MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoPhoria srl, a pre-clinical stage biotech company, is pleased to announce today the publication of a groundbreaking study in the field of cardiology, conducted using a clinically relevant pig model of heart failure. This significant piece of preclinical research, titled “Lung-to-Heart Nano-in-Micro Peptide Promotes Cardiac Recovery in a Pig Model of Chronic Heart Failure,” was published by our co-founders in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), a prominent peer-reviewed medical journal.
The innovative study, led by Alessio Alogna, MD, PhD and Daniele Catalucci PhD, assessed tolerability and efficacy of the inhalable LungToHeartNiM formulation for cardiac-specific delivery of a therapeutic peptide, a first-in-class biologic designed to reorganize impaired L-type calcium channel (LTCC) subcellular trafficking.
Using an established pig model, which closely mimics human heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, our research team has uncovered critical insights that could pave the way for novel treatments.
The research demonstrates significant and remarkable findings, including:
- Effectiveness of the LungToHeartNiM technology, used for the daily inhalation of the therapeutic peptide to improve heart function (as shown by an absolute left ventricle ejection fraction increase over the treatment period of 17% +/- 6%), blunt myocardial fibrosis, and reduce pulmonary congestion.
- Increased left ventricle contractility and improved ventriculo-arterial coupling with no further energetic costs: no increase in heart rate, no increase in blood pressure and no cardiac arrythmias.
- Good tolerability and no major adverse events from the treatment.
- Results confirming the therapeutic effect recapitulated ex vivo in cardiac myofibrils and biopsies from treated heart failure animals.
These findings mark a substantial advancement in understanding heart failure’s mechanisms and finding potential new therapeutic targets.
“The overall tolerability of LungToHeartNiM, along with the beneficial effects of reorganizing dysregulated LTCCs, may represent a game-changing treatment for patients with heart failure,” said Alessio Alogna and Daniele Catalucci, co-founders of NanoPhoria. “Additionally, our research showcases a major advancement in the field of heart disease treatment. We have effectively demonstrated an innovative and non-invasive approach to delivering a therapeutic peptide, an LTCC modulator, directly to cardiomyocytes of the diseased heart. This method stands out as it avoids the complexities and risks associated with current invasive techniques, like injections directly into the heart muscle or coronary arteries. Our approach not only simplifies the treatment process but also significantly reduces the discomfort and potential complications for patients."
“We are enthusiastic about the outcome of this study,” said Claudio De Luca, co-founder and CEO of NanoPhoria,“ as it strongly supports the current development of our lead product, NP-MP1, which is now approaching the clinical phases. It also confirms the potential effectiveness of our delivery platform for our future product pipeline.”
"This research is supportive of the innovative lung-to-heart delivery approach. It confirms the potential disease modifying role of the calcium channel modulator peptide leading to fast improvement in cardiac ejection fraction, and offers promising new directions for the treatment and management of heart failure,” said James L. Januzzi Jr MD, FACC, FESC, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Director, Heart Failure and Biomarker Trials (Baim Institute) Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Building on these findings, NanoPhoria plans to extend this research into clinical trials, aiming to translate these initial, remarkable preclinical results into better treatment options and a potential paradigm change in the treatment of heart failure.
About NanoPhoria
NanoPhoria is a biotech company based in Milan that is developing a versatile, non-viral drug delivery platform based on inorganic nanoparticles. The company's first product is a pre-clinical stage treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a chronic syndrome affecting the lives of millions worldwide. NanoPhoria is a spin-off from CNR, the largest public research institution in Italy, and is supported by Sofinnova Partners.
