ACC Showcases Abcentra's Orticumab: A Step Towards Coronary Inflammation Reduction

In a groundbreaking development, Abcentra LLC, a biopharmaceutical firm focused on coronary artery disease, has unveiled the findings of a Phase 2a clinical trial at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Sessions. The study showcased the impact of Orticumab, a pioneering drug designed to mitigate coronary inflammation, on patients with psoriasis. This skin condition is known to be linked with an elevated risk of heart-related complications due to high levels of coronary inflammation.

The clinical trial, which spanned 15 weeks, applied Caristo Diagnostics' CaRi-Heart® AI technology to monitor the effects of Orticumab on coronary inflammation. The AI-powered system detected a significant decrease in inflammation and projected a 50% reduction in the risk of fatal cardiac events for the trial participants. Caristo Diagnostics, a prominent entity in cardiac disease diagnostics, developed the CaRi-Heart® technology, which utilizes the Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) Score™, a recognized biomarker for coronary inflammation.

Orticumab functions as a monoclonal antibody that targets oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), a primary instigator of plaque inflammation and destabilization in coronary artery disease. The partnership between Abcentra and Caristo Diagnostics facilitated the measurement of changes in coronary artery inflammation in response to Orticumab treatment.

Chris Farina, CEO of Abcentra, emphasized the significance of the trial's findings, stating that the 15-week treatment with Orticumab led to a reduction in the FAI-Score among psoriasis patients with high coronary inflammation. This reduction could potentially translate to a substantial decrease in the risk of fatal heart attacks for these individuals. Farina also highlighted Abcentra's dedication to enhancing care for coronary artery disease patients and future plans to employ Caristo's CaRi-Heart technology to identify patients who would benefit most from Orticumab and monitor their treatment progress.

Frank Cheng, CEO of Caristo Diagnostics, remarked on the company's ongoing efforts to measure coronary inflammation and plaque changes in various studies funded by pharmaceutical and biotech entities. He noted the growing interest within the pharmaceutical industry to develop advanced therapeutic solutions for managing coronary inflammation and how Caristo's FAI-Score technology can effectively direct these therapies to the patients who need them most.

The study also shed light on the issue of "invisible inflammation," affecting millions of Americans who visit emergency departments with chest pain annually. Many of these patients undergo coronary CT angiography (CCTA) scans, which often fail to reveal significant arterial narrowing despite the presence of coronary inflammation, a significant risk factor for cardiac events. The CaRi-Heart FAI-Score, derived from routine CCTA scans, can uncover this hidden inflammation and assess an individual's risk of experiencing a fatal cardiac event.

Abcentra, based in Los Angeles, California, is committed to advancing treatment options for coronary artery disease, focusing on a novel approach targeting OxLDL to enhance the efficacy and safety of anti-inflammatory therapies. Their clinical-stage product, Orticumab, is a first-of-its-kind monoclonal antibody against OxLDL, aimed at preventing cardiac events following an acute coronary syndrome and potentially expanding into primary prevention for patients with coronary inflammation.

Caristo Diagnostics, a global leader in cardiac and vascular disease diagnostics, was established in 2018 as a spin-off from the University of Oxford. The company has created a suite of imaging-based and AI-assisted platforms designed to predict and diagnose conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes. Recognized by Nature in 2020, Caristo Diagnostics is at the forefront of scientific innovation emerging from academic research.