Professorship for Multicenter Clinical Trials

At the CTH, we design, coordinate and conduct academic multicenter clinical trials on thrombotic disorders in collaboration with our European and overseas partners. Our research focuses on advancing and optimizing the risk-adjusted management of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

In ongoing prospective randomized and cohort trials we are investigating:

• advanced reperfusion strategies, including reduced-dose systemic thrombolysis or catheter-directed pharmacomechanical thrombus removal, for risk-adapted treatment of acute severe (intermediate-high-risk) pulmonary embolism

• identification of patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism who may be candidates for early discharge and home treatment

• approoaches to secondary VTE prevention beyond chronic oral anticoagulation, with a focus on modifying the patient’s global cardiovascular risk profile

• reliable, cost-effective algorithms for patient follow-up after pulmonary embolism, aiming at the prevention or early detection of severe late sequelae

• innovative strategies for de-escalation of postoperative primary thromboprophylaxis in parallel to the progress in surgical techniques and early patient mobilization.

Beyond individual clinical research projects, the vision of the professorship for multicenter clinical trials at the CTH is to play a leading role in networking centers of excellence in the field of thrombosis and pulmonary embolism research.

Stavros V. Konstantinides, MD, PhD, FESC
Medical Director of the CTH

CV Stavros Konstantinides (Pdf-file, 588,7 KB)

Team - Clinical Trials

Selected original articles

• Valerio L, Mavromanoli AC, Barco S, […], Konstantinides SV, Rosenkranz S; FOCUS Investigators. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and impairment after pulmonary embolism: the FOCUS study. Eur Heart J 2022;43(36):3387-98

• Farmakis IT, Valerio L, Bikdeli B, […], Barco S. Annual mortality related to pulmonary embolism in the U.S. before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Coll Cardiol 2022;80(16):1579-81

• Farmakis IT, Barco S, Mavromanoli AC, […], Konstantinides SV, Barco S. Cost-of-illness analysis of long-term health care resource use and disease burden in patients with pulmonary embolism: Insights from the PREFER in VTE registry. J Am Heart Assoc 2022;11(20):e027514

• Hobohm L, Farmakis IT, Keller K, […], Konstantinides SV. Pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) implementation and its clinical value across countries: a scoping review and meta-analysis. Clin Res Cardiol 2022:1-11

• Klok FA, Piazza G, Sharp ASP, […], Konstantinides SV. Ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed thrombolysis vs anticoagulation alone for acute intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism: Rationale and design of the HI-PEITHO study. Am Heart J 2022;251:43-53

• Sanchez O, Charles-Nelson A, Ageno W, […], Konstantinides SV, Meyer G; PEITHO Investigators. Reduced-dose intravenous thrombolysis for acute intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism: Rationale and design of the Pulmonary Embolism International THrOmbolysis (PEITHO)-3 trial. Thromb Haemost 2022;122(5):857-66

• Klok FA, Toenges G, Mavromanoli AC, […], Meyer G, Konstantinides SV; PEITHO Investigators. Early switch to oral anticoagulation in patients with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PEITHO-2): a multinational, multicentre, single-arm, phase 4 trial. Lancet Haematol 2021;8(9): e627-e636

• Barco S, Valerio L, Ageno W, […], Konstantinides SV. Age-sex specific pulmonary embolism-related mortality in the USA and Canada, 2000-18: an analysis of the WHO Mortality Database and of the CDC Multiple Cause of Death database. Lancet Respir Med 2021;9(1):33-42

• Barco S, Mahmoudpour SH, Valerio L, […], Konstantinides SV. Trends in mortality related to pulmonary embolism in the European Region, 2000-15: analysis of vital registration data from the WHO Mortality Database. Lancet Respir Med 2020;8(3):277-287

• Barco S, Schmidtmann I, Ageno W, […], Konstantinides SV, Lankeit M; HoT-PE Investigators. Early discharge and home treatment of patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism with the oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban: an international multicentre single-arm clinical trial. Eur Heart J 2020;41(4):509-518

