This trial tests a new device by CorFlow Therapeutics designed to diagnose and treat tiny artery blockages in the heart following a heart attack. The device represents a significant advancement in cardiac care.
71-year-old Will Patterson from ĢtvƵ suffered a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), a type of heart attack. After he was admitted at ĢtvƵ General Infirmary, he was approached by the trial team to take part in the trial. The benefit of the trial to patients like Will includes early diagnosis and treatment, improved health outcomes as patients could have better long-term health after the blockages are addressed and the approach aims to be less invasive and more effective than current methods.
Reflecting on his experience, Will said:
“I was approached by the team the day after being admitted to ĢtvƵ General Infirmary, asking if I would take part in a clinical trial. I said ‘yes,’ then my wife suggested I should know a few details first! These were explained clearly and carefully, and I was happy to say ‘yes’ again. All the staff involved have been very cheerful, friendly, and welcoming, with the treatment and follow-up sessions going smoothly and efficiently, even allowing for my failure to remain sufficiently still during the several MRI scans. I hope the trial will produce some valuable information.”
Under the leadership of Dr Heerajnarain Bulluck, the international trial aims to improve heart attack treatments by addressing microvascular obstructions. Microvascular obstructions are small artery blockages that often lead to worse long-term outcomes for patients.
The trial will test if the new device can identify patients with microvascular obstruction and deliver targeted therapies directly to the affected areas. Currently, such obstructions are typically identified several days after a heart attack when effective treatment options may be limited. The MOCA-1 trial aims to enrol up to 70 patients, with results expected in early 2025.
Dr Bulluck, Interventional Cardiologist at LTHT, said,
“We have come a long way in treating heart attacks by opening the large vessels of the heart. However, these very tiny vessels that can get blocked often lead to worse outcomes for patients in the long term. While we have understood this for a while, we have, up until now, been unable to accurately diagnose the issue in the cath lab or treat the problem immediately.”
Collaboration and Future Prospects
Bringing a first-in-human device trial to the UK required significant effort, from initial research applications to local approval, logistics, training, and patient recruitment. This achievement underscores the positive collaboration between hospital teams and industry partners, particularly CorFlow Therapeutics.
If the MOCA-1 trial is successful, a larger UK trial alongside a pivotal trial in the USA is anticipated, potentially transforming the treatment landscape for heart attack patients.
Michelle Anderson, Senior Cardiology Research Nurse at LTHT, said: “The 1st UK recruit to the MOCA-1 trial is a huge achievement for the entire team. We are immensely grateful to the patients, without whom advancements in cardiovascular research would not be possible. It has been a pleasure to see this trial evolve over the last year from setup to execution and the collaborative working of all the key services within the cardiology service that has made this possible. The hard work and dedication of the cardiology research delivery team should also be commended, Dean Waugh – lead nurse for trial delivery and Catriona Smyth cardiology research nurse have been pivotal in the delivery of the 1st UK recruit to the MOCA 1 trial.