A drug with breakthrough status
Serelaxin, a synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone human relaxin-2, has improved acute heart failure symptoms in clinical trials. The drug is infused over a 48-hour period following a heart failure episode or heart attack.
Serelaxin will become the first treatment breakthrough for acute heart failure in two decades.
In people with heart failure, serelaxin increases blood flow throughout the body, which helps a poorly functioning heart work more effectively. It is also an anti-inflammatory, which means it can help prevent the damage heart failure does to the kidneys, liver and heart.
Phase III study results reported a 38 percent reduction in death rates after six months in patients with acute heart failure, compared to those who received standard therapy. Because of these impressive results, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the investigational heart drug “breakthrough status” in 2013 — putting it on a faster track for approval.
Once approved, serelaxin will become the first treatment breakthrough for acute heart failure in two decades.