Original Investigation 

July 19, 2022

Effect of Omecamtiv Mecarbil on Exercise Capacity in Chronic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: The METEORIC-HF Randomized Clinical Trial

Gregory D. Lewis, Adriaan A. Voors, Alain Cohen-Solal, et al

JAMA. 2022;328(3):259-269. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.11016

Key Points

Question  Does omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac myosin activator, improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)?

Findings  This multicenter randomized clinical trial included 276 patients with HFrEF. Among those randomized to omecamtiv mecarbil vs placebo, the change in exercise capacity over 20 weeks was −0.24 vs 0.21 mL/kg/min, respectively, a difference that was not statistically significant.

Meaning  In patients with chronic HFrEF, omecamtiv mecarbil did not significantly improve exercise capacity over 20 weeks compared with placebo.

Abstract

Importance  Exercise limitation is a cardinal manifestation of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) but is not consistently improved by any of the current guideline-directed medical therapies.

Objective  To determine whether omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel direct myosin activator that improves cardiac performance and reduces the risk for cardiovascular death or first HF event in HFrEF, can improve peak exercise capacity in patients with chronic HFrEF.

Design, Setting, and Participants  Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial of patients with HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%), New York Heart Association class II-III symptoms, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level of 200 pg/mL or greater, and baseline peak oxygen uptake (V̇o₂) of 75% or less of predicted. Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio (omecamtiv mecarbil to placebo) between March 2019 and May 2021 at 63 sites in North America and Europe, with the last patient visit occurring on November 29, 2021.

Interventions  Omecamtiv mecarbil (n = 185) or matching placebo (n = 91), given orally twice daily at a dose of 25 mg, 37.5 mg, or 50 mg based on target plasma levels, for 20 weeks.

Main Outcomes and Measures  The primary end point was a change in exercise capacity (peak V̇o₂) from baseline to week 20. Secondary end points included total workload, ventilatory efficiency, and daily physical activity as determined by accelerometry.

Results  Among 276 patients who were randomized (median age, 64 years; IQR, 55-70 years; 42 women [15%]), 249 (90%) completed the trial. The median left ventricular ejection fraction was 28% (IQR, 21-33) and the median baseline peak V̇o₂ was 14.2 mL/kg/min (IQR, 11.6-17.4) in the omecamtiv mecarbil group and 15.0 mL/kg/min (IQR, 12.0-17.2) in the placebo group. Mean change in peak V̇o₂ did not differ significantly between the omecamtiv mecarbil and placebo groups (mean, −0.24 mL/kg/min vs 0.21 mL/kg/min; least square mean difference, −0.45 mL/kg/min [95% CI, −1.02 to 0.13]; P = .13). Adverse events included dizziness (omecamtiv mecarbil: 4.9%, placebo: 5.5%), fatigue (omecamtiv mecarbil: 4.9%, placebo: 4.4%), heart failure events (omecamtiv mecarbil: 4.9%, placebo: 4.4%), death (omecamtiv mecarbil: 1.6%, placebo: 1.1%), stroke (omecamtiv mecarbil: 0.5%, placebo: 1.1%), and myocardial infarction (omecamtiv mecarbil: 0%, placebo: 1.1%).

Conclusions and Relevance  In patients with chronic HFrEF, omecamtiv mecarbil did not significantly improve exercise capacity over 20 weeks compared with placebo. These findings do not support the use of omecamtiv mecarbil for treatment of HFrEF for improvement of exercise capacity.

Trial Registration  ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03759392