Serelaxin

Serelaxin is a recombinant form of the human hormone relaxin-2. It is under development by Novartis for the treatment of acute heart failure.

Etymology

The term "Serelaxin" is derived from the hormone it is based on, "relaxin-2". The prefix "Sere-" is a common prefix used in pharmaceutical naming, often indicating a synthetic or semi-synthetic origin.

Pharmacology

Serelaxin is a vasoactive peptide hormone that mediates hemodynamic and anti-fibrotic effects with a short half-life. It is a recombinant form of the naturally occurring human relaxin-2 hormone, which is involved in the regulation of cardiovascular and renal function.

Clinical trials

Serelaxin has undergone Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of acute heart failure. The RELAX-AHF trial demonstrated that serelaxin improved symptoms and mortality in patients with acute heart failure. However, the follow-up RELAX-AHF-2 trial did not confirm these benefits.

Regulatory status

In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted serelaxin Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of acute heart failure. However, in 2017, the FDA declined to approve serelaxin based on the results of the RELAX-AHF-2 trial.

See also

• Relaxin
• Acute heart failure
• Novartis
• Food and Drug Administration