Hennigsdorf/ Berlin, Germany, September 16, 2020 - 4TEEN4 Pharmaceuticals GmbH ("4TEEN4") announces data on the efficacy of its lead product, Procizumab, that promptly restored cardiac dysfunction in a preclinical sepsis model by inhibiting the cardiac depressant factor DPP3. The current findings indicate that DPP3 plays an important role in septic cardiomyopathy. Sepsis is a dysregulated host response to an infection that ultimately leads to organ dysfunction.
The study data (1) from the team lead by Prof. Alexandre Mebazaa have shown that high DPP3 blood values are associated with decreased heart function in a preclinical sepsis model. In this randomized, controlled study, the administration of Procizumab immediately and significantly improved heart function by increasing cardiac output, stroke volume, and left ventricular shortening fraction. Inactivation of the cardiac depressant factor DPP3 fully restored cardiac contraction and improved survival.
DPP3 is at the core of a recently discovered disease mechanism, which was previously demonstrated to be a leading cause of circulatory failure (2,3,4). The release of the cardiac depressant factor DPP3 into the bloodstream causes the inactivation of the heart-stimulating hormone, Angiotensin II, a process leading to cardiac depression, hemodynamic instability and shock.
"These findings demonstrate for the first time that DPP3 plays a role in sepsis. By inhibiting DPP3 with our antibody Procizumab, we are able to restore cardiac function in preclinical sepsis models. This paves the way for future investigations on the utility of Procizumab as a possible therapeutic option in patients with sepsis and septic shock" said Dr. Andreas Bergmann, CEO of 4TEEN4.
The antibody Procizumab offers a new approach for the treatment of life-threatening diseases related to acute circulatory failure. Preclinical safety and toxicity studies of the antibody as well as the initiation of the first-in-man studies are planned for 2021.