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- Mesoblast (MSB) spikes on the ASX today after announcing findings from a third-phase trial for its rexlemestrocel-L product in chronic heart failure
- The company says a single dose of the drug, on top of standard of care, reduces hearts attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death compared to standard of care alone
- These results were presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions by trial co-principal investigator Dr Emerson Perin
- Mesoblast says the findings from the clinical study have been submitted for publication
- Shares in Mesoblast are up 8.24 per cent and trading at $1.84 each at 11:46 am AEDT
Drug developer Mesoblast (MSB) has spiked on the ASX today after announcing findings from a third-phase trial for its rexlemestrocel-L product in chronic heart failure.
According to Mesoblast, a single dose of rexlemestrocel-L on top of standard of care reduced the incidence of hearts attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death when compared to standard of care alone.
The results come from a trial of 565 patients suffering from New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II and Class III chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
HFrEF refers to when the left side of the heart fails to pump blood out to the body normally. When the left ventricle loses its ability to effectively contract, the heart can’t pump blood into the circulation properly.
However, results from the Mesoblast third-phase trial for chronic heart failure suggest rexlemestrocel-L could help settle heart inflammation and reduce cardiovascular mortality.
Dr Emerson Perin, the trial’s co-principal investigator and the Medical Director of the Texas Heart Institute, presented the results at the American Heart Association (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions.
“Cell therapy has the potential to change how we treat heart failure,” Dr Perin said.
“This study addresses the inflammatory aspects of heart failure, which go mostly untreated, despite significant pharmaceutical and device therapy development.”
Importantly, Mesoblast said the findings from the study have been submitted for publication.
The trial findings
The clinical trial found a single dose of rexlemestrocel-L, on top of standard of care, reduced the incidence of heart attacks or strokes by 65 per cent across all 537 NYHA Class II or Class III patients when compared to standard of care alone.
For 301 Class II and III patients with high levels of inflammation, rexlemestrocel-L reduced the incidence of heart attacks or stroke by 79 per cent compared to standard of care alone.
Across all 537 Class II and Class III patients, a single dose of rexlemestrocel-L reduced the incidence of cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks or strokes by 33 per cent. For the 301 high-inflammation patients, the incidence of these events decreased by 45 per cent. Again, this was on top of and compared to standard of care.
Mesoblast said while most traditional treatments address congestion or fluid associated with heart failure, rexlemestrocel-L is designed to address the inflammation at the centre of advanced chronic heart failure.
“Rexlemestrocel-L reduces inflammatory cytokine production by immune cells, generating improved local networks of blood vessels within the damaged heart and reducing the risk of plaque rupture in major arteries,” Mesoblast said.
According to the company, heart failure affects roughly 26 million people across the globe.
Shares in Mesoblast were up 8.24 per cent and trading at $1.84 each at 11:46 am AEDT. The company has a $1.2 billion market cap.
