Novel drug shows promise in an early phase trial in heart failure

An early phase trial of the drug AZD5462 demonstrated promising results in improving cardiac function for patients with chronic heart failure. The oral relaxin agonist, which stimulated the RXFP1 receptor, was tested in a double-blind, dose-ranging Phase IIb trial involving 375 patients at 69 sites across 10 countries. The study included patients with chronic heart failure who were already on stable standard-of-care therapies.

Among those with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35% or lower, AZD5462 at the lowest dose of 20 mg showed significant improvement in end-systolic volume index, reducing it by 5.4 mL/m2 from baseline (p=0.054 vs. placebo) after 24 weeks. Similar beneficial effects were observed in patients with LVEF between 41-55%, with reductions in systemic vascular resistance index ranging from 19-21% at different doses.

The incidence of adverse events was low, and there was no evidence of significant hypotension. Professor James Januzzi concluded that the drug demonstrated target engagement and improved cardiac function at the lowest AZD5462 dose when used in conjunction with standard-of-care therapies. Further larger outcome trials are needed to confirm these findings.