First Patient treated in LIBERATE trial evaluating glenzocimab for heart attacks

The first patient has been treated in the LIBERATE clinical study to evaluate glenzocimab efficacy in myocardial infarction.

In 2022, the University of Birmingham and Acticor Biotech signed a partnership agreement to evaluate glenzocimab efficacy in myocardial infarction in a new clinical trial called LIBERATE.

Having obtained full regulatory approval in August 2023, two clinical research sites, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, are involved in the study. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham opened to recruitment on 24th January 2024. It is expected that the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield will also open to recruitment by the end of February 2024.

The LIBERATE study, a randomized, double-blind Phase 2b trial, will enrol over 200 patients diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate both the safety and efficacy of glenzocimab at a dosage of 1000 mg compared to a placebo, specifically focusing on the reduction of myocardial infarct size at Day 90 post-treatment.

Dr Mark Thomas, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Birmingham and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, who designed the trial and led its development, said:

“We are very happy to have started recruiting into the LIBERATE clinical trial. This is the first time worldwide that this class of medication has been investigated in patients with heart attacks, after showing great promise in patients with stroke.

"We are grateful to our patients for helping us in our mission to find new treatments that may help to reduce the damage done by heart attacks.”

Professor Robert Storey, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Sheffield and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Unit at Northern General Hospital, said:

“We are very pleased to now recruit patients in the LIBERATE clinical trial. This study is exploring the potential of glenzocimab in reducing the type of blood clotting responsible for heart damage during heart attacks. This exciting collaboration with University of Birmingham and Acticor Biotech holds the potential to bring significant benefit to people suffering from a heart attack.”

Professor Jon Townend, Consultant Cardiologist at University Hospitals Birmingham, Honorary Professor of Cardiology in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and Chief Investigator of the trial said:

“We have entered the operational phase of the trial, and I extend my gratitude to the entire team in Birmingham and Sheffield for their outstanding efforts in managing patient recruitment in these critical emergency care settings, as well as for gathering qualitative data for subsequent analysis.”

Adeline Meilhoc, Head of Global Clinical Development of Acticor Biotech said:

“We are delighted to witness the operational start of the study, and we reiterate our complete confidence in our partners as crucial contributors of its success. Acticor Biotech is dedicated to advancing treatments for the acute phase of thrombotic diseases. Glenzocimab application in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) represents a significant focal point for Acticor Biotech’s commitment to medical advancement.”