AF-130: This New Drug Could Treat Both Heart Failure And Sleep Apnea

New work by researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil has revealed a promising new drug that could be beneficial to heart failure patients.

Heart Failure

Heart Failure

According to the research team, the drug codenamed AF-130 was demonstrated in an animal model to improve the heart’s pumping action. It also showed the potential to guard against sleep apnea at the same time.

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“This drug does offer benefit for heart failure, but it’s two for the price of one, in that it’s also relieving the apnoea for which there is currently no drug, only CPAP (a breathing device), which is poorly tolerated,” stated Professor Julian Paton, the study’s corresponding author and the director of Manaaki Manawa, Centre for Heart Research at the University of Auckland.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

The danger of heart failure

Heart failure is a major challenge to public health worldwide. It ranks among the leading causes of death across the globe despite advances that have been made in its treatment.

The condition has a poor prognosis and there is still no known cure for it. Globally, around 38 million people are believed to have the health challenge and its incidence is forecast to rise with longevity.

Heart failure is linked to decreased cardiac pump function and systemic inflammation. Researchers also associate the condition with autonomic dysregulation and sleep-disordered breathing.

The activation of the sympathetic system occurs in a heart attack and the resultant heart failure. This “fight or flight” response aims at stimulating the pumping of blood by the heart.

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The brain can, however, continue to activate the sympathetic system, even when there is no need for such a response. The lifespan of a patient reduces when this combines with subsequent sleep apnea.

It is little surprise then that most heart failure patients die in no more than five years after a diagnosis.

Dual-function drug

The novel drug AF-130 could be a life-saver of sorts for people with heart failure. It may help these patients to live longer by not only boosting their hearts’ ability to pump but also by helping them to sleep better.

This dual function is possible because the brain region responsible for conveying nervous activity to the heart controls respiration also. The drug, therefore, can help to check the persistent “fight or flight” response and to correct sleep apnea by stimulating breathing.

“This study has revealed the first drug to temper the nervous activity from the brain to the heart thereby reversing the heart’s progressive decline in heart failure,” Professor Paton said.

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There have been several drugs to improve heart failure patients’ outcomes over the years, but none has worked in the same manner as this new drug. The novel therapeutic strategy looks very promising for patients moving forward.

These researchers revealed that their drug is set to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) soon, although for a different purpose. Human trials are expected in the next one to two years, according to Professor Paton.

References

P2X3 receptor antagonism attenuates the progression of heart failure

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