St. Jude Medical announced that the first patient was enrolled in the EAST (Early comprehensive Atrial fibrillation Stroke prevention Trial) clinical trial. The investigator-initiated study seeks to determine whether an early, comprehensive, standardized intervention program can help prevent adverse cardiovascular outcomes associated with prolonged Atrial Fibrillation (AF), including stroke and death. More specifically, the EAST study will evaluate whether an early and comprehensive rhythm control treatment of patients with early onset AF produces better patient outcomes than usual care alone.
The clinical sponsor of EAST is AFNET (German Competence Network on Atrial Fibrillation). The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) is an equal scientific partner in the trial. The planned enrollment is more than 3,000 patients from 200 centers in Europe, with locations in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
"St. Jude Medical believes it is important to marshal together the resources, people and technologies to help find a cure for AF," said Jane J. Song, president of the St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division. "We can help accelerate the achievement of this goal by investing in clinical trials such as EAST, which address some of the most important questions about AF within the scientific community."
In addition to EAST, St. Jude Medical also is a major supporter of the CABANA (Catheter Ablation Versus Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation) pivotal trial.
Günter Breithardt, AFNET speaker, Angelo Auricchio, and Panos Vardas, current and past EHRA president, said in a joint statement today, "Investigator-initiated clinical research with a relevant impact requires good ideas, perseverance, a network of colleagues, but also financial resources. As sponsor and co-organizer of the EAST trial, we therefore highly appreciate the financial support from St. Jude Medical and Sanofi to make this important clinical research possible."
