Cardiol Therapeutics hits halfway mark in pivotal heart inflammation trial

Cardiol Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRDL) announced Tuesday that it has surpassed 50% patient enrollment in its pivotal Phase III MAVERIC trial, a major step toward bringing the first non-immunosuppressive oral therapy to patients suffering from recurrent pericarditis.

The trial is evaluating CardiolRx™, a pharmaceutically manufactured oral cannabidiol solution, as a potential treatment to prevent the painful and debilitating flares associated with the inflammation of the heart's lining.

The study is currently active across more than 15 leading cardiovascular centers in the U.S., with expansion into Europe and Canada now underway to support the final phase of recruitment.

Recurrent pericarditis is characterized by repeated episodes of chest pain and inflammation that can lead to life-threatening complications like cardiac tamponade or constrictive pericarditis.

Current treatments often rely on long-term corticosteroids or expensive third-line biologics.

CardiolRx™ targets the NLRP3 inflammasome—a key driver of the inflammatory cascade—offering a novel small-molecule approach that could redefine the standard of care for a market projected to exceed $1 billion by 2028.

Management confirmed that the MAVERIC trial remains on track to complete full enrollment of its 110-patient target by the second quarter of 2026.

The primary endpoint will measure the drug's ability to keep patients free from new recurrences over a six-month period following the discontinuation of prior interleukin-1 (IL-1) blocker therapies.