Angion Biomedica initiates BB3 Phase II trial in heart attack

Jul 19 2012

Angion Biomedica Corp. announced today that the first patient was dosed in a Phase II multicenter clinical trial evaluating BB3 for the treatment of heart attack (acute myocardial infarction). The first patient, a 69-year-old man, was treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital, CT. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed to enroll 80 patients following a first heart attack.    

BB3 is a proprietary small molecule mimetic of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). During a heart attack, the blood supply to part of the heart is interrupted, causing the surrounding cardiac tissue to die, impairing cardiac function. Subsequently, the healing process leads to chronically diminished pump function as scar tissue replaces damaged muscle. In preclinical studies, BB3 has the ability to not only protect healthy cells from dying, but also the ability to promote tissue regeneration following a heart attack.

"We are delighted to be part of this study and to have enrolled and treated the first patient," said Frank Giordano, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Principal Investigator at Yale New Haven Hospital. "We believe BB3 to be a promising therapy for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. This trial will provide valuable data not only on the safety of BB3 in this population, but also whether this molecule can preserve heart muscle, promote beneficial healing of the heart, and improve clinical outcomes in patients suffering acute myocardial infarction."

"There is strong experimental evidence that the growth factor HGF can act as a modulator of cardiac repair", said Dr. Alexandra Lansky, MD, FESC, FACC, Associate Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. "We are optimistic about Angion's approach."

"Initiating this heart attack trial is a very important milestone for Angion," said Itzhak D. Goldberg, M.D., F.A.C.R., CEO of Angion Biomedica. "This exciting study will provide key insights as to whether the encouraging data we generated in preclinical models will translate to patient benefit."