Using Empagliflozin and Dapagliflozin for Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Empagliflozin and Dapagliflozin in Patients Hospitalized for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (EMPATHY) - a Phase III Trial.

Phase 3 Interventional Medical University of Warsaw · NCT05776043

This study is testing whether two heart medications, Empagliflozin and Dapagliflozin, can help people who are in the hospital for sudden heart failure feel better.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 3
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment1364 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorMedical University of Warsaw Academic / other
Locations1 site (Grodzisk Mazowiecki)
Trial IDNCT05776043 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This Phase III clinical trial investigates the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors, specifically Empagliflozin and Dapagliflozin, on patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure. The study is designed as a national, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, aiming to assess clinical outcomes in this patient population. Participants will be randomized to receive either the active medication or a placebo, with eligibility criteria focusing on those currently experiencing symptoms of heart failure. The trial will stratify participants based on the type of SGLT-2 inhibitor used.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults aged 18 and older who are hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure, regardless of their ejection fraction or diabetes status.

Not a fit: Patients who are not currently hospitalized or those who have recently received intensive heart failure treatments may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide new treatment options that improve outcomes for patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies involving SGLT-2 inhibitors have shown promising results in heart failure management, indicating potential success for this approach.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients 18 years of age with the capacity to provide written informed consent
* Currently hospitalized for a primary diagnosis of acute/decompensated HF (HFrEF, HFmrEF,HFpEF), including symptoms and signs of fluid overload regardless of ejection fraction or diabetes status
* In patients with HFpEF the diagnosis has to be confirmed according to the current HFpEF definition (by non-invasive testing: evidence of structural or functional changes in the heart as evidenced on echocardiography or by invasive testing as LVEDP assessment or right heart catheterisation).
* Randomized no earlier than 24 hours and up to 10 days after initial presentation while still hospitalized
* Stable as defined by: systolic blood pressure (SBP\>100 mmHg for the preceding 6 hours)
* No intensification of IV diuretics within the last 6 hours,
* No use of IV vasodilators within the last 6 hours,
* No use of IV inotropes or levosimendan within the last 24 hours prior to randomization
* Elevated NT-proBNP \>600 pg/mL during the current hospitalization in patients with HFrEF and \>300 pg/mL in patients with HFmrEF or HFpEF (or above 900 pg/ml if atrial fibrillation is present at admission independently from EF).
* eGFR \>20 ml/min/1,73m2

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of ketoacidosis
* Type 1 diabetes
* SGLT-2 Inhibitor at baseline or known allergy to SGLT-2 Inhibitors
* Current active cancer with less than 2 years of life expectancy
* Pulmonary embolism, cerebrovascular accident as the primary trigger for the current hospitalization
* Cardiomyopathy based on infiltrative diseases (e.g. amyloidosis), accumulation diseases (e.g. haemochromatosis, Fabry disease), muscular dystrophies, cardiomyopathy with reversible causes (e.g. stress cardiomyopathy), hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy or known pericardial constriction
* Any severe (obstructive or regurgitant) valvular heart disease, expected to lead to surgery during the trial period
* Women of child-bearing potential, defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant
* Blood pH\<7.32
* \>1 episode of severe hypoglycaemia within the last 6 months under treatment with insulin or sulfonylurea
* Acute symptomatic urinary tract infection or genital infection

Where this trial is running

Grodzisk Mazowiecki

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Acute Decompensated Heart FailureSGLT-2 inhibitorsdapagliflozinempagliflozinacute heart failuredecompensated heart failure
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.