The effect of sacubitril/valsartan vs. valsartan on changes in NT-proBNP, safety, and tolerability in HFpEF patients with a WHF event (HFpEF decompensation) who had been stabilized and initiated at the time of or within 30 days post-decompensation.

This study used a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled, parallel group design conducted across 100 centers in the US and Canada. The study duration was a maximum of 20 months (minimum follow up was 8 weeks).

Randomized patients were deemed hemodynamically stabilized and needed to meet all inclusion and none of the exclusion criteria. Patients were randomized 1:1 to LCZ696 or valsartan. Initial dose at randomization was determined based on the patient's previous dose of or lack of ACEi/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) immediately prior to current worsening heart failure (WHF) event (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction [HFpEF]) decompensation, or at the time of post-decompensation randomization.

LCZ696 dose or valsartan dose levels may have been increased to the targeted desired dose of 97/103 mg [200 mg] BID or valsartan 160 mg BID on an every 2-week basis or earlier based on clinical need and investigator judgment. Every effort was made to titrate to and maintain patients on the target dose level, as tolerated by the patient.

To maintain the blinding, patients were required to take their assigned active treatment tablet along with placebo matching the opposite treatment BID.

The protocol had 4 amendments. Protocol Version 00 (Original Protocol) included a double-blind phase through Week 8 followed by an open-label phase during Weeks 8 to 12. Protocol Amendment 01 omitted the open-label phase and followed patients for a maximum of 20 months in a double-blinded treatment phase. Throughout all protocol versions, the primary endpoint remained the time-averaged proportional change in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) from Baseline to Weeks 4 and 8. The most recent protocol amendment (Amendment 04) reduced the sample size to approximately 450 patients (from 800) with 85% power for the primary endpoint, deemphasizing the statistical power for key secondary clinical endpoints; however, clinical events were still assessed as secondary endpoints.

No efficacy analyses include "OPEN LABEL' data. After Protocol Amendment 01, the open-label option was removed from the study, only the 233 patients randomized in the Double-blind Phase Sacubitril+ Valsartan (LCZ696) and the 233 patients randomized in the Double-blind Phase Valsartan arms were included in the efficacy analysis.

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Signed informed consent must be obtained prior to participation in the study

2. Patients >=18 years of age, male or female

3. Current hospitalization for Worsening Heart Failure (WHF) (HFpEF decompensation), or within 30 days of discharge following a WHF event (defined as hospitalization, emergency department (ED) visit or out-of-hospital urgent HF visit, all requiring IV diuretics). Patients with a diagnosis of acute heart failure had to have symptoms and signs of fluid overload (i.e. jugular venous distention, edema or rales on auscultation or pulmonary congestion on chest x-ray). Eligible patients were randomized after IV diuresis for HFpEF is given (and no earlier than 36 hours from their last ACEi dose if applicable) and within 30 days post-decompensation after presentation with acute HFpEF decompensation and meeting the following definitions of hemodynamic stability:

   Randomized patients were hemodynamically stable defined in this study as:

   1. SBP >=100mmHg for the preceding 6 hours prior to randomization; no symptomatic hypotension
   2. No increase (intensification) in IV diuretic dose within last 6 hours prior to randomization
   3. No IV inotropic drugs for 24 hours prior to randomization
   4. No IV vasodilators including nitrates within last 6 hours prior to randomization

4. HFpEF with most recent LVEF > 40% (within past 3 months)

5. Elevated NT-proBNP or BNP at the time of acute HFpEF decompensation or post-decompensation screening (and within 72 hours for out-of-hospital randomization, if applicable):

   1. Patients not in Atrial Fibrillation(AF) at the time of biomarker assessment: NT-proBNP >= 500pg/mL or BNP >= 150 pg/mL; patients in AF at the time of biomarker assessment: NT-proBNP >= 1000pg/mL or BNP >= 300 pg/mL
   2. Patients recruited in-hospital were randomized based on the qualifying local lab value in-hospital NT-proBNP or BNP value.
   3. Patients enrolled post-decompensation can be randomized based on their NT-proBNP or BNP value in the following way:

   i. if enrolling in post-decompensation setting then need eligible screening/local NTproBNP/BNP within 72 hours of randomization. The test value could be from recent hospitalization if within 72 hours or ii. would require (re)drawing NT-proBNP or BNP labs in post-decompensation setting if the lab value is not already available within the last 72 hours).