• Bochenek ML, Leidinger C, Rosinus NS, […], Konstantinides S, Schäfer K. Activated endothelial TGFβ1 signaling promotes venous thrombus nonresolution in mice via endothelin-1: Potential role for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Circ Res 2020;126(2):162-181

• Keller K, Hobohm L, Ebner M, Kresoja KP, Münzel T, Konstantinides SV, Lankeit M. Trends in thrombolytic treatment and outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism in Germany. Eur Heart J 2020;41(4):522-529

• Hobohm L, Anušić T, Konstantinides SV, Barco S; HoT-PE Investigators. Ambulatory treatment of low-risk pulmonary embolism in fragile patients: A subgroup analysis of the multinational Home Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism (HoT-PE) Trial. Eur Respir J 2020;56(4). doi: 10.1183/13993003.00663-2020

• Barco S, Mahmoudpour SH, Planquette B, Sanchez O, Konstantinides SV, Meyer G. Prognostic value of right ventricular dysfunction or elevated cardiac biomarkers in patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Heart J 2019;40(11):902-910

• Barco S, Vicaut E, Klok FA, Lankeit M, Meyer G, Konstantinides SV; for the PEITHO Investigators. Improved identification of thrombolysis candidates amongst intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism patients: implications for future trials. Eur Respir J 2018;51(1). doi: 10.1183/13993003.01775-2017

• Konstantinides SV, Vicaut E, Danays T, Becattini C, Bertoletti L, Beyer-Westendorf J, […], Meyer G. Impact of thrombolytic therapy on the long-term outcome of intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017;69(12):1536-1544

• Meyer G, Vicaut E, Danays T, Agnelli G, Becattini C, Beyer-Westendorf J, [….], Konstantinides S; PEITHO Investigators. Fibrinolysis for patients with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism. N Engl J Med 2014;370(15): 1402-1411

Selected guidelines and position papers

• Task Force for the management of, Covid-19 of the European Society of Cardiology: Baigent C, Windecker S, Andreini D, […], Konstantinides SV, et al. European Society of Cardiology guidance for the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease during the COVID-19 pandemic: part 1-epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis. Cardiovasc Res 2022;118(6):1385-412

• Pruszczyk P, Klok FA, Kucher N, […], Konstantinides SV, et al. Percutaneous treatment options for acute pulmonary embolism: a clinical consensus statement by the ESC Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Right Ventricular Function and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions. EuroIntervention 2022;18(8):e623-e38

• Klok FA, Ageno W, Ay C, […], Konstantinides SV, et al. Optimal follow-up after acute pulmonary embolism: a position paper of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Right Ventricular Function, in collaboration with the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology, endorsed by the European Respiratory Society. Eur Heart J 2022;43(3):183-9

Selected editorials & reviews

• Lüscher TF, Davies A, Beer JH, […], Konstantinides SV. Towards personalized antithrombotic management with drugs and devices across the cardiovascular spectrum. Eur Heart J 2022;43(10):940-58

• Konstantinides SV. Thrombotic complications of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2: what pharmacovigilance reports tell us - and what they don't. Eur Respir J 2021;58(1). doi: 10.1183/13993003.01111-2021

• Bikdeli B, Madhavan MV, Jimenez D, Chuich T, Dreyfus I, Driggin E, […], Konstantinides SV, Weitz JI, Lip GYH. COVID-19 and thrombotic or thromboembolic disease: Implications for prevention, antithrombotic therapy, and follow-up. J Am Coll Cardiol 2020;75(23):2950-2973

• Meyer G, Konstantinides S. Should oral anticoagulation be discontinued after 3 months in the setting of a first high-risk pulmonary embolism secondary to a major transient/reversible risk factor? Eur Respir J 2020;55(1). doi: 10.1183/13993003.02323-2019