In a significant advancement for patients with recurrent rapid heart rhythms, a clinical trial has shown promising results for an at-home treatment option.
Led by investigators from Weill Cornell Medicine, the study introduces a nasal spray called etripamil, offering a new and convenient method for patients to manage episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) on their own, without the need to visit a hospital.
Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study highlights how etripamil can effectively and safely treat PSVT, a condition characterized by sudden bouts of abnormally fast heart rhythms.
These episodes, while typically not life-threatening, can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, or fainting, often leading to frequent emergency room visits.
Traditionally, managing PSVT has involved hospital stays where patients receive intravenous medications or undergo cardiac ablation—a procedure that corrects the heart rhythm by destroying small areas of heart tissue causing the irregular beats.
The recent findings by Dr. James Ip, a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, along with his colleagues, reveal that etripamil can be a game-changer.
As a calcium-channel blocker administered through a nasal spray, etripamil has demonstrated its potential to provide rapid relief from PSVT episodes in a home setting.
It’s worth noting that Dr. Ip is a steering committee member for Milestone Pharmaceuticals, the company behind etripamil and the sponsor of this groundbreaking trial.
This trial enrolled 1,116 patients across 148 sites in the United States, Canada, and South America, broadening the scope beyond previous studies by not requiring a physician-supervised pretest dose and including patients with a history of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, who were previously excluded.
Participants in the study were instructed to use a home electrocardiogram monitor to track their heart for one hour after self-administering etripamil, with the option to take an additional dose if needed.
The results were encouraging, with two-thirds of the patients experiencing relief within an hour, and the average time to symptom relief clocking in at 17 minutes.
While some experienced mild, temporary nasal symptoms such as runny nose or nasal discomfort after the first use, these side effects became less common with subsequent uses.
This trial’s success paves the way for a more patient-friendly approach to managing PSVT, potentially reducing the need for hospital visits and invasive procedures.
As research progresses, etripamil could represent a significant step forward in the treatment of rapid heart rhythm episodes, offering a quick, safe, and convenient solution for patients battling this challenging condition.
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The research findings can be found in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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