Cardurion Pharmaceuticals Presents Positive Phase 2 Results for Tovinontrine in Heart Failure

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 11, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Cardurion Pharmaceuticals has announced significant progress in its clinical program evaluating tovinontrine (CRD-750), a phosphodiesterase-9 (PDE9) inhibitor, as a potential novel treatment for heart failure. The company presented the results from its Phase 2 Cycle clinical trials at the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM 2026) in Phoenix, Arizona.

In the Phase 2 Cycle-1REF clinical trial, 529 participants with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) were randomized to receive tovinontrine at three different doses or a placebo, on top of their existing guideline-directed medical therapy. The trial demonstrated that tovinontrine, at two of the three tested doses, achieved substantial reductions in NT-proBNP, a biomarker for heart failure, through 12 weeks of treatment. The greatest reductions were observed at the 2.5 mg BID dose, with smaller reductions seen at the 25 mg BID dose. No benefit was observed at the highest dose (50 mg BID) of tovinontrine tested.

Tovinontrine is an orally administered PDE9 inhibitor that aims to enhance the natriuretic peptide signaling (NPS) pathway specifically in the cardiomyocyte for the treatment of heart failure. Cardurion is the first company to bring a PDE9 inhibitor into clinical development for chronic heart failure. The Phase 2 results from the Cycle-1REF and Cycle-2PEF clinical trials were presented in a late-breaking plenary session at the ASM 2026.

In the Cycle-2PEF trial, 277 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were randomized to receive tovinontrine 50 mg BID or placebo. Consistent with the absence of an NT-proBNP effect at the highest dose in Cycle-1REF, no significant change in NT-proBNP was observed in Cycle-2PEF at this dose. Additional evaluation of tovinontrine at lower doses in the HFpEF population is warranted.

The Phase 2 results from the Cycle-1REF trial showed that tovinontrine demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile.

Heart failure is a prevalent and growing condition, responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality. Approximately 6.7 million adults in the United States suffer from heart failure, and approximately 50 percent of these patients die from the condition within five years of diagnosis. One in five patients with heart failure are hospitalized annually, and approximately 25 percent of these patients are re-admitted within a month of discharge.

Cardurion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing new therapeutic approaches to address cardiovascular diseases. The company's pipeline includes product candidates targeting phosphodiesterase-9 (PDE9) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Cardurion's work in PDE9 inhibition represents a significant advancement in the treatment of chronic heart failure, with the potential to offer additional benefit to patients on top of current therapies.