Sussex hospital leads UK trial of potential heart failure and obesity treatment

St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester has become the first UK site to open a clinical trial investigating a potential new treatment for people living with both heart failure and obesity.

The three-year, industry-sponsored Phase 3b study will compare the investigational treatment with a placebo to assess whether it can improve patients’ health outcomes. The treatment remains experimental and its safety and effectiveness must be established through the trial.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust opened the study 18 days after the site was selected. Its research team later enrolled the first participant and randomised the first two UK participants into the study.

Heart failure affects about one million people across the UK and is a leading cause of hospital admission among older adults. Obesity can increase the risk of developing the condition and make it harder to manage.

Recruitment is continuing at St Richard’s, with the hospital reportedly ahead of its target. The research is being delivered through the NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centre in Sussex, which aims to give local patients earlier access to clinical studies of medicines, devices and healthcare technologies.

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