OUR APPROACH
Recardio is developing novel therapies that modulate and utilize the body’s own repair mechanisms in cardiovascular and other diseases. Our lead candidate Dutogliptin is intended to enable cardiac regeneration in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Advanced Heart Failure (HF).
The small molecule dutogliptin is the lead product candidate that builds the foundation of our clinical development programs. Dutogliptin is a protein that belongs to a class of enzyme inhibitors called gliptins or DPP-IV inhibitors, which are used extensively in the treatment of Diabetes mellitus. Dutogliptin is a 2nd generation DPP-IV inhibitor with a favorable cardiovascular pharmacological profile that already has a huge preclinical data base and proven safety in multiple safety and efficacy clinical studies. While RECARDIO is not pursuing a diabetes indication, it is utilizing other biological functions of dutogliptin to benefit other indications.
In our lead program, dutogliptin is employed to boost and prolong the supply of stem cells to the heart after it has been damaged by an infarct. Dutogliptin accomplishes this by sustaining the activity of SDF-1, a chemokine that plays a major role in cell trafficking and stem cell migration to damaged tissue. During the healing process, cells from the affected organ highly express SDF-1 causing an elevation of localized SDF-1 levels. However, SDF-1 is then quickly neutralized by the inhibitor DPP-IV. Recardio’s dutogliptin effectively inhibits DPP-IV thus preserving SDF-1 over extended periods of time so that stem cell homing to the injury site can be retained. Stem cells play a fundamental role in tissue repair by secreting factors that stimulate cellular healing mechanisms and the generation of new tissue in what is called the paracrine effect, a fundamental element of regenerative medicine.