Acorda reports positive data from heart failure study

The data also indicated that GGF2 provided more benefit than other neuregulin fragments that were also tested. In preclinical testing, neuregulins have shown the potential to reduce and even reverse dysfunction of congestive heart failure by strengthening and protecting heart muscle cells.

These are said to be the first data to directly compare the efficacy of GGF2 with other neuregulin fragments in heart failure models. In addition to showing the superiority of GGF2 to other neuregulin fragments, the data demonstrated GGF2 achieved therapeutic effect with dosing every 48 or 96 hours.

The studies also showed sustained improvement in cardiac function for 10 days following treatment, which to date, is said to be the longest duration that GGF2 has been followed post-treatment.

Andrew Blight, chief scientific officer of Acorda, said: “GGF2 represents a potentially novel and exciting therapeutic approach to cardiac damage and heart failure. Prior studies have demonstrated benefits of neuregulins in preclinical models of neurological damage, and we are encouraged by the current studies, which provide confirmatory evidence for GGF2’s therapeutic cardiac effects.”