The key facts

  • The drug is a combination of ethyl and isobutyl alcohols with disulfiram as a stabilizer.
  • It is planned to be administered into the coronary sinus via a special balloon catheter.
  • An application has been submitted to the Ministry of Health for the first phase of clinical trials; the start is provisionally set for mid-November.

A development by the Meshalkin Center

Specialists at the National Medical Research Center named after Meshalkin in Novosibirsk have developed a drug based on ethyl and isobutyl alcohols for treating heart rhythm disorders. The center's director Evgeny Tarasyuk announced this in a conversation with TASS, a retelling of which is published by Gazeta.Ru.

How the drug works

The medicine is a combination of ethyl and isobutyl alcohols with disulfiram added as a stabilizer. It is planned to be injected into the coronary sinus — the largest vein of the heart — using a special balloon catheter similar to the equipment used in coronary angiography and stenting. According to the developers, the new technology could significantly reduce the cost of treatment.

Stage of development and timeline

Deputy Director for Research Alexander Romanov said that preclinical trials on animals have been completed. The first batch of the drug was produced in a GMP laboratory at the Siberian State Medical University. The developers have submitted an application to the Ministry of Health for permission to conduct the first phase of clinical trials; their start is provisionally scheduled for mid-November. If all necessary stages are successfully completed, the drug could reach the market in 2029–2030.