonal treatments and with luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in the postmenopausal range for the institution ** Documentation of irreversible surgical sterilization by hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy or bilateral salpingectomy, but not tubal ligation * Male subjects should be willing to use barrier contraception
- Willing and able to comply with the requirements of the protocol
Exclusion Criteria
- Systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg
- Concurrent or anticipated use of a long-acting nitrate or nitric oxide (NO) donor (e.g., nitroglycerin (NTG), isosorbide dinitrate, isosorbide 5-mononitrate, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, nicorandil or transdermal NTG patch, or molsidomine)
- Concurrent or anticipated use of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (e.g., vardenafil, tadalafil, or sildenafil)
- Cardiac comorbidity, including any of the following: * Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, active myocarditis, constrictive pericarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, or amyloid cardiomyopathy * Uncontrolled arrhythmia * Uncorrected congenital cardiac disease * Acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous coronary intervention, or coronary artery bypass graft surgery within 3 months prior to randomization * Symptomatic carotid stenosis, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke within 3 months prior to randomization * Cardiac transplantation
- Valvular heart disease requiring surgery or intervention
- Non-cardiac comorbidity, including any of the following: *Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 15ml/min/1.73m^2 (based upon Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration [CKD-EPI], Cockroft-Gault, etc.) * Severe hepatic insufficiency (e.g., Child-Pugh C) * Severe pulmonary disease, such as requiring continuous home oxygen or interstitial lung disease * Other medical disorder or condition that in the opinion of the investigator would impair the subject’s ability to participate or complete the study
- Subjects must not have any of the following absolute contraindications to cardiopulmonary exercise testing: * Acute myocardial infarction (within 30 days of any planned study procedures) * Unstable angina * Uncontrolled arrhythmias causing symptoms or hemodynamic compromise * Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis * Recurrent syncope * Active endocarditis * Acute myocarditis or pericarditis * Acute pulmonary embolus or pulmonary infarction (within 3 months of any planned study procedures) * Thrombosis of lower extremities (within 3 months of any planned study procedures) * Suspected dissecting aneurysm * Uncontrolled asthma * Pulmonary edema * Room air desaturation at rest =< 85% * Respiratory failure * Acute noncardiopulmonary disorder that may affect exercise performance or be aggravated by exercise (i.e., infection, renal failure, thyrotoxicosis) * Mental impairment leading to inability to cooperate
- Current alcohol and/or drug abuse
- Any other condition or intercurrent illness (e.g., symptomatic weight-bearing bone metastases or limited life expectancy < 6-9 months) that, in the opinion of the investigator, makes the participant a poor candidate for the trial
Additional locations may be listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT05806138.
See trial information on ClinicalTrials.gov for a list of participating sites.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To evaluate the effect of the oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator vericiguat plus optimal medical therapy in comparison to optimal medical therapy on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), in patients with breast cancer and cancer therapy related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD).
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To compare the CRF response rate between treatment groups. CRF response will be defined by a change in VO2peak >= 1.32 ml O2 x kg-1 x min-1 from baseline to month 6.
II. To compare the change from baseline to month 6 in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) between treatment groups.
III. To compare the change from baseline to month 6 in patient-reported outcomes (e.g., health-related quality of life, fatigue) between treatment groups.
IV. To compare the change from baseline to month 6 in cardiac function (e.g., left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF], myocardial strain, ventricular-arterial coupling, and myocardial work) between treatment groups.
V. To assess the safety and tolerability of vericiguat in patients with breast cancer and CTRCD.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:
I. To compare the change from baseline to month 6 in Cxcl10 and cardiac cell free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) between treatment groups.
II. To compare cardiac events (i.e., symptomatic heart failure or significant EF decline) between treatment groups.
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.
ARM I: Patients receive vericiguat orally (PO) daily for 6 months in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Patients also undergo optimal medical therapy as determined by a cardiologist.
ARM II: Patients undergo optimal medical therapy as determined by a cardiologist.
Patients undergo echocardiogram and blood sample collection throughout the study.
Patients are followed up 30 days after the end of treatment.
Trial PhasePhase II
Trial Typetreatment
Lead OrganizationMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Principal InvestigatorAnthony Francis Yu
- Primary ID23-050
- Secondary IDsNCI-2023-05719
- ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT05806138