Corsera Health Inc. has filed a clinical trial notification (CTN) seeking to initiate a phase I trial of COR-1004 in New Zealand. COR-1004 is a novel investigational subcutaneously administered siRNA targeting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) to reduce LDL cholesterol (LDL-C).

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury is a major contributor to heart failure. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) has been shown to worsen cardiac damage during ischemia, making it a promising target for RNA interference.

Septic cardiomyopathy is a common and serious complication of sepsis, affecting up to 60% of patients and markedly worsening survival outcomes. It is characterized by left ventricular systolic dysfunction, but its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood despite extensive research.

Corventum Inc. has gained IND clearance from the FDA for CVT-130 for the prevention of anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity. In cancer patients, the use of anthracyclines as chemotherapy is effective but limited by cumulative heart damage. Protecting against this chemotherapy-induced cardiac injury could enable retreatment for patients with recurrent cancer.

A preclinical study presented at the 32nd Annual Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT), held in Seville Oct. 7-10, showed a new epigenetic editing technology that enables durable gene silencing using ELXRs, short for Epigenetic Long-Term X-Repressors. With this approach, scientists at Scribe Therapeutics Inc. successfully inhibited the expression of the PCSK9 gene, a key regulator of cholesterol metabolism, in human cells, mice and nonhuman primates.

The FDA has cleared AD-NP1, a drug developed by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for heart tissue regeneration, to enter clinical trials. The monoclonal antibody blocks the production of ENPP1 protein, which was found to interfere with healing after a heart attack.