CClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT06844669Updated May 13, 2026

HER2HEART-US: Prevention of Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving HER2-directed Therapy

A Phase 2 interventional study of Carvedilol and Empagliflozin in HER2-positive Breast Cancer and HER2+ Breast Cancer, sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-13.

Sponsored by Washington University School of Medicine · Phase 2, Interventional, and Prevention

Why this study was terminated
Futility
Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
7
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Ten to 15% of patients with breast cancer are HER2 positive, with treatment focused on targeting the HER2 receptor. Although these treatments are generally well tolerated, they are associated with an increased risk of cardiomyopathy. There are currently no treatments proven to prevent the cardiotoxicities associated with HER2-targeted therapy, but there is convincing preclinical data demonstrating that prophylactic treatment with a beta blocker (BB) and/or an SGLT2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) may each independently prevent cardiotoxicity and HER-targeted treatment interruptions.

The proposed pilot study will assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy and safety of therapy with both a beta blocker (carvedilol) and an SGLT2 inhibitor (empagliflozin), alone and in combination, in a population initiating HER2-directed therapy for HER2+ breast cancer.

The hypotheses being tested in this study are:

  1. It is feasible to recruit 20-40 patients over 6 months
  2. There are no differences in tolerability and safety between participants taking carvedilol and/or empagliflozin and those receiving usual care.
02

Conditions studied

  • HER2-positive Breast Cancer
  • HER2+ Breast Cancer

Keywords

  • Breast cancer
  • Cardiotoxicity
  • Heart failure
  • Cardio-oncology
03

In context

Breast Neoplasms

12,544 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 2,892 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 7 is below the median of 72 across 9,303 interventional studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.

Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Washington University School of Medicine is the lead sponsor of 1,765 studies on the registry; 271 are open to participants now.

Of its 324 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 212 (65%) have results posted.

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

  • Histologically or cytologically confirmed HER2+ breast cancer by ASCO/CAP guidelines of any clinical or pathologic stage.
  • Planning to commence standard of care HER2-directed therapy or started HER2-directed therapy within 6 months prior to randomization
  • At least 18 years of age.
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2
  • For patients newly commencing HER2-directed therapy, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50% up to 30 days prior to enrollment detected by echocardiogram. For patients already receiving HER2-directed therapy, LVEF ≥ 50% after the last cycle of therapy prior to enrollment. (Patient will be enrolled at the time of their next cycle after the echocardiogram.)
  • Systolic blood pressure ≥ 100 mmHg and resting heart rate ≥ 60 bpm.
  • eGFR > 30 mL/min/1.73m\^2.
  • Women of childbearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she must inform her treating physician immediately.
  • Patients with an acceptable support system (as determined by the treating medical team).
  • Ability to understand and willingness to sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved written informed consent document. Legally authorized representatives may sign and give informed consent on behalf of study participants.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior exposure to mantle cell lymphoma field radiation.
  • Prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen as determined by the treating physician. Patients with prior or concurrent malignancy that does NOT meet that definition are eligible for this trial.
  • Currently receiving treatment with SGLT2i or BB that cannot be stopped during the duration of study participation. Currently receiving non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that cannot be transitioned to or used in combination with carvedilol.
  • Patients with untreated brain metastases requiring central nervous system directed therapy and interruption of systemic HER2 directed therapy (as determined by the treating medical team.
  • A known history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to carvedilol, empagliflozin, or other agents used in the study.
  • Contraindication to carvedilol or empagliflozin at the discretion of the investigator such as:

    • Bronchial asthma or related bronchospastic conditions where BB would be contraindicated
    • Second- or third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block
    • Sick sinus syndrome
    • Severe bradycardia (unless permanent pacemaker in place)
    • In cardiogenic shock or decompensated heart failure requiring the use of IV inotropic therapy
    • Severe hepatic impairment in setting of cirrhosis that prevents use of carvedilol
  • Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to ongoing or active infection or uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia.
  • Pregnant and/or breastfeeding. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within 14 days of study entry.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Factorial assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
7 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Arm 1: Carvedilol BID

    Carvedilol by mouth twice per day (BID) for 12 weeks.

    Drug: Carvedilol

  • Experimental
    Arm 2: Empagliflozin QD

    Empagliflozin by mouth daily (QD) for 12 weeks.

    Drug: Empagliflozin

  • Experimental
    Arm 3: Carvedilol BID + Empagliflozin QD

    Carvedilol by mouth twice per day (BID) for 12 weeks and empagliflozin by mouth daily (QD) for 12 weeks.

    Drug: Carvedilol · Drug: Empagliflozin

  • No intervention
    Arm 4: Usual Care

    No medications.

Interventions

  • DrugCarvedilol

    6.25 mg with food

    Also known as: Coreg

  • DrugEmpagliflozin

    10 mg in the morning with or without food

    Also known as: Jardiance

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility of HER2HEART as measured by the number of patients enrolled over a 10-month period

    Feasibility is defined as enrollment of 20-40 patients (5-10 per am) over a 10-month recruitment period.

    Time frame: 10 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Tolerability as measured by treatment adherence via self-report

    Time frame: From start of treatment through last day of study treatment (estimated to be 3 months)

  2. Tolerability as measured by incidence of serious adverse events

    Time frame: From start of treatment through last day of study treatment (estimated to be 3 months)

  3. Tolerability as measured by incidence of adverse events of special interest

    * Symptomatic hypotension (systolic blood pressure \<90 mmHg) * Symptomatic bradycardia (heart rate \<50 bpm) * Acute renal dysfunction (eGFR decrease \>30% from baseline) * Syncope * Symptomatic hypoglycemia (blood glucose \<70 mg/dL) * Perineal infection * Urinary tract infection * Diabetic ketoacidosis (commonly accepted criteria are blood glucose \> 250 mg/dL, arterial pH \< 7.3, serum bicarbonate \< 15 mEq/L, and the presence of ketonemia or ketonuria). * Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (diabetic ketoacidosis in the absence of hyperglycemia)

    Time frame: From start of treatment through last day of study treatment (estimated to be 3 months)

  4. Tolerability as measured by number of participants who withdraw from the study due to adverse events

    Time frame: From start of treatment through last day of study treatment (estimated to be 3 months)

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Washington University School of Medicine
    St Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — All of the individual participant data collected during the trial will be shared after deidentification. These requests are reviewed and will be approved by study investigators on the basis of scientific merit.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 13, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06844669
Lead sponsor
Washington University School of Medicine
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Feb 25, 2025
Start date
Apr 16, 2025
Primary completion
Feb 16, 2026
Completion
May 7, 2026
Last update
May 13, 2026

Study contacts

Joshua Mitchell, M.D., MSCI, FAC, FICOS
principal investigator · Washington University School of Medicine

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion