Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company have announced an academic research collaboration with the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) on a new trial, EMPAgliflozin for the prevention of Chronic heart failure and morTality after an acute Myocardial Infarction (EMPACT-MI). 
The collaboration will investigate whether empagliflozin can improve outcomes and prevent heart failure in adults with and without diabetes who have had an acute myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack. This randomized clinical trial will be conducted, analyzed and reported in partnership with the DCRI, with Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly providing funding.
EMPACT-MI will include approximately 3,300 adults across at least 16 countries who have had an acute myocardial infarction. The primary endpoint of the trial is to assess the effect of empagliflozin on all-cause mortality and hospitalization for heart failure. The trial will be part of the EMPOWER program, the broadest and most comprehensive clinical trial program exploring the impact of empagliflozin on the lives of people with cardio-renal-metabolic conditions.
“This collaboration represents an important step in understanding how to safeguard and protect the lives of patients with acute myocardial infarction,” said Dr Adrian Hernandez,Co-Chair of the EMPACT-MI trial and DCRI Executive Director.
He added, “Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death in cardiology, and this is the first trial in the SGLT2 inhibitor class to investigate the potential to increase survival and decrease progression to heart failure in people who have had a recent myocardial infarction.”
Javed Butler, Chair of the EMPACT-MI trial and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Mississippi, added, “We are delighted to lead the EMPACT-MI trial to find out whether empagliflozin could become a new standard of care option to improve the outcomes and lives of people with acute myocardial infarction.”
Pragmatic clinical trials focus on the relationship between treatments and outcomes in real-world health system practice. This partnership will leverage the DCRI’s experience in pragmatic trials by implementing innovative and efficient trial elements, including remote follow-up and a focused data collection approach, which enable a strong patient focus while maintaining high data quality.

The collaboration will investigate whether empagliflozin can improve outcomes and prevent heart failure in adults with and without diabetes