EXPLORE MRace (GE): Early Feasibility Experience of Posterior Leaflet Restoration to Reduce Mitral Regurgitation Using the MRace Implant (EXPLORE_MRace)

August 27, 2026 updated by: Polares Medical SA

Early Feasibility Experience of Posterior Leaflet Restoration to Reduce Mitral Regurgitation Using the MRace Implant Brazil (EXPLORE MRace - GE)

An early feasibility study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the MRace Implant and Delivery System to treat severe mitral regurgitation and to gather preliminary data on its performance thereby providing guidance for future clinical development. The study is a single-arm registry with the last follow-up visit at 5 years post-intervention. The study will enroll up to 100 patients at four (4) centers in the Republic of Georgia.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Percutaneous approaches to treat MR promise to provide a sufficient reduction in MR without the risks typically associated with open heart surgery. Furthermore there is an unmet clinical need for patients with severe MR who are refused or denied surgery due to high risk. Percutaneous therapy provides a novel alternative treatment option for these patients with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality over and above current medical therapy. The Polares Medical MRace Implant and Delivery System is a catheter-based technology designed to permanently implant a prosthesis using a transvenous / transseptal approach to augment the posterior mitral valve leaflet and improve coaptation with the anterior leaflet. Approved edge-to-edge repair has already been shown to be a viable alternative for high risk MR patients. However treatment with these devices is limited to specific anatomies and often requires multiple devices which increases clinical risk, adds to procedural time, and can result in residual MR. The MRace Implant and Delivery System has been designed to overcome and mitigate some of these shortfalls

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Georgia
      • Tbilisi, Georgia, 0112
        • Recruiting
        • Israeli-Georgian Medical Research Clinic Healthycore
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Irakli Gogorishvili, MD
        • Contact:
      • Tbilisi, Georgia, 0159
        • Recruiting
        • LLC "Emergency Cardilogy Center by Acad. G. Chapidze"
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Alexander Aladashvili, MD
        • Contact:
      • Tbilisi, Georgia, 0159
        • Recruiting
        • Ltd Tbilisi Heart and Vascular Clinic
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Tamaz Shaburishvili, MD
        • Contact:
      • Tbilisi, Georgia, 0186
        • Recruiting
        • Ltd Tbilisi Heart Centre
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Archil Chukhrukidze, MD
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. 18 years of age or older
  2. Greater than moderate mitral regurgitation (Grade 3+ or higher) as confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) within 90 days prior to study procedure
  3. Patient must present with an STS Score less than 10%
  4. High surgical risk for conventional mitral repair or replacement due to morphological criteria (e.g. leaflet or annulus calcifications), but operable, as assessed by the local heart team comprised of a cardiac surgeon experienced in mitral valve surgery and a cardiologist experienced in treating mitral valve disease and heart failure
  5. New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Class III or IV
  6. Patient willing to participate in study and provide signed IRB/EC-approved informed consent
  7. Treating physician and patient agree that patient is able to return for all required post-procedure follow-up visits

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Severe tricuspid regurgitation
  2. Severe aortic stenosis or insufficiency
  3. Severe mitral annulus calcification
  4. Diseased mitral anterior leaflet such as flail / prolapse/ heavy calcification
  5. Implanted vena cava filter
  6. Femoral veins with severe angulation and calcification
  7. Contraindication for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) or MDCT scan
  8. Active infection or endocarditis
  9. Previous mitral valve surgery
  10. Prior orthotopic heart transplantation
  11. Pulmonary artery systolic hypertension > 70mmHg
  12. Evidence of intra-cardiac, inferior vena cava (IVC) or femoral venous thrombus
  13. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 20%
  14. Implant or revision of any pacing device < 30 days prior to intervention
  15. Symptomatic coronary artery disease treated < 30 days prior to study procedure
  16. Myocardial infarction requiring intervention < 30 days prior to study procedure
  17. Infiltrative cardiomyopathies (e.g., amyloidosis, hemochromatosis, sarcoidosis), hypertrophic or restrictive cardiomyopathies, and constrictive pericarditis
  18. Active peptic ulcer or upper gastrointestinal bleeding < 90 days prior to study procedure
  19. Stroke < 180 days prior to study procedure
  20. Severe renal insufficiency (creatinine > 3.0 mg/dL) or Subject requiring dialysis
  21. Cardiogenic shock at time of enrollment
  22. Hemodynamic instability requiring inotropic support or mechanical heart assistance
  23. Concurrent medical condition with a life expectancy of less than 2 years
  24. Pregnancy or breastfeeding at time of enrollment
  25. History of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy or leukopenia (WBC < 3,000 mcL) or acute anemia (Hb < 9 g/dL) or thrombocytopenia (platelets < 50,000 cells mcL)
  26. Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to aspirin, heparin, ticlopidine or clopidogrel, nitinol, tantalum or allergy to contrast agents that cannot be pre-medicated
  27. Emergency situations
  28. Severe dementia or lack of capacity due to conditions that result in either inability to provide informed consent for the trial/procedure, prevent independent lifestyle outside of a chronic care facility, or will fundamentally complicate rehabilitation from the procedure or compliance with follow-up assessments
  29. Company employees or their immediate family members
  30. Subject is under guardianship
  31. Subject is participating in another clinical study for which follow-up is currently ongoing.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: MRace Arm
Single-arm study of MRace Implant and Delivery System to treat severe mitral regurgitation All enrolled patients will receive the study device
Device: Transcatheter mitral valve repair (MRace Implant and Delivery System)
The MRace Implant is placed mitral valve posterior annulus using its delivery system via femoral vein access and a transeptal puncture

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Primary safety outcome
Time Frame: 30-days follow-up
Incidence of all-cause mortality following treatment with the MRace Implant and Delivery System
30-days follow-up
Primary Performance Endpoint
Time Frame: 30-days follow-up
Incidence of change from severe mitral regurgitation at baseline (Grade 3+ or more) to moderate or less mitral regurgitation (Grade 2+ or less) following treatment with the MRace Implant and Delivery System as evaluated by TTE
30-days follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Polares Medical SA

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 23, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2032

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2032

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 27, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 202202

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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