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CompletedNCT02830360VANISH2Updated Aug 1, 2024

Antiarrhythmics or Ablation for Ventricular Tachycardia 2

A Phase 4 interventional study of Antiarrythmic Drug Therapy and Catheter ablation in Ventricular Tachycardia (VT), sponsored by John Sapp. Completed at 22 sites in 3 countries. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-01.

Sponsored by John Sapp · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
416
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

A multicenter, randomized clinical trial to assess whether catheter ablation or antiarrhythmic drug therapy provides the most effective control of important clinical outcomes for patients with prior myocardial infarction and sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Read the detailed description

Implantable Defibrillators (ICDs) reduce sudden death and can terminate some VT without shocks, but they don't prevent VT; the most appropriate strategy to suppress VT remains unknown. Two randomized clinical trials have suggested that catheter ablation can significantly reduce the incidence of subsequent VT in patients after an initial episode. Neither trial, however, compared catheter ablation to active antiarrhythmic drug therapy. Randomized trials of antiarrhythmic drug therapy have demonstrated that therapy with either sotalol or amiodarone can reduce recurrent VT. Both antiarrhythmic drug and ablation therapy suffer from imperfect efficacy and the potential for significant side-effects. No study has compared ablation to drug therapy for first-line treatment. The VANISH study which compared ablation to aggressive antiarrhythmic drug therapy for patients who have failed initial drug therapy was published in May 2016, and demonstrated that for patients with drug-refractory VT, catheter ablation was superior to escalation of antiarrhythmic drug therapy. Benefits were seen in the group which had VT despite amiodarone. Event rates were similar between amiodarone and sotalol for patients with VT occurring despite sotalol, who were randomized to either new initiation of amiodarone or catheter ablation. These results do not address the clinical question of the most appropriate first line therapy for suppression of VT in persons with prior myocardial infarction, an ICD and VT.

The trial hypothesis is: catheter ablation will, in comparison to antiarrhythmic drug therapy reduce the composite outcome of death at any time, appropriate ICD shock after 14 days, ventricular tachycardia storm after 14 days or treated sustained ventricular tachycardia below the detection rate of the ICD for patients with prior myocardial infarction and sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia.

02

Conditions studied

  • Ventricular Tachycardia (VT)

Keywords

  • Antiarrhythmic drug therapy
  • VT Catheter ablation
  • ICD Therapy
  • Ischemic Heart Disease
03

In context

Tachycardia

623 studies on the registry are indexed under Tachycardia; 81 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 416 is above the median of 64 across 379 interventional studies indexed under Tachycardia.

Browse Tachycardia studies →

Lead sponsor

John Sapp is the lead sponsor of 6 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Prior Myocardial Infarction and
  • One of the following VT events while not being treated with amiodarone, sotalol, or another class I or class III antiarrhythmic drug) within the last 6 months:

    • Sustained monomorphic VT documented on 12-lead ECG or rhythm strip terminated by pharmacologic means or DC cardioversion
    • ≥3 episodes of VT treated with antitachycardia pacing (ATP), at least one of which was symptomatic
    • ≥ 5 episodes of VT treated with antitachycardia pacing (ATP) regardless of symptoms
    • ≥1 appropriate ICD shocks,
    • ≥3 VT episodes within 24 hours

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent.
  • Active ischemia (acute thrombus diagnosed by coronary angiography, or dynamic ST segment changes demonstrated on ECG) or another reversible cause of VT (e.g. drug-induced arrhythmia), had recent acute coronary syndrome within 30 days, coronary revascularization (\<90 days bypass surgery, \<30 days percutaneous coronary intervention), or have CCS functional class IV angina. Note that biomarker level elevation alone after ventricular arrhythmias does not denote acute coronary syndrome or active ischemia.
  • Are ineligible to take the antiarrhythmic drug to which they would be assigned due to allergy, intolerance or contraindication
  • Are known to have protruding left ventricular thrombus or mechanical aortic and mitral valves
  • Have had a prior catheter ablation procedure for VT
  • Presenting arrhythmia: polymorphic VT or ventricular fibrillation (VF)
  • Are in renal failure (Creatinine clearance \<15 mL/min), have NYHA Functional class IV heart failure, or a systemic illness likely to limit survival to \<1 year
  • Have had recent ST elevation myocardial infarction or non-ST elevation MI (\< 30 days); note that biomarker elevation alone after ventricular arrhythmias does not denote MI.
  • Are pregnant.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
416 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    VT catheter ablation

    Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia

    Procedure: Catheter ablation

  • Active comparator
    Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy

    Patients will be prescribed either oral amiodarone or sotalol daily (dosage and frequency to be determined based on patient's clinical presentation at the time of the qualifying arrhythmia).

