Primary Prevent-VT (Version 1.0)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Primary Preventive VT Ablation in High-risk Patients Who Receive a Prophylactic ICD
IRAS ID
357942
Contact name
Ilan Goldenberg
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Rochester Medical Center
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
People with weakened hearts due to prior heart attacks (ischemic cardiomyopathy) are at risk of sudden death from dangerous fast heart rhythms called ventricular tachycardia (VT). Many of these patients are offered an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a small device placed under the skin that can shock the heart back into a normal rhythm if VT occurs. While ICDs save lives, the shocks are painful, frightening, and linked with a poorer quality of life.
Another treatment option is a catheter procedure called ablation, where thin wires are guided into the heart to find and treat the abnormal tissue that causes VT. Ablation is safe and widely used, but is usually done only after repeated ICD shocks.
The PRIMARY PREVENT-VT trial is designed to test whether performing ablation early, before patients experience ICD shocks, is better than ICD alone.
This is a prospective, multicentre, randomized study enrolling 62 adults across up to 20 specialist hospitals in Europe, including NHS hospitals in the UK. All participants will be receiving an ICD for the first time. They will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
ICD plus preventive ablation (within 3 months of implant), or
ICD alone with standard medical care.Both groups will be followed for at least 12 months, with clinic visits or remote monitoring at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Researchers will measure how many VT episodes occur, how often ICD shocks are delivered, whether patients are hospitalized, and how their quality of life changes.
The study is sponsored by the University of Rochester Medical Center, with funding from Abbott, and coordinated by its Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center.
This trial will provide significant evidence on whether early ablation can reduce shocks, improve quality of life, and lower hospital admissions for people receiving ICDs.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/WM/0220
Date of REC Opinion
30 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion