PALM COAST, FL / ACCESSWIRE / November 15, 2021 / Atrial fibrillation might soon have a viable cure thanks to a research grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health to the privately held biotechnology company Rhythm Therapeutics. Its team of board members and clinical advisors, including Gerard Abate, MD, Alan Kadish, MD, FACC, and Rishi Arora, MD, FHRS, are all excited at the grant's possibilities for research and patients living with AFib alike.
Dr. Arora said of the grant, "With support from this valued award, Rhythm Therapeutics has the opportunity to revolutionize the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation via our proprietary gene therapy platform to reduce mortality and improve the quality of life. For those suffering from AF worldwide."
So far, the team at Rhythm Therapeutics has been able to identify a new method of gene therapy delivery, known as electroporation. Gerard Abate says that in order to deliver DNA to the heart directly and safely during gene therapy. In clinical studies conducted by Rhythm Therapeutics, this new method of gene therapy has decreased incidents of AFib in larger animals such as canines, pigs, goats, and sheep.
Of all heart arrhythmias, some of the most common include sinus tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, PVC's and PAC's, and Atrial Fibrillation. According to the CDC, in the year 2030, around 12.1 million people in the United States will have AFib. This is a scary statistic, considering that the development of atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia, and death, Gerard Abate explains.
The team at Rhythm Therapeutics knows all too well that treatments for AFib are subpar, and AFib can still return or linger even with the use of cardiac arrhythmic drugs or invasive procedures known as ablations, of which carry significant side effects and risks. Due to this need for increased care and research for AFib, Rythym Therapeutic members like Gerard Abate have dedicated the next few years to researching a cure for AFib.
The research will be conducted in phases, with phase 1 working to optimize gene doses and electroporation methods for optimal gene delivery and phase 2 working to determine the optimal amount of gene therapy, figuring out how long its effects will last, and examining targeted genes and their toxicology profiles. Phase 1 is already set to be finished later this year.
Gerard Abate says that with the help of the NIH Research Grant, Rhythm Therapeutics hopes to do more than just cure the symptoms of AFib. Instead, through new gene therapy, it hopes to create hearts resistant to AFib entirely, all the while lessening the burden of AFib and its associated co-morbidities, such as strokes, heart attacks, and more on the healthcare system.
CONTACT:
Gerard Abate
Dr. Gerard Abate, MD
(610) 435-1104
SOURCE: Gerard Abate
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