    Drug: Antiarrythmic Drug Therapy

Interventions

  • DrugAntiarrythmic Drug Therapy

    Patients will be prescribed antiarrhythmic drugs (either amiodarone or sotalol based on specific clinical presentation, including medical history, functional class, ejection fraction, and renal function.)

    Also known as: Amiodarone (Cordarone) or Sotalol (Sotacor)

  • ProcedureCatheter ablation

    Intracardiac electrode catheters are placed via central vasculature to identify myocardial scar, and surviving conduction channels within the scar which form the substrate for ventricular tachycardia. Radiofrequency energy is applied to these sites, interrupting the VT circuits.

    Also known as: VT ablation

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. All-cause mortality

    Time to any death occurring at any time post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  2. Appropriate ICD shock at least 14 days post randomization

    Time to first appropriate ICD shock after 14 days post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  3. VT storm at least 14 days post randomization

    Time to 3 or more episodes of VT within 24 hours

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  4. Sustained VT requiring treatment at least 14 days post randomziation

    Time to any sustained VT greater below the detection rate of the ICD requiring cardioversion (electrical or chemical) or manual ICD therapy at least 14 days post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

Secondary outcomes

  1. All-cause mortality at any time

    Time to any death occurring at any time post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  2. Appropriate ICD ATP at any time or after 14 days

    any appropriate therapy delivered from the ICD at least 14 days post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  3. Appropriate shocks at any time or after 14 days

    appropriate ICD shocks at any time post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  4. VT storm at any time or after 14 days

    3 or more episodes of VT occurring within 24 hours at any time post randomization; including incessant VT

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  5. Sustained VT not treated by ICD at any time or after 14 days

    any sustained VT greater than 30 seconds captured on a rhythm strip, monitor zone, holter monitor, or 12 lead ECG

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  6. Time to sustained VT treated with appropriate any type of manual cardioversion after 14 days

    Any sustained VT greater than 30 seconds requiring manual cardioversion (ICD, external or pharmacologic)

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  7. Inappropriate ICD shocks at any time or after 14 days

    all inappropriate shocks from the ICD at any time post randomization

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  8. Any ICD shock at any time or after 14 days

    Both appropriate and inappropriate shocks from the ICD at any time post randomization

    Time frame: 6 years (including pilot study data)

  9. Any ventricular arrhythmia event at any time or after 14 days (composite of appropriate ATP, appropriate shock, sustained VT not treated by ICD, external cardioversion, or pharmacologic cardioversion)

    All ventricular arrhythmias including a composite of: appropriate ATP, appropriate shock, sustained VT not treated by ICD, external cardioversion, or pharmacologic cardioversion), VT storm/incessant VT.

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  10. Number of ICD shocks (all cause)

    the number of all shocks from any cause will be calculated

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  11. Number of Anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP)

    The total of all ATP delivered from the ICD will be calculated

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  12. Number of ICD appropriate therapy

    Total number of therapies which received appropriate ICD therapy

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  13. Number of VT storm events

    Total number of VT storms (3 episodes of VT within 24 hours)/ incessant VT will be calculated

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  14. Number of sustained VT events

    Total number of sustained VT (greater than 30 seconds)

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  15. Number of ventricular arrhythmia events

    This is a composite of appropriate ATP, appropriate shock, sustained VT not treated by ICD, external cardioversion, or pharmacologic cardioversion, or VT storm/incessant VT. VT events which do not terminate despite exhausting ICD therapies will be considered incessant VT and included within the definition of VT storm.

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  16. Hospital admission for cardiac causes

    Hospitalizations greater than 24 hours due to a cardiovascular cause.

