A new pill for weak hearts passes its first safety test in people
An experimental pill called AC01, designed to help a weak heart pump harder, caused no serious drug-related problems in an early human trial. Fifty-eight patients took it or a dummy pill for up to 28 days.
Why it matters
Heart failure with a weak pump affects millions of people, and current pump-boosting drugs can cause dangerous side effects. A pill that helps the heart contract without those harms would be a real step forward. But this is only a first-in-people safety check with very few patients, so it does not yet prove the drug works or is safe long-term. Much larger trials are needed before doctors could prescribe it.
Who's behind it: Lars H. Lund and colleagues, An international team across 14 hospitals in the Netherlands, UK, Sweden, and Italy. Funded by AnaCardio, the company developing the drug.
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