Catheter removal of lung blood clots for submassive pulmonary embolism
Official title: 2/2 Pulmonary Embolism: Thrombus Removal with Catheter-Directed Therapy (PE-TRACT Trial) –DCC
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11167691 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares catheter-directed clot removal with lower-dose clot-busting medicine to usual care for people who have submassive pulmonary embolism with right-heart strain but normal blood pressure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $570,142 |
| NIH project number | 5U24HL155811-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167691 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with submassive pulmonary embolism who have evidence of right-heart dysfunction but maintain normal blood pressure and are eligible for catheter-directed therapy are the intended candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with massive PE (low blood pressure), those at high risk of bleeding, or those who cannot undergo catheter procedures are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to get catheter-directed therapy that delivers a low dose of clot-busting medicine directly into the lung arteries or to receive usual care without that catheter procedure. The trial is open-label (you and your care team will know which treatment you get) but the people who judge outcomes are blinded. Up to 500 people will be enrolled, and the study can stop early if the catheter approach clearly helps or clearly does not help. Doctors will measure exercise capacity at 3 months and heart-failure symptoms at 12 months to see if the catheter approach improves recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could improve short-term exercise capacity and long-term heart–lung symptoms without substantially increasing major bleeding.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller trials and observational studies suggest catheter-directed therapy can reduce clot burden and may lower bleeding compared with full-dose systemic thrombolysis, but long-term patient-centered benefits remain uncertain.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Troxel, Andrea B — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Troxel, Andrea B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
AI-powered tool to better predict and manage acute pulmonary embolism
A new AI system uses imaging and patient data to improve how doctors predict short-term risk and tailor treatment for people with acute pulmonary embolism.
-
Endovascular vortex ultrasound to treat blood clots in the lungs
A new therapy uses a tiny ultrasound device inside the blood vessels to rapidly dissolve clots in the lungs of people with pulmonary embolism, aiming to reduce the need for high doses of clot-busting drugs.
-
Supplemental Oxygen for Pulmonary Embolism: A Mechanistic Look at How Oxygen Helps the Heart and Lungs
This NIH grant tests how giving extra oxygen affects lung pressure and heart strain in people with acute pulmonary embolism, with supportive animal studies to understand the biology.
-
Pulmonary embolism: catheter-directed clot removal for better outcomes
This trial tests whether delivering clot-dissolving medication directly to the lungs via a catheter helps people with submassive pulmonary embolism feel better and function better, with fewer bleeding risks.
-
Pulmonary embolism treatment with catheter-directed thrombus removal versus no catheter therapy
This study tests whether removing clot with a targeted catheter approach helps people with submassive pulmonary embolism feel better and move more easily, compared with not using catheter therapy.
-
Molecular and imaging study of blood clots and inflammation in pulmonary embolism
A research project uses a mouse model to understand how blood clots and inflammatory cells affect pulmonary embolism and its outcomes, with the goal of better diagnosis and treatment for people with PE.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.