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Corteria Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of transformative therapies for heart failure and obesity, have announced the initiation of its Phase 1 study to evaluate the company’s first-in-class corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2 (CRF2) agonist, COR-1167, for the treatment of Worsening Heart Failure (WHF).
COR-1167 is a once-daily subcutaneous CRF2 agonist that has demonstrated substantial protective effects and functional improvement in the heart, vasculature and kidneys in multiple animal models of heart failure. Its unique mechanism of action offers a novel opportunity for treating WHF with the goal of alleviating cardiac congestion by restoring and maintaining stable cardiovascular and renal function.
The Phase 1 trial is a randomised placebo-controlled study with the primary objective of assessing the safety and tolerability of COR-1167 in both healthy volunteers and patients with chronic heart failure.
“The advancement of our lead CRF2 agonist into the clinic is a significant milestone in our mission to bring novel treatments to patients experiencing the debilitating effects of worsening heart failure,” said Philip Janiak, founder and CEO of Corteria Pharmaceuticals.“The preclinical data for COR-1167 is very promising and we are excited to determine its therapeutic potential in patients.”
Prof. Adriaan Voors, professor of cardiology at the University Medical Centre Groningen (Netherlands) and principal investigator of the study, emphasised that: “the initiation of this Phase 1 study with COR-1167, a CRF2 agonist, both in healthy volunteers and patients with heart failure is an important step in potentially reducing the burden of heart failure, especially for patients who experience worsening signs and symptoms despite being treated with currently recommended therapies.”
The company anticipates completing the Phase 1 study in the first half of 2025, to be followed by the initiation of a Phase 2 study in this indication.