EXIT-CVD research consortium launches clinical studies to transform cardiovascular care across Europe

October 15, 2026

• Five-year research project unites 42 public and private partners across 17 countries to conduct 22 clinical studies involving 14,000+ patients; first patients will be enrolled this month
• Project aims to help cardiac patients avoid deterioration through early, personalized interventions delivered across the cardiac care journey
• Interventions will be co-created with patients and designed to systematically address socioeconomic, sex- and gender-related and digital access gaps
• With a total budget of EUR 27.6 million, the project is co-funded by the European Union Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) and industry partners

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the launch of the five-year EXIT-CVD research project, co-funded by the European Union Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) and the industry partners. The research consortium is led by University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and Philips, and aims to transform how cardiovascular disease is detected, monitored and treated. It will do so by identifying and acting on three key exit points along the cardiac care journey: preventing disease before it develops (early exit), reversing disease progression (mid exit), or halting progression in advanced stages (late exit). Patient enrollment for the first of the 22 clinical studies will begin this month.

Cardiovascular health is fundamental to overall health and well-being, yet more than 60 million people in the European Union are living with cardiovascular disease. For many, the condition significantly reduces quality of life and well-being. Without early detection, timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, cardiovascular disease can progress silently from early risk factors to established disease and ultimately, cardiac events that may lead to premature death.

“Our vision is a future where heart disease is no longer an irreversible pathway,” said Professor Pim van der Harst, Project Coordinator of EXIT-CVD and Head of Cardiology at the University Medical Center Groningen. “By understanding both the biological and social drivers of cardiovascular disease, and deploying integrated innovations across diagnostics, monitoring, and care, we can empower patients and clinicians to exit the disease continuum before it’s too late.”

“For more than 30 years, we have viewed cardiovascular disease as a continuous journey, from risk factors such as hypertension, to atherosclerosis, a first cardiac event and ultimately, for many patients, heart failure,” said Robin Nijveldt, Chief of Cardiology at UMC Utrecht. “Yet most of us improve care within our own specialty and rarely have a complete view of the patient’s experience. EXIT-CVD is an ambitious effort to build that holistic view together, helping transform cardiac care for millions of patients across Europe.”

The EXIT-CVD clinical studies will focus on the three key exit points along the cardiac care journey: early detection through digital monitoring (early exit), personalized risk assessment and targeted interventions (mid exit), and advanced therapies to support recovery in later-stage disease (late exit). By combining diagnostics, digital tools and advanced therapeutic approaches, EXIT-CVD aims to deliver actionable, evidence-based strategies that can be implemented across diverse healthcare systems in Europe.

Innovation that reaches everyone
New diagnostics and digital tools often reach well-resourced populations first, widening gaps in access and outcomes. The project will therefore embed implementation science and equity-by-design principles to ensure that the solutions are scalable, sustainable, and accessible to all relevant populations, including those historically underserved. A digitally enabled, FAIR-compliant data platform aligned with the European Health Data Space (EHDS) will support the integration, evaluation, and real-world scalability of the project’s innovations.

“The EXIT-CVD project focuses on three critical stages of cardiovascular disease progression where technology can make the greatest impact: preventing disease before it develops, reversing its progression and improving care for people with advanced disease,” said Bert van Meurs, Chief Business Leader Diagnosis and Treatment, Image Guided Therapy at Royal Philips. “Together with our consortium partners, we are exploring innovations ranging from contactless vital signs monitoring for early detection of patient deterioration to advanced spectral CT imaging that reveals tissue characteristics beyond anatomy. These technologies have the potential to give clinicians deeper insights and support earlier, more informed cardiac care.”

Clinical studies
The EXIT-CVD research consortium will conduct a total of 22 clinical studies involving more than 14,000 patients across Europe, including:

• Camera-Based In-Hospital Monitoring (CARDIO-CAM study): Deployment and evaluation of an unobtrusive, video-based patient monitoring system that continuously captures cardiorespiratory signals and relevant clinical context.
• Spectral CT for Early Detection, Risk Stratification and Personalized Patient Care Pathways (LEADER-PAD study): Development and validation of new approaches for the early detection of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic and low risk symptomatic patients using spectral CT.
• Nurse/HCP-Led Remote Heart Failure Monitoring (REMODEL-HF study): Multinational randomized study evaluating the Heart Failure Management System (HFMS), a non-invasive remote monitoring technology, in patients recently hospitalized for heart failure, with the objective of improving outcomes and optimizing guideline-directed medical therapy.
• Imaging-Guided PCI Randomized Trial (GUIDANCE-PCCT study): Evaluation of clinical and procedural outcomes of PCI guided by photon counting CT versus standard angiography-guided PCI.
• Advanced Imaging in Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies (NOTIFY-2 study): Validation of AI-driven image and ECG analysis algorithms to improve early diagnosis of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) and underlying disease risk stratification.

Consortium partners
The IHI EXIT-CVD public-private partnership comprises 42 partner organizations from 17 countries:

• Clinical and academic partners: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Spain), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), University of Pavia (Italy), Centro Cardiologico Monzino (Italy), EOC (Switzerland), KU Leuven (Belgium), NIKARD (Poland), UMC Utrecht (Netherlands), UMC Groningen (Netherlands), Technical University Eindhoven (Netherlands), Universitätsklinikum Köln (Germany), King’s College London (UK), London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), and Varsinais-Suomen Hyvinvointialue (Finland).
• Industry partners: Philips, Circle CVI, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, HeartBeam, Medtronic, Huawei, XVIVO Perfusion, AstraZeneca, Cardiomed, Megi Health, Viatris, Cordys, Novartis, Corbotics, ZOLL, Sanofi, Repairon, Johnson & Johnson MedTech Heart Recovery, Onsentia, and CogStack
• Healthcare consultancy: Bridg Ou and IQVIA Solutions
• Patient organization: Stichting VrouwenHart
• Medical association: European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

More information can be viewed on the EXIT-CVD website.

This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101253160. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe. Funded by the European Union, the private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.

The opinions and clinical experiences presented herein are specific to the featured clinician(s) and are for information purposes only.  Individual results may vary depending on a variety of patient-specific attributes and related factors.  Nothing in this article is intended to provide specific medical advice or to take the place of written law or regulations.

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha
Philips Global External Relations
Tel.: +31 6 1055816
E-mail: joost.maltha@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2025 sales of EUR 18 billion and employs approximately 63,700 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.