Clinical trials

This research study is testing whether an experimental drug, called SRD-001, is safe and helps the weakened heart of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) regain its ability to effectively pump blood to the rest of the body. SRD-001 is a form of gene therapy. The goal of SRD-001 gene therapy is to provide the heart muscle cells with extra copies of the SERCA2a gene so that they can produce more SERCA2a protein to help the heart muscle cells squeeze/contract better. Researchers will compare SRD-001 treated participants with no-treatment participants; all participants will continue to take their current heart medications. All participants will be followed very closely for 2 years and undergo cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of their heart at baseline, year 1 and year 2 along with assessment of upper limb function and lung function. After the 2 years of close follow-up, all participants will roll over into long-term follow-up where they will be called biannually for information on their current medical status.

It is believed that targeted SERCA2a enzyme replacement in HFrEF patients will correct defective intracellular Ca2+ hemostasis, resulting in improved cardiac contractile function and energetics which will, in turn, translate to improved clinical outcomes. Additionally, it is hypothesized that correcting SERCA2a dysfunction will also improve coronary blood flow through correction of the impaired endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-mediated vasodilatation observed in heart failure.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test an experimental gene therapy in participants with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, also known as diastolic heart failure. The main questions it aims to answer are: * safety and tolerability of the gene therapy; and * whether the gene therapy helps the heart ventricles relax during filling. Participants will undergo a one-time infusion of the gene therapy in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and then be followed for safety and effects on left-sided filling pressures while exercising. The first year will have multiple in-person visits followed by 4 years of biannual phone calls.