Summary
Digitoxin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Atrial Fibrillation would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Atrial Fibrillation. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Digitoxin specifically in Atrial Fibrillation. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 7 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review, 1 systematic review and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1975 to 2025. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Atrial Fibrillation ranks 332 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous reversion to sinus rhythm occurs in ~50% of paroxysmal AF within 24-48 hours; persistent AF almost never self-terminates; rate-control (the dominant strategy) by definition keeps the patient in AF.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 38.0 (trials 0.0, literature 18.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 7 (5 clinical trial publications, 1 Cochrane review, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ATP1A2 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Digitoxin to Atrial Fibrillation in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication DIGitoxin to Improve ouTcomes in patients with advanced chronic Heart Failure (DIGIT-HF): Baseline characteristics compared to recent randomized controlled heart failure trialsBavendiek U, Thomas NH, Berliner D et al. · European journal of heart failure · 2025 · PMID 40389288
- Systematic review Clinical Use of Digitalis: A State of the Art ReviewWhayne TF Jr · American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions · 2018 · PMID 30066080
- Cochrane review Cardiac glycosides use and the risk and mortality of cancer; systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studiesOsman MH, Farrag E, Selim M et al. · PloS one · 2017 · PMID 28591151
- Clinical trial publication Do cardiac glycosides affect platelet function? A flow cytometric study in healthy volunteersPettersen E, Hagberg IA, Lyberg T et al. · European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2002 · PMID 12107603
- Clinical trial publication Effect of digitoxin on cardiac arrhythmias in hemodialysis patientsKeller F, Weinmann J, Schwarz A et al. · Klinische Wochenschrift · 1987 · PMID 2447325
- Clinical trial publication [Trial for digitalis withdrawal in hemodialysis patients]Keller F, Schwarz A, Offermann G et al. · Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 1984 · PMID 6230217
- Clinical trial publication Multiclinical open studies on the effect of beta-methyldigoxin on congestive heart failure with atrial fibrillationIto Y, Seki K, Kimura E · Japanese heart journal · 1975 · PMID 1099274
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP1A2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Digitoxin approved for Atrial Fibrillation?
Digitoxin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Atrial Fibrillation would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Atrial Fibrillation. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Digitoxin in clinical trials for Atrial Fibrillation?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Digitoxin specifically in Atrial Fibrillation. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Digitoxin in Atrial Fibrillation?
Synthesis-level literature links Digitoxin to Atrial Fibrillation, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP1A2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.