Novoheart and AstraZeneca Collaborate to Develop the World’s First Human-Specific In Vitro Model for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

Hong KongNovember 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --International Stem Cell Biotechnology CompanyReHeart Biotechnology(Novoheart, hereinafter referred to as “Novoheart” or the “Company”) (TSX: NVH; Frankfurt Stock Exchange: 3NH) is pleased to announce its collaboration with international biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to developThe World's FirstHuman ExclusiveEx vivoHeart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction(HFpEF) Functional Model, Providing a Unique Solution for the Future Evaluation of New Therapies. Heart failure is a global epidemic, with an estimated 64.3 million cases worldwide in 2017, and its prevalence is on the rise.^[1], with the estimated annual global economic burden exceeding $100 billion^[2]。

HFpEF accounts for approximately half of all heart failure cases and represents a particularly significant and increasingly severe public health challenge worldwide. It is especially prevalent among the elderly and women, with reported heart failure prevalence approaching 10% in women over the age of 80.^[3]However, due to the complex etiology of HFpEF, the medical community has limited understanding of its pathogenic mechanisms, and the disease models available to date (including various animal models) are suboptimal in simulating the clinical manifestations of HFpEF.^[4]. Consequently, drug developers lack effective tools for preclinical testing of candidate drug efficacy; therefore, clinical outcomes for HFpEF have not improved over the past few decades, and there remains a lack of effective therapies available for use.

Novoheart’s collaboration with AstraZeneca’s Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) therapeutic area initially aims to establish a novel in vitro model that leverages Novoheart’s proprietary 3D human ventricular cardiac organoid chamber (hvCOC) technology to recapitulate key phenotypic features of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The hvCOC is also referred to as the “human heart-in-a-jar.”is the only one on the market to date capable of assessing human cardiac pump performance-- Including ejection fraction and filling pressure -- human-engineered cardiac tissues for clinical information assessment. Unlike animal models, the artificial hvCOC can be constructed using specific cellular and matrix components along with patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), thereby allowing artificial control over the model’s physical and mechanical properties to simulate conditions observed in the hearts of HFpEF patients. Combined with Novoheart’s proprietary hardware and software, this model aims to provide a unique analytical approach to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of HFpEF, identify novel therapeutic targets, and evaluate new therapies for treating HFpEF patients. Regenerative Heart will exclusively own the intellectual property rights to the newly developed HFpEF hvCOC model.

Dr. Kevin Costa, Chief Scientific Officer at Novoheart, stated, “We are delighted to partner with AstraZeneca, an organization that has long invested in cardiovascular research and is committed to delivering novel therapeutic solutions for patients with heart failure. We look forward to jointly establishing this new HFpEF hvCOC model as a powerful new tool to combat heart failure worldwide.”

Senior Vice President and Head of Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, and Biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZenecaRegina Fritsche Danielson“Stated, ‘There is a substantial unmet therapeutic need in patients with HFpEF. By integrating Novoheart’s proprietary hvCOC model with our heart failure expertise, we aim to create the first in vitro model that recapitulates HFpEF phenotypic characteristics, thereby bridging the gap between in vivo animal models and clinical trials and accelerating drug discovery by providing human-relevant preclinical data.’”

^[1] 《The Lancet》。2018; 392:1789-1858。
^[2] International Journal of Cardiology。2014; 171(3):368-76。
^[3] 《Clinical Heart Failure》。2014; 10(3):377–388。
^[4]   JACC Basic Transl Sci.2017; 2(6):770-789。