Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil is a cardiac myosin activator developed for the potential treatment of heart failure. It is designed to increase the heart's ability to pump blood by enhancing cardiac muscle contractions.

Mechanism of Action

Omecamtiv mecarbil works by binding to myosin, a protein that plays a crucial role in muscle contraction. It increases the transition rate of myosin from the weakly bound state to the strongly bound state, thereby enhancing the ability of the heart muscle to contract. This mechanism of action is unique among heart failure therapies, which typically aim to reduce the workload of the heart rather than increase its pumping capacity.

Clinical Trials

Several clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of omecamtiv mecarbil. The most notable of these is the GALACTIC-HF trial, which involved over 8,000 patients with heart failure. The results of this trial showed a modest but statistically significant reduction in the risk of heart failure events or death from cardiovascular causes.

Side Effects

Common side effects of omecamtiv mecarbil include headache, dizziness, and nausea. In clinical trials, these side effects were generally mild and did not lead to discontinuation of the drug.

Development and Approval

Omecamtiv mecarbil was developed by Cytokinetics in collaboration with Amgen. In 2020, the drug was granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the potential treatment of chronic heart failure.

See Also

• Heart failure
• Myosin
• Clinical trial
• Cytokinetics
• Amgen