ARPA-H Launches $62.7 Million ADVOCATE Program for FDA-Authorized AI Cardiovascular Care
The U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, issued an official press release announcing contract awards for its Agentic AI-EnableD CardioVascular CAre TransfOrmation (ADVOCATE) program. The multi-year initiative commits up to $33.7 million in its first year, forming part of a $62.7 million four-year strategy to pioneer FDA-authorized clinical artificial intelligence for cardiovascular treatment. The program is designed to develop patient-facing AI agents and supervisory software capable of operating round-the-clock as digital members of clinical care teams.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly half a trillion dollars in annual medical expenditure. Furthermore, almost half of U.S. counties lack a practicing cardiologist, leaving millions without timely access to specialized care. By deploying agentic AI to manage heart failure monitoring, medication adjustments, and diagnostic follow-ups autonomously—while routing critical cases to human doctors—the ADVOCATE initiative aims to bridge geographic healthcare disparities. If successful, ARPA-H estimates the system could prevent thousands of premature deaths and save up to $28 billion annually in heart failure management alone. The agency has partnered with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for independent oversight and the FDA Digital Health Center of Excellence to establish safety standards.
