Overview

Researchers are looking for a better way to treat people who have chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a long-term condition that occurs when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. This results in a reduced supply of the oxygen that the body requires to function properly. The common symptoms of HFrEF include breathlessness, weakness, fatigue, and swelling in the ankles and legs. If left untreated, heart failure can lead to other serious health problems, including damage to other organs, which may result in hospital stays or even death.

Vericiguat is an approved drug for use in people with chronic HFrEF. It works by activating a protein called soluble guanylate cyclase, which helps dilating the blood vessels and in turn improves heart function.

Currently, treatment with vericiguat starts at a daily dose of 2.5 milligrams (mg), which increases to 5 mg after 2 weeks. The dose is then increased to the target dose of 10 mg after another 2 weeks.

In this study, researchers are trying to learn how well participants can tolerate and how safe it is to start vericiguat at a dose of 5 mg. Starting directly at the 5 mg dose is expected to help reach the target dose of 10 mg faster. Participants will take vericiguat 5 mg as a tablet by mouth once daily along with their regular heart medications.

At the start of the study, study doctors will check participants' medical history and perform full health check-ups to confirm if they can take part in the study. Throughout the study, study doctors will monitor participants' previous and current medications, their heart health, and their overall well-being. This will help researchers assess how safe the study drug is and if they experience adverse events. An adverse event is any medical problem that a participant has during a study. Doctors keep track of all adverse events, irrespective of whether they think they are related to the study treatment.

Access to study treatment after the end of this study is not planned. Everyone, including study doctors and participants, will know what drug the participants receive during the study. Participants may be in the study for about 4 weeks.

Participants may not benefit from the treatment as the study is designed to assess safety and tolerability: the duration of the study is very short and participants will be taking a low dose of vericiguat without moving to the target dose of 10 mg during the study. However, the findings of this study may enable people with chronic HFrEF to safely skip one initial dosing step and reach the target dose of vericiguat faster.

Participants may experience medical problems such as low blood pressure, upset stomach, nausea, dizziness, and headache. Researchers will monitor and manage all these, and other, medical problems participants may have during the study.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Has an Left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) of <45% assessed within 12 months before Visit 1 by local any imaging method, and no subsequent LVEF measurement > 45%. The most recent measurement must be used to determine eligibility.
• systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 100 mmHg at screening and Visit 1 (pre-treatment).
• No changes in guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure (GDMT) dosing (including beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/ angiotensin II receptor blocker (ACEI/ARBs), angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRAs), hydralazine-nitrate combinations, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 i(SGLT2) inhibitors, ivabradine, or oral diuretics):
  • Within 4 weeks of screening for participants without a heart failure (HF) event ≤6 months prior to screening
  • within 2 weeks of screening for participants with a HF event ≤6 months prior to screening
  • planned during study participation
• No expected medical procedures to occur 2 weeks before screening or during study

  participation.

• Participants with ( group 1) OR without (group 2) recent worsening HF event Group 1: History of chronic HF (NYHA class II symptomatic-IV) on GDMT with recent HFevent within 6 months of screening or outpatient IV / SC diuretic use within 3 months before screening.

        OR Group 2: History of chronic HF (NYHA class II symptomatic-IV) on GDMT without recent HF
        event within 6 months of screening or outpatient intravenous/ subcutaneous (IV / SC)
        diuretic use within 3 months before screening.
        Exclusion Criteria:
          -  History of symptomatic hypotension 4 weeks before screening
          -  Primary valvular heart disease requiring surgical procedure or intervention or has
             undergone a vascular surgical procedure or intervention within 3months before visit 1
          -  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
          -  Acute myocarditis or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy
          -  Awaiting heart transplantation (United Network for Organ Sharing Class 1A /1B or
             equivalent) or has or anticipates receiving an implanted ventricular assist device, or
             has received a heart transplant.
          -  Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy and/or uncontrolled tachyarrhythmia.
          -  Acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction
             (NSTEMI), or ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), undergone coronary artery
             bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 3months
             before Visit 1, or indication for coronary revascularization at the time of treatment
             assignment.
          -  Symptomatic carotid stenosis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or stroke within 3
             months before Visit 1.
          -  History of repaired or unrepaired simple congenital heart disease (e.g., atrial or
             ventricular septal defects, or patent ductus arteriosus) with ongoing hemodynamically
             significant residual lesions, or any history of complex congenital heart disease (e.g.
             tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, single ventricle disease)
             regardless of repair status.
          -  Active endocarditis or constrictive pericarditis.
          -  Hemodynamic instability or hypovolemia within 4 weeks of screening and during the
             screening period.
          -  Currently hospitalized.
          -  estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on the Chronic Kidney Disease
             Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) Creatinine Equation of <15 mL/min/1.73 m2 within
             30 days before Visit 1 or on chronic dialysis. For participants with multiple eGFR
             results during screening, the most recent value will be used to determine eligibility.
          -  Severe hepatic insufficiency defined as albumin to bilirubin ratio (ALBI) Grade 3 or
             hepatic encephalopathy, or has hepatic laboratory abnormalities (alanine
             aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥3 ×upper limit of normal
             (ULN) or total bilirubin ≥2 × ULN). Exceptions for Gilbert's syndrome will be
             considered. Albumin, ALT, AST, and total bilirubin results within 30 days before Visit
             1 may be used for assessment of laboratory abnormalities or the calculation of the
             ALBI score. For participants with multiple albumin and/or total bilirubin results
             during screening, the most recent value for each test will be used to calculate ALBI
             score.
          -  Malignancy or other noncardiac condition limiting life expectancy to <3years.
          -  Requires continuous home oxygen for severe pulmonary disease.
          -  Interstitial lung disease.
          -  Known allergy or hypersensitivity to vericiguat, any of its constituents, or any other
             soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator.
          -  Amyloidosis or sarcoidosis.
          -  Concurrent or anticipated concomitant use of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5)
             inhibitors such as vardenafil, tadalafil, and sildenafil during the study.
          -  Concurrent use of an sGC stimulator such as riociguat or vericiguat.
          -  Prior (within 2 weeks prior to screening) or anticipated concomitant administration of
             IV / SC diuretics or inotropes.