KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.,
July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/
-- Trevena, Inc., the leader in the discovery of G-protein
coupled receptor (GPCR) biased ligands, announced today the
publication of new findings related to the mechanism of action of
its Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor (AT1R) biased ligands. The
publication describes work led by R. John Solaro PhD, Distinguished
University Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology and
Biophysics at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, performed in collaboration with Trevena
scientists. The studies evaluated the molecular mechanisms of
action for TRV120023, a molecule closely related to Trevena's
clinical stage asset, TRV027, which is in Phase 2 testing for the
treatment of acute heart failure. TRV027 is being developed by
Trevena under a recently announced collaborative licensing option
agreement with Forest Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: FRX).
The article, entitled "The Beta-arrestin-Biased Ligand TRV120023
Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy While
Preserving Enhanced Myofilament Response to Calcium", was published
online, ahead of print, July 19,
2013, in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and
Circulatory Physiology.
Work in Dr. Solaro's laboratory showed that TRV120023 blocked
cardiac hypertrophy in rats, while stimulating biochemical pathways
linked to increased cardiac contractility. TRV120023
increased the sensitivity of cardiac myofilaments to calcium,
suggesting that TRV120023 and molecules like it, such as TRV027,
can increase cardiac contractile force ("inotropy") through a
mechanism distinct from classic inotropes, which are associated
with cardiac arrhythmia and increased mortality. Dr Solaro said of
the published work, "these experiments suggest that Trevena's
biased ligands regulate the heart's contractile machinery through a
novel mechanism which may simultaneously block cardiac dysfunction
while promoting cardiac contractility"
Michael Lark Ph.D., Trevena's Chief Scientific Officer,
commented that "these findings further support the hypothesis that
beta-arrestin biased ligands like TRV120023 and TRV027 may offer
unique benefits in treating cardiovascular disease."
About Acute Heart Failure
The American Heart Association estimated that acute heart
failure (AHF) hospitalization costs the U.S. healthcare system more
than $20 billion each year in direct
spending. AHF is already the leading reason for hospitalization of
individuals over 65 years old in the
United States, with over 1 million hospital admissions per
year. AHF is also the most costly diagnosis for Medicare in the
nation. Despite the significance of this problem, current therapies
are not producing meaningful improvements in patient outcomes. AHF
incidence is increasing globally, and both heart failure mortality
and hospital re-admission following an AHF event remain extremely
high.
About Trevena
Trevena, Inc. is dedicated to discovering and developing the
next generation of GPCR targeted medicines. GPCRs are the targets
for at least one-third of modern medicinal products, and remain the
predominant class of targets under clinical evaluation. Trevena's
expertise lies in engineering "biased ligands" that activate
only the beneficial signaling pathways downstream of a GPCR to
unlock new biology and avoid drug adverse effects. In addition to
TRV027, Trevena's pipeline currently includes a clinical stage
mu-opioid biased ligand, TRV130, for post-operative pain, and
discovery-stage programs for chronic pain and Parkinson's
disease.
For more information, please contact:
Ros Deegan, VP
Business Development, Trevena Inc., 610-354-8840 x225
(Corporate)
Kimberly Minarovich, Christensen,
917-533-3268 (Media)
SOURCE Trevena, Inc.