Immune Modifying Nanoparticles Reduce Heart Attack Damage

Cour Pharmaceutical Development Company, a biopharmaceutical company, has published new data showing that its proprietary nanoparticle therapy could potentially reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair and regeneration in patients who have had a heart attack.

In this study, published in Science Translational Medicine, animal models were injected with Immune Modifying Nanoparticles (IMP) following a heart attack. Scientists found that the size of the heart lesions was reduced by half and as a result, the heart could pump significantly more blood. IMP treatment demonstrated the ability to reduce inflammation and promote regeneration in all models tested.

"This is the first therapy that specifically targets a key driver of the inflammation that occurs after a heart attack," said Daniel Getts, chief scientific officer at Cour, in a press statement. "There is no other therapy on the horizon that can protect the heart from the aggressive immune cell infiltration that causes so much damage."

"IMP therapy represents a significant step toward the next generation of immune modulating agents," said John J. Puisis, CEO of Cour, in the same release. He added, "Our first priority as a company is to bring IMPs to patients who've suffered acute myocardial infarction, where we see a tremendous opportunity to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life."

The nanoparticles are proprietary compositions based on poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid, a biocompatible and biodegradable substance already approved by the FDA for use in a range of therapeutics. Efficacy has also been demonstrated in several other inflammatory models, such as West Nile virus, encephalitis, peritonitis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

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Cour Pharmaceutical Development Company