The expanding field of personalized medicine has not left hypertrophic cardiomyopathy behind. In fact, two companies are currently developing targeted gene therapies for HCM patients. Each therapy targets a separate and distinct HCM gene mutation.
Tenaya Therapeutics, located in the San Francisco area, is developing a therapy called TN-201 which is directed at mutations in the Myosin Binding Protein C3 (MYBPC3) gene. The therapy has shown favorable results in mice. In May of this year, Tenaya received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S Food and Drug Administration. An Orphan Drug Designation confers certain tax and economic incentives on companies developing a treatment for rare conditions.
Meanwhile, this week, Lexeo Therapeutics acquired Stelios Therapeutics, a San Diego based company developing a therapy for HCM patients with a mutation in the TNNI3 gene. These TNNI3 patients comprise somewhere between 5% and 7% of all patients with HCM, or approximately 30,000 people. The underpinnings of this research come from the University of California, San Diego.
HCMBeat will continue following these developments. It is a busy and exciting time in the treatment of HCM!
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