The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Imara’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for tovinontrine (IMR-687) to treat heart failure with preserved ejection faction (HFpEF). HFpEF (diastolic heart failure) is a form of heart failure that occurs when the lower left ventricle of the heart cannot properly fill with blood during the diastolic phase of circulation. Imara’s tovinontrine (IMR-687) is a highly selective potent small molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-9 (PDE9), an enzyme that degrades the active signaling molecule cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). cGMP plays an important role in hemoglobin production and vascular biology, low cGMP levels are also found in people with blood disorders associated with reduced blood flow, inflammation, and greater cell adhesion. HFpEF is the most common form of heart failure, and few treatment options exist to improve and manage the condition. Imara Inc. is a Boston-based biotech company that develops therapies for patients with serious diseases and patients suffering from rare, inherited hemoglobin genetic conditions.
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