ResMed completes recruitment for heart failure trial

ResMed (ASX:RMD) has completed recruitment for a large-scale study of sleep-disordered breathing treatment in patients with stable heart failure.

The SERVE-HF study will examine whether treatment of central sleep apnoea improves survival and outcomes of heart failure patients.

ResMed said the international randomised trial will involve 1325 participants, making it the world’s largest study of sleep-disordered breathing therapy in heart failure to date.

SERVE-HF is being conducted across around 80 sites in Germany, France, the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

Patients will be treated with ResMed’s PaceWave Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV) system during sleep, to determine whether this approach can increase survival rates in heart failure patients by normalising breathing and improving cardiac function.

Trial co-principal investigator Professor Martin Cowie of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London said the study also has more wide-ranging goals.

“The aim of SERVE-HF is to not only assess survival rates, but also to see if ASV improves quality of life, sleep and physiologic changes associated with heart failure,” he said.

An estimated 30-50% of heart failure patients are potentially at risk of central sleep apnoea. These patients often have a poorer quality of life and increased mortality.

SERVE-HF commenced in 2008 and is scheduled for completion in 2016.

ResMed separately announced the launch of a new addition to its sleep-disordered breathing range. The Swift FX Nano nasal mask is designed for use in positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.

ResMed (ASX:RMD) shares were trading 0.95% higher at $5.29 as of around 1.30 pm on Thursday.