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  17. Ablation procedural complications or antiarrhythmic drug adverse effects (this may require a separate substudy, depending on data complexity)

    Periprocedural complications and adverse drug reactions will be assessed

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  18. Serious adverse events

    Serious events is any event which causes death, hospitalization, is life threatening and is directly related to the study treatment.

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  19. Side effects from anti-arrhythmic medication

    Any dose change or discontinuation of anti-arrhythmic medication due to abnormal blood tests (including kidney function, liver function, thyroid function) or any perceived side effects.

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  20. Quality of life - SF36

    Will include responses from the Short Form 36

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  21. Quality of life - EQ5D

    Will include responses from the Euroquol 5D questionnaire

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data))

  22. Quality of life - HADS

    Will include responses from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale quesionnaire

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  23. Cost-effectiveness

    Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) will be derived from the case report forms and the questionnaires

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  24. Escalation and De-escalation of antiarrhythmic medication

    Any increase or decrease in the dosage of antiarrhythmic medication either due to inefficacy or side effects will be assessed.

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

  25. ICD Revision

    Surgical revisions to implanted defibrillators at any time

    Time frame: 8 years (including pilot study data)

07

Study locations

22 sites
  • Hartford General Hospital
    Hartford, Connecticut 06102, United States
  • Vanderbilt University Hospital
    Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
  • Foothills Hospital
    Calgary, Alberta T2W 1S7, Canada
  • University of Alberta Hospital
    Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2B7, Canada
  • Interior Health Authority
    Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 1T2, Canada
  • St. Paul's Hospital
    Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 1M7, Canada
  • Royal Jubilee Hospital
    Victoria, British Columbia V8R 1J8, Canada
  • Nova Scotia Health Authority
    Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3A7, Canada
  • Hamilton Health Sciences Center
    Hamilton, Ontario L8L 8E7, Canada
  • Queen's University Health Sciences Centre
    Kingston, Ontario K7L 2V7, Canada
  • St. Mary's Hospital
    Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1B2, Canada
  • London Health Sciences Centre
    London, Ontario N6A 5A5, Canada
  • University of Ottawa Heart Institute
    Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4W7, Canada
  • St. Michael's Hospital
    Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
  • Montreal Heart Institute
    Montreal, Quebec H1T 1C8, Canada
  • McGill University Health Center
    Montreal, Quebec H3H 1A4, Canada
  • Centre Hospitalier de l'Universitaire de Montreal
    Montréal, Quebec H2X 0A9, Canada
  • Sacre-Coeur Hospital
    Montréal, Quebec H4J 1C5, Canada
  • Institut Universitaire de cardiologie et pneumologie de Quebec - Laval University Hosptial
    Quebec CIty, Quebec G1V 4G5, Canada
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke
    Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 5N4, Canada
  • Hopitaux de Bordeaux
    Bordeaux, Acquitaine 33604, France
  • CHU - University Hospital Nancy
    Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle 54511, France
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Kheiri B, Barbarawi M, Zayed Y, Hicks M, Osman M, Rashdan L, Kyi HH, Bachuwa G, Hassan M, Stecker EC, Nazer B, Bhatt DL. Antiarrhythmic Drugs or Catheter Ablation in the Management of Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2019 Nov;12(11):e007600. doi: 10.1161/CIRCEP.119.007600. Epub 2019 Nov 8. PubMed 31698933 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 1, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02830360
Lead sponsor
John Sapp
Collaborators
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Abbott Medical Devices, Biosense Webster, Inc., Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada, Abbott, Nova Scotia Health Authority
Responsible party
John Sapp (Staff Physician, Division of Cardiology, Nova Scotia Health Authority) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Jul 12, 2016
Start date
Oct 2016
Primary completion
Jun 6, 2024
Completion
Jun 30, 2024
Last update
Aug 1, 2024

Study contacts

John L Sapp, MD FRCPC
principal investigator · Nova Scotia Health Authority
Ratika Parkash, MD MSc FRCPC
study director · Nova Scotia Health Authoriry
Anthony L Tang, MD FRCPC
study director · London Health Sciences Centre
George A Wells, BSc MSc PhD
study director · Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation
William G Stevenson, MD
study director · Brigham and Women's Hospital
Jeff Healey, MD FRCPC
study director · Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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