Clinical trial Recruiting at 2 sites Interventional Ages 18 and up

Edwards AP TURE transcatheter shunt system for heart failure in adults with reduced ejection fraction

Official title: Early Feasibility Study of the Edwards APTURE Transcatheter Shunt System (ALT-FLOW US)

Run by Edwards Lifesciences · NCT03523416 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study tests whether the Edwards APTURE transcatheter shunt can be safely implanted and help heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction feel better and have fewer hospital visits.

More Heart Failure trials

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment90 (estimated)
SponsorEdwards Lifesciences
Industry-sponsored
Locations19 sites (La Jolla, California and 18 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJuly 31, 2018
Main results expectedApril 2027
Study endsApril 2032
Registry record updatedOctober 2, 2026
Trial IDNCT03523416 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (LVEF ≤40%), NYHA II–IVa symptoms, and recent HF worsening events or elevated BNP/NT-proBNP, who are on stable optimized GDMT.

Probably not a fit

Patients without HF symptom progression or lack of device feasibility signals may not experience benefit from this shunt system.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is an early feasibility, multicenter, prospective study evaluating the safety, device functionality, and potential effectiveness of the Edwards APTURE transcatheter shunt system in adults with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Eligible participants have HF with LVEF ≤40%, and symptoms ranging from NYHA class II to IVa, with recent HF events or biomarker elevations. The trial focuses on initial clinical outcomes after shunt implantation and follows patients to assess stability on optimized heart failure therapy. Data will inform whether the device can be safely implanted and whether it shows signals of clinical benefit in this population.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the device could provide a new option to reduce HF symptoms and hospitalizations in patients with reduced ejection fraction.

How similar studies have gone: Prior transcatheter approaches in HF have shown mixed safety and efficacy signals, making this early feasibility study an important step for evaluating this technology.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Refined HFrEF Subgroup Inclusion Criteria:

* A primary diagnosis of HFrEF (LVEF ≤ 40%), and
* NYHA Class II, III, or IVa heart failure symptoms and
* Documentation of at least one of the following in the past 12 months, such as:

  * Hospitalization for heart failure; or
  * Increased treatment for heart failure, including intravenous (IV) or higher-dose diuretic therapy.
  * Elevated heart failure biomarker levels (BNP or NT-proBNP) within the past 6 months.

Note: Participants with NYHA Class II symptoms must have both a recent heart failure worsening event and elevated biomarker levels. Participants with NYHA Class III or IVa symptoms must have either a recent heart failure worsening event or elevated biomarker levels.

* Stable Optimized GDMT - Maintained 6 months post-implant (includes stable GLP-1 RA)

Refined HFrEF Subgroup Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe HF defined as one or more of the following:

  * Ambulatory NT-proBNP value \>5,000 pg/ml or BNP value \>1,600 pg/ml
  * Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) \>8 cm
  * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \< 20%
  * ACC/AHA Stage D HF or non-ambulatory NYHA Class IV HF
  * Inotropic infusion (continuous or intermittent) within the past 6 months
  * Active listing on the cardiac transplant waiting list
* More than mild right ventricular dysfunction
* Valve disease

  * Mitral regurgitation \> moderate
  * Mitral stenosis \> mild
  * Tricuspid regurgitation \> moderate
  * Aortic regurgitation \> moderate
  * Aortic stenosis \> moderate
* Body mass index (BMI) ≥45
* Myocardial infarction and/or any therapeutic invasive, non-valvular cardiac procedure within the past 3 months, or current indication for coronary revascularization
* Stroke, transient ischemic attack, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolus within the past 6 months
* Cardiac resynchronization therapy implanted within the past 12 months
* Renal insufficiency as determined by serum creatinine (sCr) level \>2.5 mg/dL or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \<25 ml/min/1.73 m2
* Performance of the 6-minute walk test with a distance \<100 m or \>450 m
* Active endocarditis or infection requiring intravenous antibiotics within 3 months of scheduled index procedure
* Presence of one or more of the following resting hemodynamic findings:

  1. Mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) \>35 mmHg
  2. Mean right atrial pressure (RAP) \>15 mmHg
  3. Mean PCWP-mean RAP gradient \< 5 mmHg
  4. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) ≥5 Wood Units (WU)
  5. Cardiac index \<1.8 L/min/m2

Where it's running

  • The Ohio State University Medical Center
    Columbus, Ohio, United States
    Recruiting
  • Oklahoma Heart Institute
    Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
    Recruiting
  • UC San Diego Health
    La Jolla, California, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Cedars Sinai Medical Center
    Los Angeles, California, United States
    Withdrawn
  • University California San Francisco
    San Francisco, California, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • University of Colorado
    Aurora, Colorado, United States
    Withdrawn
Show 13 more locations
  • University of Florida Health - Jacksonville
    Jacksonville, Florida, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • St. Vincent Medical Group
    Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
    Completed
  • Kansas University Medical Center
    Kansas City, Kansas, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Abbott Northwestern
    Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Mayo Clinic
    Rochester, Minnesota, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Morristown Medical Center
    Morristown, New Jersey, United States
    Withdrawn
  • Montefiore Medical Center
    The Bronx, New York, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Atrium Health
    Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
    Completed
  • The Christ Hospital
    Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Oregon Health and Science University
    Portland, Oregon, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
    Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, United States
    Completed
  • Medical University of South Carolina
    Charleston, South Carolina, United States
    Active not recruiting
  • Swedish Medical Center
    Seattle, Washington, United States
    Active not recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.