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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 3INTERVENTIONAL

Cardiac Sarcoidosis Randomized Trial

Cardiac Sarcoidosis Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial

Cardiac Sarcoidosis Randomized Trial (NCT03593759) is a Phase 3 interventional studying Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Sarcoidosis, sponsored by Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

Prospective randomized controlled trial comparing low dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone)/Methotrexate combination to standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone) in patients diagnosed with acute active clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis and not yet treated. The Investigators hypothesize that low dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone)/Methotrexate combination will be as effective as standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone), and result in significantly better quality of life and less toxicity than standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone).

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 3 trials confirm efficacy and safety in large patient groups (often 300–3,000+) and form the evidence base for an FDA approval submission. For Cardiac Sarcoidosis, Phase 3 studies typically randomize participants between the investigational treatment and either a placebo or current standard of care. A successful Phase 3 result is the threshold most treatments need to clear before regulatory approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 194 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Cardiac Sarcoidosis subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: (i) Cardiac sarcoidosis presenting with one or more of the following clinical findings: - advanced conduction system disease (defined as Mobitz II AV block or third degree AV block) - significant sinus node dysfunction (defined as average HR less than 40bpm when awake and/or sustained atrial arrhythmias) - non- sustained or sustained ventricular arrhythmia - left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF \< 50%) - right ventricular dysfunction (RVEF \< 40%) AND (ii) No alternative explanation for clinical features AND (iii) Nuclear Imaging within six-months of enrollment consisting of FDG-PET scan with FDG uptake suggestive of active CS and myocardial perfusion imaging AND ONE OR BOTH OF FOLLOWING (iv) Positive biopsy for Sarcoid (either EMB or extra-cardiac) (v) CT Chest showing features consistent with pulmonary sarcoidosis and/or mediastinal and/or hilar lymphadenopathy Who Should NOT Join This Trial: 1. Current or recent (within two months) non-topical treatment for sarcoidosis 2. Current Oral/IV treatment of duration greater than 5 days 3. Currently taking Methotrexate or Prednisone for another health condition 4. Intolerance or contra-indication to Methotrexate or Prednisone 5. Patient does not meet all of the above listed inclusion criteria 6. Patient is unable or unwilling to provide willing to sign a consent form 7. Patient is included in another randomized clinical trial 8. Patient has a contraindication to PET imaging or is unlikely to tolerate due to severe claustrophobia 9. Pregnancy (all women of child bearing age and potential will have a negative BHCG test before enrollment) 10. Breastfeeding 11. Women of childbearing age who refuse to use a highly effective and medically acceptable form of contraception throughout the study 12. Patients for whom the investigator believes that the trial is not in the interest of the patient Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: (i) Cardiac sarcoidosis presenting with one or more of the following clinical findings: * advanced conduction system disease (defined as Mobitz II AV block or third degree AV block) * significant sinus node dysfunction (defined as average HR less than 40bpm when awake and/or sustained atrial arrhythmias) * non- sustained or sustained ventricular arrhythmia * left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF \< 50%) * right ventricular dysfunction (RVEF \< 40%) AND (ii) No alternative explanation for clinical features AND (iii) Nuclear Imaging within six-months of enrollment consisting of FDG-PET scan with FDG uptake suggestive of active CS and myocardial perfusion imaging AND ONE OR BOTH OF FOLLOWING (iv) Positive biopsy for Sarcoid (either EMB or extra-cardiac) (v) CT Chest showing features consistent with pulmonary sarcoidosis and/or mediastinal and/or hilar lymphadenopathy Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current or recent (within two months) non-topical treatment for sarcoidosis 2. Current Oral/IV treatment of duration greater than 5 days 3. Currently taking Methotrexate or Prednisone for another health condition 4. Intolerance or contra-indication to Methotrexate or Prednisone 5. Patient does not meet all of the above listed inclusion criteria 6. Patient is unable or unwilling to provide informed consent 7. Patient is included in another randomized clinical trial 8. Patient has a contraindication to PET imaging or is unlikely to tolerate due to severe claustrophobia 9. Pregnancy (all women of child bearing age and potential will have a negative BHCG test before enrollment) 10. Breastfeeding 11. Women of childbearing age who refuse to use a highly effective and medically acceptable form of contraception throughout the study 12. Patients for whom the investigator believes that the trial is not in the interest of the patient

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Prednisone or Prednisolone

Oral prednisone/prednisolone tablet

DRUG

Methotrexate

Oral, subcutaneous, or intramuscular methotrexate

Locations (20)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Yale-New Haven Hospital
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
University of Michigan-Michigan Medicine Cardiovascular Center
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
University of Minnesota
Minneota, Minnesota, United States
Montefiore Medical Center
New York, New York, United States
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Allegheny General Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
St. Paul's Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Eastern Health Health Sciences Centre
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
QE II Health Sciences Centre
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
St. Joseph's Healthcare Centre
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario, Canada
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Montreal Heart Institute
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
CIUSSS-Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec-Université Laval
Québec, Quebec, Canada
CIUSSS de l'Estrie - CHUS - Hôpital Fleurimont
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT03593759), the sponsor (Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT03593759 clinical trial studying?

Prospective randomized controlled trial comparing low dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone)/Methotrexate combination to standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone) in patients diagnosed with acute active clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis and not yet treated. The Investigators hypothesize that low dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone)/Methotrexate combination will be as effective as standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone), and result in significantly better quality of life and less toxicity than standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone). The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT03593759?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT03593759?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT03593759. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT03593759. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.