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Can a heart drug shield the brain? a trial investigates Vericiguat's potential to slow cognitive decline

NCT ID NCT06601465

Disease control Sponsor: University of Alberta Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether vericiguat, a drug used for heart failure, can also help preserve brain health in people who have both chronic heart failure and mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment. Participants will receive either vericiguat or standard care for 26 weeks. The study uses brain MRI scans to see if the drug can reduce brain tissue loss, which may be linked to cognitive decline.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
vericiguat (Verquvo), a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a treatment that preserves brain function in people with heart failure and cognitive decline.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage pilot trial with a modest number of participants, so results may not be definitive. The drug may not show a clear benefit on brain health, and potential side effects include low blood pressure and interactions with other heart medications.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 120 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jun 2025

Expected to finish

Jul 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Adult patients 2. Established chronic heart failure (≥ 6 months) 3. Mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment (as per the diagnosis of cognitive impairment or a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score 10-25). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients who have contraindications for sGC stimulator and vericiguat therapy (i.e. use of long-acting nitrates, other soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators (e.g., riociguat), or phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5), pregnancy or breast-feeding) 2. Unable to undergo CMR imaging or brain MRI. 3. CMR exclusions: incompatible implantable cardiac device (ICD or CRT), uncontrolled atrial fibrillation or recurrent ventricular arrhythmias). 4. General medical conditions: uncontrolled thyroid disorders, hepatic failure, or myocardial revascularization procedures \[coronary angioplasty and/or surgical revascularization in the previous 3 months\], cancer/malignancy, or with severe dementia). 5. Patients with allergies to the study products. 6. Patients currently hospitalized.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Cognitive Dysfunction congestive heart failure heart failure

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cognitive impairment Heart failure

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    4 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • McGill University Health Center

    NOT_YET_RECRUITING

    Montreal, Quebec, Canada

  • University of Alberta

    RECRUITING

    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  • University of Calgary

    RECRUITING

    Calgary, Alberta, Canada

  • University of Ottawa

    RECRUITING

    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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