Pioneering Therapeutics to Preserve Heart Function

Revolutionising the Treatment of Heart Attacks

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forcefieldtx.com

First-in-class therapeutics to retain heart function via protection of cardiomyocytes

Our Approach

Forcefield’s unparalleled approach can protect heart cells, minimising the impact of a heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI) and preventing the cascade of events that may lead to subsequent heart failure.

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Cardiomyocytes

We are all born with a set number of heart cells or cardiomyocytes (CM) and you need to maintain these to live a normal, healthy life.

Inadequate blood flow to the heart (ischemia), which occurs during heart disease, causes physiological stress to cardiac cells. Stress lasting more than approx. 30 mins causes death of the cells and lasting damage whereas reversal of ischemia within this period preserves cellular function.

This loss of CMs can be significant during myocardial infarction (MI) when as many as 25% of the total 2-4 billion cells in the affected area can die and cannot be replaced by the body.

The extent of cell loss during an MI event defines future cardiac health and a patients healthy lifespan. In the US the median time from MI symptoms to treatment (usually percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or “stent”) is 185 mins, meaning most patients experience inevitable irreversible damage, with damage increasing in those patients with delayed time to PCI.

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Cardiovascular disease remains the greatest global health problem, and myocardial infarction is the most common cause of heart failure worldwide.

 

Cardiovascular disease
  • With one heart attack every 40 seconds, cardiovascular disease is the #1 cause of death globally
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) costs the US $250 billion each year
  • Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) affects 3 million people around the world annually, including over 805,000 patients in the US and 750,000 in the EU
  • 50% of patients who suffer AMI die within 5 years
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Number one cause
of death globally (CVD)

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secs

One heart attack
every 40 seconds

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%

50% of AMI patients
die within 5 years

$
0
bn

CVD costs the US
$250bn a year

The incidence of myocardial infarctions is large with 800,000 occurring annually in the US alone and a significant proportion of patients progressing to heart failure, resulting in reduced lifespan and quality of life.

Our aim is to revolutionise treatment following acute myocardial infarction and to prevent the cascade of events that may lead to subsequent heart failure. Professor Giacca’s ground-breaking research is the first step in achieving this goal.

> Dan Gliddon
Chief Operating Officer

Disease Condition