UnknownHeart, Stroke & BloodNIHR-supported projectDigestion, Kidneys & Other Organs
A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial assessing the impact of lipoprotein(a) lowering with pelacarsen (TQJ230) on the progression of calcific aorticalve stenosis [Lp(a)FRONTIERS CAVS]
Recipient organisationNIHR Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Clinical Research Facility
NIHR supportRecorded as supported by this research centre
PeriodAug 2025 — Ongoing
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
A monthly injection of the experimental drug pelacarsen is being tested to see if it can slow the stiffening and thickening of the heart’s aortic valve—a condition called calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) for which no medication currently exists. CAVS is the most common form of valvular heart disease in developed countries, and its prevalence is rising as people live longer. Over years, the valve progressively remodels and thickens, eventually impairing heart function. Despite this, no medicine has been shown to slow the disease. This trial addresses that gap by testing whether lowering the body’s production of lipoprotein(a)—a fatty particle linked to heart disease—can safely halt or delay valve deterioration. If pelacarsen proves effective, it would become the first drug to slow CAVS progression, potentially sparing thousands of patients from needing invasive valve replacement surgery. For now, the impact is uncertain: the drug is not yet approved for any condition, and the trial is a rigorous, placebo-controlled test of both safety and efficacy. The outcome will determine whether targeting lipoprotein(a) offers a new way to manage a disease that currently has no medical treatment.
View original technical description
Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is the most frequent form of valvular heart disease in developed countries which is increasing as the general population live longer. CAVS is associated with the the progressive remodeling and thickening of the aortic valves in the heart, that over years leads to complications with how the heart functions. As of today, there is no medicine that slows the progression of CAVS.The purpose of this research study is to determine if the study treatment called pelacarsen (TQJ230), which lowers the body’s lipoprotein(a) production, is safe and can slow down the progression of CAVS when compared to a placebo (a treatment with no active ingredients). Pelacarsen is a medicine that has not yet been approved for the treatment of people with elevated Lp(a). Around 502 participants aged 50 years or older, with mild to moderate CAVS will take part at hospital research sites around the world and have subcutaneous (under the skin) injections, once per month for 3 years. Participants will be given a study treatment that is either:1. Pelacarsen injections. Participants have a one in two possibility (50% chance) of getting this treatment; or 2. Placebo injections. Participants have a one in two possibility (50% chance) of getting placebo, which has no active ingredients.Participants will visit hospital research sites every 3 months to receive study treatment and health checks which include, physical exams, blood pressure measurements, donating blood/urine samples for safety and efficacy analysis, completing questionnaires about general health and any side effects. Participants will also have heart monitoring assessments that include electrocardiography (“ECG”), echocardiography (“Echo”) and cardiac computed tomography scans (“CCT”) throughout the research study.
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