Treatment Of Heart Failure - Isis Project No 3644

A new method of treating heart failure by inhibiting hypoxia–indicible factor (HIF)

Marketing Opportunity

Heart failure is a common condition affecting about 2% of the general population and up to 15 % of the elderly population. It is a progressive disorder resulting in damage to the heart causing weakening of the cardiovascular system. Although successful drug therapies do exist, the mortality rate associated with even well-treated heart failure is unacceptable. There is a need for new therapies in this area and also a need for novel approaches to treatment.

The Oxford Invention

Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) is a transcription factor, which plays a key role in the body’s response to the deprivation of oxygen. It regulates the expression of a wide variety of genes including those associated with the growth of new blood vessels, programmed cell death and the breakdown of food and its conversion into energy. HIF is a dimer consisting of HIF-alpha and HIF-beta subunits; in addition there are three variants of HIF-alpha subunit, referred to a HIF-1 alpha, HIF-2 alpha and HIF-3 alpha. Because HIF has been shown to regulate the growth of new blood vessels, inhibitors of specifically HIF-1 alpha have been identified as attractive agents for the treatment of angiogenesis in cancer, with several companies now pursuing programmes in this indication. The role of HIF-1 in the heart has also been described, including some reports of an association between heart failure and upregulated HIF 1-alpha, and a recent paper has confirmed that activation of HIF-1 alpha underlies key changes in cell metabolism that are characteristic of and contribute to heart disease (Cell Metabolism, 9, 512 – 524, June 3, 2009). The Oxford Invention relates to the treatment of heart failure and disorders associated with heart failure by the inhibition of HIF-1.

Patent Status

The Oxford invention is the subject of a patent application in the USA. Isis would like to talk to companies interested in developing the commercial opportunity. Please contact the Isis Project Manager for further information.

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