Tag: myosin

Cytokinetics Announces Positive Results from REDWOOD-HCM Phase 2 Clinical Trial

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Cytokinetics today announced positive topline results for its experimental drug CK-274 from its recent Phase 2 REDWOOD-HCM trial for patients who have obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

According to the press release, this drug, a next-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor, showed consistent and meaningful reduction in left ventricular outflow tract gradients in HOCM with its effects evident within 2 weeks of starting the drug. The benefits continued until the end of treatment 10 weeks later. No patients had to  discontinue the drug or take a break from treatment due to reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. And, the drug was well tolerated and appeared to be free from significant side effects.

Cytokinetics plans to commence a Stage 3 for CK-274 trial by the end of 2021. Full results of the Stage 2 REDWOOD study will be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting.

Mavacamten Approaches Finish Line

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to complete its review of mavacamten and release its decision on whether to approve the drug for sale in the U.S. by January 28, 2022.

This week, Bristol Myers Squibb submitted its New Drug Application for mavacamten to the FDA. Mavacamten is the first drug specifically designed to treat obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The application was based on the recent positive results of the Phase 3  EXPLORER-HCM trial. 

In October of last year, Bristol Myers Squibb paid $13.1 billion to purchase MyoKardia, the San Francisco based biotech company which developed mavacamten as a novel cardiac myosin modulator for the treatment of of HCM.

The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of January 28, 2022 to the drug, which means that the FDA is expected to complete its review of mavacamten by January 28, 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISCLOSURES:  CYNTHIA BURSTEIN WALDMAN OF HCMBEAT SERVED AS A PATIENT ADVISOR ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF MYOKARDIA’S EXPLORER TRIAL AND IS AN AUTHOR OF THE STUDY AS PUBLISHED IN THE LANCET.  CYNTHIA ALSO SERVES ON MYOKARDIA’S PATIENT ADVISORY BOARD.

 

How a Louis L’Amour Book about the Southwest Inspired a HCM Discovery

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When Stanford biochemist Jim Spudich settled down in bed with a book recommended by his wife, he had no idea that the book would inspire one of the biggest discoveries of his career. Spudich drifted off to sleep while reading The Haunted Mesa, a science fiction novel by Louis L’Amour. His scientific discovery was based on an image he saw in his dreams when the image of a mesa morphed into a myosin molecule.

Continue reading “How a Louis L’Amour Book about the Southwest Inspired a HCM Discovery” →

Could a Tarantula Help to Unravel the Mysteries of HCM?

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Researchers from around the globe have joined together to study an unlikely subject in order to understand the genetics of HCM according to a paper published today in the journal  eLIFE.

Dr. Christine Seidman, a cardiologist from Harvard Medical School, Dr. James Ware  a geneticist from the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences at Imperial College London, and Dr. Raúl Padrón, a structural biologist at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, have joined forces in order to study the tarantula.

The reason for their focus on the tarantula is because the proteins comprising the muscles inside the furry spider are actually very similar to proteins inside the human heart.

Dr. Seidman, who had taken note of Dr. Padrón’s work with spiders, sought him out at a meeting to discuss the similarity of heart proteins to those in tarantula muscles and asked him whether they might collaborate.

By studying the way that the spider proteins interact with one another, the scientists hope that they will gain further insight into whether and how certain genes cause different types of hereditary cardiomyopathy, including hypertrophic and dilated.

I hope that they find the answers soon, before any tarantulas escape from their lab!

EEEEEEEKKKK!