Ankit Bhatia, MD, is One of the Lead Authors of the Clinical Trial
CINCINNATI (September 16, 2026) – A landmark clinical trial led by The Christ Hospital Health Network has showed success in treating non-obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), offering new hope to patients living with this progressive heart condition. Ankit Bhatia, MD, Director of the Hypertrophic and Genetic Cardiomyopathies Center, recently published this groundbreaking research in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Findings were also presented at European Society of Cardiology in Munich, Germany.
HCM is a genetic condition that causes excessive thickening of the heart muscle, which forces the heart to overwork. There are two types of HCM: obstructive HCM which directly blocks blood flow from exiting the heart and non-obstructive HCM in which the heart overworks without a physical obstruction. Currently there are medications approved to manage only obstructive HCM.
Dr. Bhatia was the principal investigator at The Christ Hospital, which screened the most patients and enrolled the second most participants in this international phase three clinical trial. More than 500 patients across 182 sites across the world took part. This represented one of the largest drug clinical trials conducted at The Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Research. The trial looked at a myosin inhibitor, aficamten, that helps the heart not work as hard, for non-obstructive HCM. This trial showed patients felt better and increased their exercise capacity.
“This clinical trial is a major step for patients with non-obstructive HCM,” said Dr. Bhatia. “For years, treatment have been focused on obstructive HCM– we now have a medical option for non-obstructive HCM that focuses on the underlying cause of the disease.”
HCM impacts roughly one million people in the U.S. and that number continues to grow, according to Dr. Bhatia. The Christ Hospital Health Networks houses the region’s only Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center of Excellence, one the largest HCM clinics in the country and leading clinical trial site.
“This is an incredible breakthrough. I’m so thankful for the patients that chose to enroll and make the commitment to scientific study. I want to thank the entire team at The Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Research and my colleague, Dr. Wojciech Mazur, who helped find these patients and contribute to this much needed study.”
The next step will be the submission of full FDA approval for use of the drug for non-obstructive HCM. For more information about the HCM Clinic at The Christ Hospital Health Network, click here.
About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For 137 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up of more than 1,300 physicians and more than 7,600 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #3 hospital in Ohio and named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2026.
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