News | Atrial Fibrillation | December 29, 2023

Boston Scientific Initiates AVANT GUARD Clinical Trial to Evaluate FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation System as First-Line Treatment for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

The first patient was enrolled at the Cleveland Clinic on December 28, 2023

The first patient was enrolled at the Cleveland Clinic on December 28, 2023

December 29, 2023 — Boston Scientific Corporation has initiated the AVANT GUARD clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System* as a first-line treatment for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), the only trial to study the use of PFA as frontline therapy in patients with this form of AF. Outcomes of ablation with the FARAPULSE PFA System – a nonthermal treatment in which electric fields selectively ablate heart tissue – will be compared to outcomes following use of anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy, which is commonly prescribed for patients living with persistent AF.

Unlike paroxysmal AF, which describes symptoms that last for seven days or fewer, persistent AF is a sustained arrhythmia that lasts for more than a week1. Early treatment of persistent AF can reduce the risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart failure, and may prevent the disease from becoming permanent. Patients are often treated with AADs as frontline therapy for heart rhythm maintenance, though some can experience adverse effects and limited efficacy. Cardiac ablation is a potential alternative interventional strategy for those living with persistent AF.

"With nearly 40,000 patients treated to date in clinical and commercial settings, the FARAPULSE PFA System continues to demonstrate a promising safety and effectiveness profile, upon which this study seeks to build," said Dr. Brad Sutton, chief medical officer, AF Solutions, Boston Scientific. "The AVANT GUARD trial is exciting in that it has the potential to change clinical practice by advancing the therapy to be utilized as an earlier treatment for persistent AF, which may lead to better long-term outcomes and establish the FARAPULSE PFA System as the preferred method for treating the disease."

The randomized AVANT GUARD trial will enroll more than 500 patients diagnosed with persistent AF at up to 75 sites globally. Patients in the study will be randomized to undergo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and left atrial posterior wall ablation using the FARAPULSE PFA System, or receive AAD treatment, and followed for three years. The trial will evaluate the outcomes of therapy provided with the FARAPULSE PFA System versus AADs, including device-or procedure-related adverse events, the rates of freedom from AF, atrial flutter, or atrial tachycardia, as well as AF burden – a measurement of the amount of AF an individual experiences.

All patients in the trial will also be inserted with the Boston Scientific LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor. This device simplifies the monitoring process for patients by automatically capturing and transmitting arrhythmia episode data, and is designed to detect recurrence of cardiac arrhythmias and assess AF burden by providing continuous rhythm monitoring.

This week, the Cleveland Clinic enrolled the first patient in the AVANT GUARD trial, overseen by Dr. Oussama Wazni, vice chair of cardiovascular medicine and section head, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing, Cleveland Clinic, who is also serving as the lead investigator of the trial.

Earlier this year, clinical trial data presented demonstrated the FARAPULSE PFA System is noninferior to standard-of-care therapies for the treatment of paroxysmal AF, with superior efficiency, while additional real-world data from more than 17,000 patients demonstrated continued real-world safety, efficacy and efficiency of the system. Boston Scientific also completed enrollment in the first phase of the ADVANTAGE AF clinical trial in the third quarter of 2023, which is studying the system for the treatment of patients with drug refractory symptomatic persistent AF, and commenced enrollment in an extension arm of the study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of adjunctive use of the FARAPOINT PFA Catheter for cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablations, a procedure used to treat atrial flutter.

The company now anticipates U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the FARAPULSE PFA System in the first quarter of 2024. Additional information about clinical evidence supporting the device can be found here.

*Caution: Investigational Device. Limited by Federal (or US) law to investigational use only. Not available for sale.

For more information: www.bostonscientific.com

1 https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001193. Circulation. 2023;0

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation

Related Pulse Electric Field Ablation Content:

Medtronic Creates History with FDA Approval of its Novel PulseSelect Pulsed Field Ablation System to Treat Atrial Fibrillation

Medtronic FDA Trial Evaluates Pulsed Electric Fields to Treat Atrial Fibrillation

First-in-human Electroporation Ablation Study Finds Pulsed Electric Fields Can Target Specific Tissue For Atrial Fibrillation

Boston Scientific Invests in Pulsed Field Ablation Technology To Improve Atrial Fibrillation Therapy

Pulsed AF Trial Shows Pulsed Field Ablation May be Safer Than Traditional RF Ablations

First Patients Treated with Galaxy Medical Centauri Pulsed Electric Field Cardiac Ablation System


Related Content

News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

Aug. 15, 2024 — According to a new study being presented at ACC Asia 2024 in Delhi, India, drinking over 400 mg of ...

Home August 14, 2024
Home
Videos | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

As part of DAIC's continuing Thought Leadership Series, this month Editorial Director Melinda Taschetta-Millane sits ...

Home July 30, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

July 25, 2024 — BioCardia, Inc., a global leader in cellular and cell-derived therapeutics for the treatment of ...

Home July 25, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

July 18, 2024 — Elucid, a pioneering AI medical technology company providing physicians with imaging analysis software ...

Home July 18, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

July 10, 2024 — CellProthera, a private company specializing in cell-based therapies for repairing ischemic tissues, and ...

Home July 10, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

July 9, 2024 — Microbot Medical Inc. announced the completion of the first procedure in a patient utilizing its LIBERTY ...

Home July 09, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

June 26, 2024 — Semaglutide, a medication initially developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, significantly improves ...

Home June 26, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

June 21, 2024 — Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the peer-reviewed Journal of the American College of ...

Home June 21, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

June 20, 2024 — Microbot Medical Inc. announced its agreement with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a leading ...

Home June 20, 2024
Home
News | Cardiovascular Clinical Studies

June 20, 2024 — A programming algorithm, being tested by HonorHealth Research Institute for those patients with new or ...

Home June 20, 2024
Home
Subscribe Now