New study shows MS drug could effectively treat and prevent fatal heart condition

A new study by researchers at the University of Manchester indicates that a drug recently approved to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States may also effectively treat a deadly heart condition. Gilenya, a drug that enhances activity of the enzyme molecule Pak1, was found to prevent and even reverse tissue damage in mice caused by ventricular hypertrophy, a fatal cardiac disorder that can result in an abnormal heart rhythm and cardiac arrest. It is caused by strain on the heart brought on by stresses or diseases, such as hypertension, and is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death around the world. “The novel effect of this existing drug means that we have the potential to accelerate the availability of a new therapy for patients with these heart conditions,” says Dr. Ming Lei, a leader of the study.