The coronary artery disease trial landscape in 2026
Coronary artery disease remains the world's leading cause of death and one of the most heavily resourced areas of cardiovascular clinical development. With statins and PCSK9 inhibitors managing LDL-C, the current frontier has shifted to residual inflammatory risk (colchicine, IL-6 inhibitors), elevated Lp(a) (siRNA and ASO approaches), and, most commercially exciting, GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists demonstrating direct cardioprotective effects beyond weight loss.
The LEADER, EMPA-REG OUTCOME, and now SURPASS-CVOT trials established that metabolic agents reduce MACE independent of glucose control. Novo Nordisk's SELECT trial (semaglutide in non-diabetic CVD patients) reset the cardiovascular indication landscape for GLP-1s. Now, the race is on to determine which mechanism, Lp(a) lowering, targeted anti-inflammation, or next-generation incretin therapy, delivers the next cardiovascular outcomes blockbuster.
Key CAD program categories to monitor:
- Lp(a) reduction: Pelacarsen (AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx, HORIZON outcomes trial), olpasiran, zerlasiran, the most watched outcomes studies in CV right now
- Residual inflammatory risk: Colchicine, canakinumab successors, IL-6 pathway inhibitors, and NF-κB-targeting approaches
- GLP-1/GIP in CVD: Semaglutide and tirzepatide extension into non-diabetic CAD populations, heart failure prevention studies
- PCSK9 combination approaches: Inclisiran (siRNA) combinations, novel PCSK9 inhibitor formulations
- Coronary imaging and physiology: HeartFlow FFR-CT, IVUS-guided intervention, intravascular imaging outcome studies
- Cell/gene therapy for CAD: Early-phase programs targeting angiogenesis, cardiac repair after MI
Get daily coronary artery disease trial digest
Filtered by mechanism, phase, and sponsor. Clean daily digest. Free plan, no credit card required.
Get the Free DigestA primary completion date pushed out, enrollment cut, or a primary endpoint changed in the last 90 days. Active trials only.
| Trial | Warning signs | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Intraoperative Ultrasound Assessment of Coronary Artery and Bypass Graft Blood… NCT07700524 | Primary completion moved at least 10 months later Primary endpoint reworded Enrollment reduced 50% | Not Yet Recruiting |
67 more on the Trials at Risk page. See which trials →
Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials with a primary completion date in the next 180 days, as ClinicalTrials.gov estimates it today. Active trials only.
| Trial | Scheduled | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Coronary Computed Tomography Study to Assess the Effect of Inclisiran in… NCT05360446 | Oct 26, 2026 · Estimated | Phase 3 |
10 more on the Completions page. See the calendar →
What DataLookout monitors for CAD
Configure your profile with keywords as specific or broad as your intelligence needs require. Examples:
- By condition subtype: "stable coronary artery disease", "acute coronary syndrome", "STEMI", "chronic coronary syndrome"
- By mechanism: "Lp(a) CAD", "IL-6 coronary artery disease", "GLP-1 cardiovascular", "PCSK9 inhibitor CAD"
- By intervention type: "coronary revascularization", "PCI coronary artery", "CABG outcomes", "stent CAD"
- Phase filter: Phase 3 outcomes trials for MACE readouts, or all phases for complete pipeline visibility
Who uses CAD trial monitoring
Cardiovascular BD and strategy teams
Companies with cardiovascular franchises monitor the CAD clinical landscape for competitive intelligence and in-licensing opportunities. The Lp(a) space is particularly active, with multiple Phase 3 outcomes trials in progress from AstraZeneca (pelacarsen via AKCEA), Amgen (olpasiran), and Silence Therapeutics (zerlasiran). Understanding which program is furthest along and what their enrollment is progressing affects BD valuations and competitive strategy.
Medtech and device companies
Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and emerging coronary imaging companies (HeartFlow, ACIST Medical) monitor device and imaging trials continuously. The HeartFlow ADVANCE trial studying FFR-CT-guided revascularization is one of the more commercially consequential CAD device trials in 2026. Medtech BD teams use daily trial monitoring to track competitive interventional programs.
Cardiovascular investors and analysts
Analysts covering cardiovascular therapeutics use Phase 3 initiations and enrollment updates as leading indicators. An Lp(a)-lowering outcomes trial hitting enrollment milestones earlier than expected, or a GLP-1 combination entering a large Phase 3 CAD outcomes study, can precede material valuation events.
Frequently asked questions
1249 active trials, 642 recruiting.
Industry sponsors run 158 of these trials. The rest are run by universities, hospitals, government bodies and other non-commercial sponsors. The table below lists the 5 largest of 98.
| Top industry sponsor | Active trials |
|---|---|
| Genoss Co., Ltd. | 9 |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals | 6 |
| Biotronik AG | 5 |
| HeartFlow, Inc. | 5 |
| Biosensors Europe SA | 4 |
View the full Coronary Artery Disease pipeline on the dashboard
| Trial | Status | Latest tracked change | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Impact of DCB-based Versus DES-based Intervention in Patients With… NCT07539324 | Recruiting | Interventions modified | 2026-10-10 |
| Klotho Gene, Red Complex Bacteria and Periodontal Viruses in Patients With and… NCT07504744 | Not Yet Recruiting | Completion pushed from Nov 9, 2026 to Dec 9, 2026 | 2026-10-09 |
| ANGiographic Evaluation of Left Main Coronary Artery INtErvention NCT04604197 | Active, Not Recruiting | Completion pushed from Apr 1, 2026 to Apr 30, 2027 | 2026-10-09 |
| Intravascular Lithotripsy With or Without Rotational Atherectomy for Coronary… NCT07000045 | Active, Not Recruiting | Completion moved earlier from Dec 31, 2027 to Aug 11, 2027 | 2026-10-09 |
| Noninferiority Trial Of Sirolimus With Ascorbic Acid Versus Everolimus in… NCT07566091 | Recruiting | Start date changed from estimate of Oct 15, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026 | 2026-10-08 |
Each trial page shows every change DataLookout has recorded for that trial.
DataLookout checks ClinicalTrials.gov every day and records what changed on each trial: status, enrollment, phase, primary endpoint, completion dates, sites, sponsor, and the stated reason a trial stopped. Add a sponsor or a disease to your watchlist, or save any search, and the changes arrive in a daily or weekly email digest.
Free, $0 forever: 1 sponsor + 1 disease watchlist, 1 saved search in your email digest, track up to 5 individual trials, daily change detection, Trials at Risk (top 2 trials), the weekly report (top 3 trials). No credit card.
Pro, $49/month or $490/year: 10 sponsor + 10 disease watchlists, 10 saved searches in your email digest, track up to 25 individual trials, full Trials at Risk list, Completions calendar, the full weekly report, landscape reports, CSV export.