Omni Bio Pharmaceutical, Inc. announced the presentation of Phase 1/2 clinical data for plasma-derived alpha-1 antitrypsin ("p-AAT"), demonstrating its ability to inhibit the inflammatory response in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction ("STEMI"), the most severe type of heart attack. The data were presented in a poster at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2014, in Chicago. Importantly, these latest clinical findings further highlight the potential value of Omni Bio's first-in-class recombinant AAT candidate, AAT-Fc.

STEMI patients are at particularly high risk for developing heart failure due to tissue damage caused by the intense inflammatory response that occurs following acute myocardial infarction. It is well-known that the degree of inflammation at the time of a heart attack is predictive of adverse outcomes including unfavorable cardiac remodeling, heart failure and cardiac death. In the current study, principal investigator Antonio Abbate, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at The Virginia Commonwealth University concluded that a single administration of p-AAT significantly inhibited the acute inflammatory response following STEMI, and was associated with a decreased incidence of heart failure over a 12-week follow up period.