The University of Queensland in Australia has announced the commencement of clinical trials of Hi1a, a heart drug derived from spider venom.
Hi1a is a peptide found in the venom of the K’gari funnel web spider.
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The project, which aims to develop the first medication using spider venom to treat heart attacks and protect donor hearts, has received A$17.8m ($12.08m) in funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
This four-year trial will evaluate the efficacy of Hi1a in preventing heart damage during heart attacks and donor heart procurement.
The research team comprises experts from the University of Queensland, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, the Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute and clinicians from several Australian hospitals.
University of Queensland Institute for Molecular Bioscience associate professor Nathan Palpant spearheaded the studies demonstrating Hi1a’s potential in cardiac disease models.
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By GlobalDataThe clinical trial is the culmination of extensive research into the use of Hi1a for treating heart attacks and strokes, as well as improving the viability of donor hearts.
Research published earlier this year confirmed that Hi1a had reached essential milestones towards becoming a viable treatment after successfully passing a series of preclinical tests.
Infensa Bioscience is also involved in the project, with professor Glenn King serving as chief scientific officer and Dr Palpant as the biology head of the Brisbane-based biotech company.
Professor King said: “Our team showed that in animal models, Hi1a protects the heart from damage sustained due to lack of oxygen during a heart attack or during donor heart retrieval.
“This MRFF funding will enable us to undertake human clinical trials to test a miniaturised version of Hi1a as a drug to treat heart attack and protect donor hearts during the retrieval process.
“If successful it will improve patient survival and quality of life, dramatically expand the pool of donor hearts available for transplantation and significantly reduce healthcare costs.”
