Start-up to develop new treatment for heart failure

Mirabilis Therapeutics BV, known as Mirabilis, is a new spin-off by Maastricht University and the Maastricht University Medical Centre (UM/MUMC+). Mirabilis focuses on developing new medications to treat cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as heart failure and obesity. The company was founded in response to promising research by Professor de Windt and Dr Da Costa Martins. Based on previous research, they expect Mirabilis to develop new medications that can slow the pathological growth of the heart muscle, improve energy metabolism in heart failure patients, restore the heart's regenerative potential after a heart attack or combat obesity. The new candidate medications have shown promising effects in previous studies.

'We've demonstrated before that cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are driven by changes in specific microRNA's,' says Leon de Windt, who was recently appointed CSO of Mirabilis. 'Mirabilis demonstrates our serious intention to further develop this therapy based on our previous findings.' Ronald van der Geest, CEO of Mirabilis, agrees. 'The data that Leon and his team have produced is not something you see every day. I am extremely pleased to be part of this team and highly motivated to get these discoveries through the preclinical and clinical trials as efficiently as possible.'

Heart failure                                                                                                           

The researchers previously demonstrated that the most important molecule in their study, MRB-8001, reduces the pathological growth of the heart caused by exposure to chronic high blood pressure. Further development can lead to the first medicine for heart failure that is specifically designed to reverse pathological changes in the heart. This will have a particularly positive effect on the treatment of diastolic heart failure, which is when the heart muscle does not relax properly. The company also expects to be able to develop three specific medications to optimise energy metabolism in heart failure patients, to restore the heart's regenerative potential after a heart attack and to combat obesity.

South Limburg Valorisation Programme                                                                     

Mirabilis recently received a PreSeed loan under the South Limburg Valorisation Programme. The PreSeed fund was established with the support of the Ministry of Economic Affairs to provide financial aid to young entrepreneurs looking to market the knowledge generated by Limburg knowledge institutes.

Licensing

Mirabilis was founded based on exclusive patent licenses filed by UM/MUMC+ during a previous research programme. 'The license and the start-up loan make it possible for Mirabilis to continue to develop new therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases,' says Dr Henri Theunissen, head of the Maastricht Valorisation Centre. 'We are proud of this new Maastricht-based start-up and will continue to support the company in its efforts to create added value for society based on their research findings.'

Note for the press:
For more information on the content of this press release, contact Ronald van der Geest, CEO of Mirabilis, by email at r.vandergeest@mirabilis-therapeutics.com.