Top in cardiology: Obesity drug for those with heart failure; new cardiac PET agent
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A novel controlled metabolic accelerator was associated with weight loss in patients with obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, according to phase 2a study results.
Ambarish Pandey, MD, associate professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, presented the full trial results during a virtual clinical research session of the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting.
Researchers on the HuMain-heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) trial found significant fat mass loss at 3 months for patients assigned HU6 compared with baseline and participants who received placebo. Notably, there was no difference in lean body mass at 3 months compared with baseline or placebo.
“HU6 is a unique drug because its mechanism of action produces loss of fat mass while preserving lean mass,” Pandey told Healio. “With GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Wegovy, Novo Nordisk) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Eli Lilly), 40% to 50% of weight loss is actually lean mass. That means losing a lot of skeletal muscle. In older patients with HFpEF who have frailty and sarcopenia, that may be problematic.”
It was the top story in cardiology last week.
In another top story, the FDA approved 18F flurpiridaz (Flyrcado, GE Healthcare/Lantheus Medical Imaging), a novel cardiac positron emission tomography perfusion radiotracer, for the evaluation of possible myocardial ischemia and infarction in adult patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.
Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:
Novel obesity agent linked to weight loss vs. placebo at 3 months in patients with heart failure
In a phase 2a trial of patients with obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, participants who received a novel controlled metabolic accelerator showed greater weight loss at 3 months compared with placebo. Read more.
FDA approves novel PET radiotracer for evaluation of suspected MI, ischemia
The FDA approved 18F flurpiridaz, a new cardiac PET perfusion radiotracer, for adult patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease being evaluated for myocardial ischemia and infarction. Read more.
AHA announces late-breaking lineup to be presented at 2024 Scientific Sessions
The American Heart Association Scientific Sessions will be held in-person only in Chicago from Nov. 16 to 18 and will feature eight late-breaking science sessions during the 3-day meeting. Read more.
FDA clears software to reduce ‘guesstimation’ when assessing atherosclerotic risk
Elucid announced it received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its noninvasive imaging analysis software to help quantify and classify plaque morphology and diagnose cardiovascular disease. Read more.
Wegovy shows benefit even in patients with high frailty, obesity-related heart failure
Treatment of obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction with semaglutide 2.4 mg improved body weight, physical function and heart failure symptoms regardless of the extent of patient frailty, a speaker at the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting reported. Read more.