According to a press release published by Global News Wire, Australian pharmaceutical company Mesoblast Limited has completed recruitment for its phase 3 study of Revascor – their experimental drug to combat chronic heart failure.
About Heart Failure
Heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart starts to weaken and pump blood less effectively than it should. This can be the result of any number of factors, such as high blood pressure or coronary artery disease. When the heart has to work harder than designed to pump blood, it can weaken over time.
Heart failure can be chronic or acute. Managing the condition is important and can often be accomplished by adjusting medications and making lifestyle changes like diet, sleep, and exercise habits.
It’s important to stay on top of because heart failure can lead to serious complications if left unchecked. Atypical heart function can damage its four valves and lead to things like arrhythmia, liver damage, and potentially even kidney failure. In the United States alone, there are some eight million people living with heart failure. Roughly one fifth of that figure, or 1,600,000 people, are in danger of progressing to advanced heart failure.
About Revascor’s Phase 3 Study
The phase 3 trial will involve almost 600 patients from across the continent. With this new study, Mesoblast hopes to find corroborating data that supports findings from the phase 1 and 2 trials.
More specifically, Mesoblast will be testing to see if Revascor is effective at preventing the recurrence of non-fatal “major adverse cardiac events,” and delaying fatal ones.
By Mesoblast’s own words, Revascor (though known by the more cryptic name MPC-150-IM at the time) is an injection of 150 million “mesenchymal precursor cells” (a kind of stem cell) that is delivered directly into the heart. There, it’s believed that the drug is responsible for activating a number of pathways that stimulate the heart’s recovery.
Third and Long
Phase 3 studies are typically the longest clinical trials out there. They involve the most subjects, at the most trial locations, in the most countries. Articles discussing the potential of a phase 3 trial for Revascor go back to mid/late 2015. As of January 2019 the trial still has yet to commence, meaning that it’ll likely be several more years before Revascor gains FDA approval – if it ever does. All the evidence suggests that this study could drag on a ways.
Almost 2.5% of Americans are living with heart failure. Do you think drugs like Revascor should be relied on, or do you think Americans should be more protective of their heart health preventatively? Share your thoughts with Patient Worthy!