6) Has not taken an ACEi for 36 hours prior to randomization

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Any clinical event within the 90 days prior to randomization that could have reduced the LVEF (i.e., myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), unless an echo measurement was performed after the event confirming the LVEF to be > 40%
2. Entresto™ (sacubitril/valsartan) usage within the past 60 days
3. eGFR < 20ml/min/1.73 m2 as measured by the simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula at most recent assessment prior to randomization and within 24 hours prior to inpatient randomization or 72 hours prior to outpatient randomization
4. Serum potassium > 5.2 mEq/L at most recent assessment prior to randomization and within 24 hours prior to inpatient randomization or 72 hours prior to outpatient randomization
5. Acute coronary syndrome, stroke, transient ischemic attack; cardiac, carotid or other major CV surgery; percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or carotid angioplasty, within 30 days prior to randomization
6. Probable alternative diagnoses that in the opinion of the investigator could account for the patient's HF symptoms (i.e. dyspnea, fatigue) such as significant pulmonary disease (including primary pulmonary HTN), anemia or obesity.
7. Isolated right HF in the absence of left-sided structural heart disease
8. History of hypersensitivity (i.e. including angioedema), known or suspected contraindications, or intolerance to any of the study drugs including ARNIs (i.e. sacubitril/valsartan), and/or ARBs
9. Patients with a known history of angioedema due to any etiology
10. Patients with a history of heart transplant or LVAD, currently on the transplant list, or with planned intent to implant LVAD or CRT device within the initial three months of enrollment during the trial
11. A cardiac or non-cardiac medical condition other than HF with an estimated life expectancy of < 6 months
12. Known pericardial constriction, genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or infiltrative cardiomyopathy including suspected or confirmed amyloid heart disease (amyloidosis)
13. Life-threatening or uncontrolled dysrhythmia, including symptomatic or sustained ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation or flutter with a resting ventricular rate > 110 bpm
14. Clinically significant congenital heart disease felt to be the cause of the patient's symptoms and signs of HF
15. Coronary or carotid artery disease or valvular heart disease likely to require surgical or percutaneous intervention within the duration of the trial
16. Any surgical or medical condition, which in the opinion of the investigator, may place the patient at higher risk from his/her participation in the study, or is likely to prevent the patient from complying with the requirements of the study or completing the study
17. Known hepatic impairment (as evidenced by total bilirubin > 3 mg/dL, or increased ammonia levels, if performed), or history of cirrhosis with evidence of portal hypertension such as varices
18. Participation in any other clinical trial involving investigational agents or devices within the past 30 days
19. Current confirmed COVID19 infection
20. Past COVID19 infection with persistent symptom burden suspected due to COVID19 (further defined in Section 5.2).
21. Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women, where pregnancy is defined as the state of a female after conception and until the termination of gestation, confirmed by a positive hCG laboratory test.
22. Women of child-bearing potential, defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, unless they are using highly effective methods of contraception during dosing of investigational drug and for 7 days off of study drug. Highly effective contraception methods are defined in protocol.

Novartis is committed to sharing with qualified external researchers, access to patient-level data and supporting clinical documents from eligible studies. These requests are reviewed and approved by an independent review panel on the basis of scientific merit. All data provided is anonymized to respect the privacy of the patients who have participated in the trial in line with applicable laws and regulations. This trial data availability is according to criteria and process described on www.clinicalstudydatarequest.com