Galmed Pharmaceuticals has developed a new lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation of its investigational drug Aramchol that selectively targets heart tissue, marking a potential step toward treating cardiac fibrosis, a condition that contributes to chronic heart failure.
The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said the proprietary formulation, developed with Barcode Nanotech, redirects Aramchol away from the liver—where conventional formulations accumulate—and delivers it to heart muscle tissue.
The company said the approach is designed to overcome one of the biggest challenges in cardiovascular drug development: targeted delivery to the heart.
According to Galmed, conventional Aramchol formulations accumulate 80% to 90% in the liver, limiting the drug's effect on cardiac tissue. The new LNP formulation is intended to improve delivery to the heart and could potentially support the development of disease-modifying therapies for cardiac fibrosis and other cardiovascular conditions.
Cardiac fibrosis remains a major driver of heart failure progression and an area of significant unmet medical need. Galmed said no approved therapies currently prevent or reverse the condition, despite heart failure being one of the world's leading causes of death.
The formulation builds on previous research into Aramchol, whose anti-fibrotic effects have been demonstrated in the liver during the open-label portion of a Phase 3 MASH study, as well as in human heart organoids and animal models involving the heart and lungs.
The collaboration combines Barcode Nanotech's lipid nanoparticle platform with AI-enabled analysis and in vivo screening to identify formulations capable of selectively targeting heart tissue and specific cardiac cell populations, including fibroblasts.
Allen Baharaff, Galmed's Co-founder and CEO, said the cardiac program complements the company's broader gastrointestinal strategy.
"Galmed remains focused on developing transformative medicines and technologies in the GI space. Our present efforts are addressed to the commercialization of CG-100, the technology developed by the recently acquired Colospan and clinical development of Aramchol for GI oncology indications.
"The collaboration with Barcode Nanotech supports a longer-term vision of advancing Aramchol in new formulations and discovering cutting edge therapies for cardiometabolic diseases, based on the core competences of both companies. This has the potential to position Galmed at the forefront of drug development innovation and open the door for future partnerships".
Ronen Eavri, Co-founder & CEO of Barcode Nanotech, said the company's delivery platform enabled the development of the heart-targeted formulation and is now being expanded to reach specific cardiac cell types.
"Barcode Nanotech has developed a library of novel lipids for RNA and DNA, LNP-based delivery, through a unique in vivo & AI-based screening platform which allow simultaneously screening of hundreds of different nanoparticle formulations.
"Our proprietary lipid library and screening platform capabilities enable the development of Aramchol's selective delivery LNP formulation to the heart. We now focus on the development of modified LNPs to target specific cardiac cell types. We believe this work may create the basis for a new generation of cardiac therapies, with Aramchol serving as an important first example of what our platform can achieve."
