CARDIAC RESEARCH WEBINARS
AnaBios offers a number of cardiac research webinars from top pharma and academic researchers across the globe. Click the blue button be
Human Ventricular Action Potential and E14 Waiver for Novel Drugs
Presented by Dr. Derek Leishman & Najah Abi-Gerges
In 2013, the FDA first presented the Comprehensive In Vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) initiative as an upgrade to S7B/E14 guidance from 2005. E14 guidance points toward a thorough QT (TQT) study during Phase II clinical trials that is both time consuming and expensive (i.e., greater than $1M). With CiPA, sponsors may request a waiver of the TQT study in exchange for an assessment of EKG’s during Phase I and adequate preclinical data. During this webinar, Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges (VP, R&D at AnaBios) discusses a ventricular action potential assay provided by AnaBios that involves heart tissue from ethically consented human donors that can contribute to the preclinical data set for E14 waiver requests. Dr. Derek Leishman (VP, Translational & Quantitative Toxicology at Eli Lilly) presents a big pharma perspective on E14 waiver requests and relevant strategies for safety pharmacology in general.
Human Ex Vivo Heart Models for Drug Discovery
Presented by Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges
Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges, Vice President of Research & Development at AnaBios Corporation, presents this 30-minute video on the application of AnaBios’ unique adult human ex-vivo models in supporting drug discovery programs. The webinar is moderated by Dr. Takashi Hayashi, AnaBios Director of Business Development in Japan. Dr. Abi-Gerges is the Editor for the Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods, and is also a reviewer for more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific journals and review judge panel for various science institutes and foundations. Dr. Abi-Gerges is co-chair of the ion channel group in the CiPA initiative.
Preclinical Assessment of Native Human Cardiomyocytes Provides Translational Value
Presented by Dr. Laszlo Urban
Dr. Laszlo Urban, Global Head of Predictive Safety Profiling at Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, and Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges, Vice President of Research & Development at AnaBios, co-present this cardiac research webinar that discusses the use of CardioPRIME–-AnaBios’ adult human cardiomyocyte platform–-in drug discovery. They also discuss the evaluation of proarrhythmic effects of Hydroxychloroquine concerning application in COVID-19 patients.
Human Heart Slices as the Next Generation of Cardiotoxicity Testing Platform
Presented by Dr. Tamer Mohamed
In this hour-long video, Dr. Tamer Mohamed, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville’s Institute of Molecular Cardiology, discusses recent research in which he led a team that developed functional human and pig heart slice biomimetic culture systems that preserve the viability and functionality of heart slices for up to six days. He also discusses the reliability of this culture system for testing the cardiotoxicity of anti-cancer drugs.
Arrhythmogenic & Anti-arrhythmic Actions of Late Sustained Sodium Current
Presented by Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges
Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges, Vice President of Research and Development at AnaBios, presents new research published in Nature Scientific Reports focusing on arrhythmogenic and antiarrhythmic actions of late sustained sodium current in the adult human heart in this 30-minute webinar. Dr. Abi-Gerges discusses the critical role of late sustained sodium current in human heart arrhythmia, as well as the implications of findings suggesting that its inhibition could provide an effective therapeutic strategy.
The Role of BAG3 in Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Presented by Dr. Arthur Feldman
Dr. Arthur Feldman, Professor of Medicine at Temple University, discusses the role of BAG3 in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in this hour-long webinar. Recently, subpopulations of patients have been identified that develop DCM due to mutations in specific genes that have been shown to result in the development of DCM—one of those being the BAG3 gene. Dr. Feldman discusses how the development of a gene replacement therapy for patients with DCM that carry BAG3 mutations could potentially prevent progression of the disease in otherwise healthy young adults. Dr. Feldman is an internationally renowned cardiologist who served as Executive Dean of the Temple University School of Medicine from 2011-2016.
Human Models for Translational Science: Late Sodium Current in the Human Heart
Presented by Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges
Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges, Vice President of Research and Development at AnaBios, presents new research recently published in Nature Scientific Reports focusing on arrhythmogenic and antiarrhythmic actions of late sustained sodium current in the adult human heart in this 30-minute webinar. Dr. Abi-Gerges discusses the critical role of late sustained sodium current in human heart arrhythmia, as well as the implications of findings suggesting that its inhibition could provide an effective therapeutic strategy.
Discovery & Characterization of ORM-11372: Implications for Heart Failure Drug Discovery
Presented by Dr. Jouko Levijoki
Jouko Levijoki, Senior Research Scientist at Orion Corporation, presents new heart failure research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology and co-authored by AnaBios scientists in this 30-minute webinar, “Discovery & Characterization of ORM-11372 (A Unique and Positive Inotropic Sodium-Calcium Exchanger/Inhibitor): Implications for Heart Failure Drug Discovery.” The lack of selective sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) inhibitors has hampered the exploration of physiological and pathophysiological roles of cardiac NCX 1.1. Levijoki and his team aimed to discover a more potent and selective drug like NCX 1.1. inhibitor. ORM-11372, a unique, novel, and potent inhibitor of human and rat NCX 1.1, is a positive inotropic compound. NCX inhibition can induce clinically relevant improvements in left ventricular contractions without affecting relaxation, heart rate or blood pressure–without pro-arrhythmic risk.
Atrial Fibrillation Mechanisms: Relevance to Therapeutic Innovation
Presented by Dr. Stanley Nattel
Dr. Stanley Nattel, Professor of Medicine at the University of Montreal, and Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges, Vice President of Research & Development at AnaBios, co-presented this webinar, “Evolving Concepts of Atrial Fibrillation Mechanisms: Relevance to Therapeutic Innovation.” In this hour-long presentation, Dr. Nattel discussed evolving conceptual models of atrial fibrillation and their therapeutic implications. Dr. Abi-Gerges gave a short presentation on AnaBios’ unique human atrial fibrillation platform. Other presentation topics included competing models of atrial fibrillation mechanisms and their practical difference, electrically active drugs for atrial fibrillation termination and prevention, possibility of prevention of the atrial fibrillation substrate and recent findings that point to the important role of inflammation in atrial fibrillation.
Myocardial Slices: A Novel Discovery to Study the Biology of the Human Heart
Presented by Dr. Cesare Terracciano
Dr. Cesare Terracciano, professor of cardiac electrophysiology at Imperial College London, presents “Myocardial Slices as Novel Discovery Model to Study Biology of the Human Heart.” In this 45-minute webinar, Dr. Terracciano discusses the limitations of the current cardiac models and unmet needs. He also summarizes his work to develop myocardial slice preparation methodology, and outlines its unique advantages and applications for translational cardiovascular science and drug testing.
Human Primary Cardiomyocyte Model for Predicting Inotropes
Presented by Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges
In this 30-minute webinar, Dr. Najah Abi-Gerges, Vice President of Research & Development at AnaBios, presents human adult primary cardiomyocyte research for cardiac safety assessment. During the presentation, Dr. Abi-Gerges addresses novel approaches enabling the study of primary human cardiomyocytes, and their use for assessing cardiac safety. Other topics include pro-arrhythmia & contractility risk, human primary atrial cells in atrial fibrillation drug discovery, advancing the understanding of heart failure and new therapies with human primary ventricular myocytes and tissues.