Cardiovascular

Cell culture and mouse studies suggest GHRH receptor agonists could help treat heart failure. In a rat cardiomyoblast cell line, primary rat ventricular myocytes and human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cardiomyocyte models of phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy, GHRH decreased cell surface area compared with no treatment. In a mouse model of pressure overload-induced heart failure, subcutaneous injection of the GHRH receptor agonist BIS-5409 decreased left ventricle hypertrophy and dilation and increased cardiac function compared with vehicle. Next steps could include testing GHRH receptor agonists in additional models of heart failure.

Biscayne Pharmaceuticals Inc. has BIS-5409 (MR-409) in preclinical testing to treat myocardial infarction (MI)...