HFA Congress 2026 — Dr Lars Lund (Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, SE) joins us to discuss findings from GOAL-HF1, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1b/2a trial evaluating AC01 in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

This first-in-patient study assessed the safety, tolerability and exploratory efficacy of AC01 — a novel therapeutic agent — in a carefully characterised HFrEF population. Designed to generate the early clinical evidence needed to support further development of this compound, the trial spans outcomes including safety profiling, biological activity, and initial signals of clinical benefit.

Findings showed that AC01 was safe and well-tolerated, and did not cause ischemia, tachycardia, arrhythmia or hypotension. 

Interview Questions:

1. What is the unmet need in HFrEF that AC01 is designed to address, and what is its mechanism of action?
2. What were the primary aims of GOAL-HF1, and how was the study designed?
3. What were your key findings in terms of safety and tolerability?
4. Were there any exploratory efficacy signals that stood out?
5. How do you interpret these early findings in the context of the broader HFrEF treatment landscape?
6. What are the next steps for AC01, and what would you need to see in future trials to advance this compound?

Recorded on-site at Heart Failure Association Congress 2026, Barcelona.
Editors: Jordan Rance
Videographer: Oliver Miles
Support: This is an independent interview produced by Radcliffe Cardiology.