Summary
Flumazenil 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. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Flumazenil to Atrial Fibrillation: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 120 participants. Registration activity spans 2022 to 2025. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2003 to 2024. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
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 | 29.5 (trials 5.5, literature 4.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ABCC9 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05397886 | Comparison of Remimazolam With Flumazenil vs. Propofol During RFCA for Atrial Fibrillation 2022 | completed | Not applicable | 54 |
| NCT06953752 | Effects of Music During Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Under Conscious Sedation 2025 | recruiting | Not applicable | 120 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Remimazolam-flumazenil provides fast recovery from general anesthesia compared to propofol during radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillationLee S, Lee J, Hwang SY et al. · Scientific reports · 2024 · PMID 38831029
- Clinical trial publication Defibrillation efficacy and pain perception of two biphasic waveforms for internal cardioversion of atrial fibrillationJung J, Hahn SJ, Heisel A et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · 2003 · PMID 12890046
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCC9. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flumazenil approved for Atrial Fibrillation?
Flumazenil 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 Flumazenil in clinical trials for Atrial Fibrillation?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Flumazenil to Atrial Fibrillation: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 120 participants. Registration activity spans 2022 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Flumazenil in Atrial Fibrillation?
Flumazenil has 1 completed trial and 2 linked publications for Atrial Fibrillation. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCC9. 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.