What the trial was testing
The MAPLE-HCM enrolled 175 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The study was sponsored by Cytokinetics and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Aficamten improved peak oxygen uptake by 2.3 ml/kg/min more than metoprolol.
The New England journal of medicine · 2025 · NCT05767346
These findings — that people on aficamten gained more exercise capacity than those on the standard treatment — were published in the The New England journal of medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 175 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Aficamten is FDA-approved for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This trial showed it works better than metoprolol (a standard beta-blocker) at improving exercise capacity and quality of life. If you have this condition, ask your cardiologist whether aficamten might be right for you.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open hypertrophic cardiomyopathy trials
AI-Enabled Direct-from-ECG Ejection Fraction (EF) Severity Assessment Using COR ECG Wearable Monitor
This prospective, multicenter, cluster-randomized controlled study aims to evaluate the accuracy of an investigational artificial intelligence (AI) Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) designed to compute ejection fraction (EF) severity categories based on the American Society of Echocardiography's (ASE) 4-category scale. The software analyzes continuous ECG waveform data acquired by the FDA-cleared Peerbridge COR® ECG Wearable Monitor, an ambulatory patch device designed for use during daily activities. The AI software assists clinicians in cardiac evaluations by estimating EF severity, which reflects how well the heart pumps blood. In this study, EF severity determination will be made using 5-minute ECG recordings collected during a 15-minute resting period with participants seated upright. The results will be compared to EF severity obtained from an FDA-cleared, non-contrast transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) predicate device. This comparison aims to validate the accuracy of the AI software.
A 10-Minute Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Protocol for Cardiac Disease
This study aims to identify and assess new CMR techniques that can improve current CMR protocols.