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Sequana Medical - A step closer on DSR heart failure programme

Sequana Medical provided an update following encouraging data from its Phase IIa SAHARA Direct Sodium Removal (DSR) study in patients with persistent congestion despite maximal loop diuretic therapy. The DSR approach continues to demonstrate its potential in reducing persistent congestion, an area of unmet need given that c 90% of the more than one million US hospitalisations for heart failure (HF) are due to fluid overload. All 10 evaluable SAHARA patients enrolled in the original cohort design met proof of concept, with a >30% mean reduction of NT-proBNP (indicating improved cardio-renal status), a mean 6kg weight loss and a significant reduction in their loop diuretic dosing (nine out of 10 had a reduction of more than 90%). Following further analysis showing treatment persistence (eg a reduced need for diuretics) for up to 11 months, Sequana believes that a focused three- to four-week session of DSR therapy using a peritoneal catheter (‘short-term DSR’) could be sufficient to provide six to 12 months of therapeutic effect. As alfapump implantation may not be needed to reach a sustained treatment effect, Sequana is focusing future DSR development on this short-term DSR approach using its second-generation product (DSR 2.0).