Cardiovascular disease

Ethris and Heqet Therapeutics have revealed plans to collaborate on RNA-based therapeutics for heart attack and heart failure, using non coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in regenerating heart tissue. Under the terms of the agreement, Heqet Therapeutics will lead the development of the programme, while Ethris will provide its proprietary Stabilized NanoParticle (SNaP) LNP platform to deliver […]

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio), a gene therapy subsidiary of Bayer, has presented first-in-human data from a Phase I trial investigating AB-1002 (also known as NAN-101) for the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The data were shared at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, which were held in Philadelphia, US, 11-13 November 2023. The […]

Semaglutide 2.4mg (Wegovy), a drug approved for weight loss, can reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 20%, according to new data released by Novo Nordisk. SELECT is a Phase III cardiovascular outcomes trial investigating the effects of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4mg in adults with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) and overweight or obesity […]

A Phase Ib trial has shown low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reductions up to 55% and blood PCSK9 protein reductions up to 84% after a single infusion of Verve Therapeutics’ Verve-101. The trial participants have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), a life-threatening inherited disease characterised by lifelong elevations in blood LDL-C and accelerated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). […]

Researchers from the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Birmingham, UK, have produced the first binding molecules (ligands) of defined composition to make platelets clump together in a predictable way. The research team, led by Professor Steve Watson and Dr Eleyna Martin, developed antibody fragments called nanobodies and crosslinked these to make ligands […]

A tiny human heart model could potentially transform cardiovascular research and enable animal-free drug testing. A team of researchers, led by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU), has developed a self-paced, multi-chambered human heart model, approximately half the size of a rice grain. “Integrating our complex human heart model with sensors allowed us to monitor […]

Evox Therapeutics has agreed a research collaboration and option agreement with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Icahn Mount Sinai) in New York, NY, US. The collaboration will work on developing exosome-encapsulated AAV (exoAAV) vectors as a novel gene delivery technology aimed at improving treatments for heart disease. Together, Evox and Icahn Mount […]

ARMGO Pharma has enrolled the first patient in a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial using its Rycal ARM210 (also known as S48168), for the treatment of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). The trial, performed at the Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC), Netherlands and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, USA will investigate the safety and […]

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has revealed results from its Phase I study of zilebesiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting liver-expressed angiotensinogen (AGT) in development for the treatment of hypertension. The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The key data showed that compared to placebo, zilebesiran was associated with dose-dependent reductions in serum […]

A real-world evidence (RWE) study has shown the negative consequences of reducing or discontinuing renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASi) medication in patients experiencing hyperkalaemia (HK). One analysis from AstraZeneca’s ZORA study showed that discontinuation of RAASi treatment following a HK episode in cardiorenal patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and/or heart failure (HF) was still common […]

A National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial was stopped early because a daily statin medication was found to reduce the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people living with HIV. This was the first large-scale clinical study to test a primary cardiovascular prevention strategy in this population. Advances in HIV treatment have drastically reduced […]

Sequana Medical has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its second-generation DSR product (DSR 2.0) for the treatment of congestive heart failure. Fluid accumulation in heart failure patients is caused by the retention of too much sodium. The DSR drug-based approach works in partnership with […]

A novel drug is showing promise for alleviating heart failure, a common condition associated with sleep apnoea and a reduced lifespan. The drug, known as AF-130, was tested by scientists at University of Auckland, New Zealand and the University of São Paulo, Brazil. They found it improved the heart’s ability to pump, but, equally important, […]

The primary endpoint has been achieved in a Phase II trial of AP30663, a first-in-class SK ion channel inhibitor for conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) to normal sinus rhythm. Acesion Pharma enrolled 63 patients with a current episode of AF in the trial and tested two intravenous doses of AP30663, 3 and 5mg/kg, compared to […]

The latest sponsored DDW Sitting Down With podcast is now available. It features Dr Michael Morton, Director and Co-founder, ApconiX, and Dr Kimberly Rockley of ApconiX, who discuss the benefits of early ion channel screening. The podcast covers the hERG ion channel and its importance in cardiac safety screening in drug discovery.  Morton and Rockley […]

The latest sponsored DDW Sitting Down With podcast features Dr Michael Morton, Director and Co-founder, ApconiX, and Dr Kimberly Rockley of ApconiX who discuss the benefits of early ion channel screening. The podcast covers the hERG ion channel and its importance in cardiac safety screening in drug discovery.  Morton and Rockley outline the options available, […]