Recurrent Pericarditis
Up to 50% of patients with a recurrent episode of pericarditis experience more recurrences.
Pericarditis refers to inflammation of the pericardium – the membrane, or sac, that surrounds the heart. Symptoms include debilitating chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue, which result in physical limitations, reduced quality of life, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Causes of pericarditis can include infection, systemic disorders such as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and post-cardiac injury syndromes.
In May 2022, the Corporation received Investigational New Drug (IND) Application authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a Phase II open-label pilot study designed to evaluate the tolerance and safety of CardiolRx™ in patients with recurrent pericarditis. The study will also assess the improvement in objective measures of disease, and during an extension period, assess the feasibility of weaning concomitant background therapy including corticosteroids, while taking CardiolRx™.
Although generally self-limited and not life threatening, acute pericarditis is diagnosed in 0.2% of all cardiovascular in-hospital admissions and is responsible for 5% of emergency room admissions for chest pain in North America and Western Europe. Recurrent pericarditis is the reappearance of symptoms after a symptom-free period of at least 4–6 weeks following an episode of acute pericarditis. These recurrences appear in 15% to 30% of acute cases and usually within 18 months. Further, up to 50% of patients with a recurrent episode of pericarditis experience more recurrences.
Recurrent pericarditis is an orphan disease in the United States, thereby making CardiolRx™ eligible for orphan drug status under the FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation program.
Click here to view Advisors and Key Investigators for Recurrent Pericarditis Phase II Study
