A phase 2a trial investigating ninerafaxstat – a novel cardiac mitotrope for the treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy (IMPROVE-DiCE)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant, independent contributor to the development of heart failure (HF), driven by energetic, metabolic, structural and functional myocardial changes. The T2D heart is characterised by over-reliance on fatty acid utilisation, shows reduced glucose oxidation and inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). This results in a diminished myocardial energy reserve and blunted adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation as well as cardiac steatosis, contributing to lipotoxicity, and diastolic dysfunction.

We assessed the effects of ninerafaxstat – a novel cardiac mitotrope designed to shift myocardial substrate utilisation in favour of glucose and thus, restore myocardial energy homeostasis – on cardiac metabolism & diastolic function in patients with T2D and obesity.

In this open-label, mechanistic phase 2a trial, we enrolled 21 patients with T2D & obesity (HbA1c median 7.0% (IQR 6.6, 7.8), weight 97kg (90, 102)) and subsequently treated them with 200mg ninerafaxstat twice daily for 4 or 8 weeks; (Fig. 1). Cardiac metabolism and function were assessed pre- & post-treatment using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 31P-, 1H- and, in a subset of n=9, hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MR spectroscopy.

T2D patients at baseline presented with impaired myocardial energetics with a markedly reduced PCr/ATP (1.6 [1.4, 2.1]), myocardial steatosis (myocardial triglycerides 2.2% [1.5, 3.2]) left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LV mass 130g [98, 152]), and diastolic dysfunction (peak diastolic strain rate 0.86 1/s [0.82, 1.06]). Ninerafaxstat significantly improved myocardial energetics (PCr/ATP median by 32%, p<0.01), reduced myocardial triglyceride content (by 34%, p=0.03) and improved LV diastolic function (peak circumferential diastolic strain rate by 10%, peak LV filling rate by 11%, both p<0.05) (Fig. 2). PDH flux was increased in 7/9 subjects (mean 45%, p=0.08), consistent with improved glucose utilisation. Left ventricular volumes and mass, heart rate and blood pressure remained unchanged.

Treatment with ninerafaxstat significantly improves myocardial energetics, reduces myocardial steatosis and improves diastolic function in patients with T2D and obesity.

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Imbria Pharmaaceuticals