Seismic Pharma Doses First Patient in Phase 3 Cardiogenic Shock Trial
Durham – September 15, 2026 -- Seismic Pharmaceuticals has enrolled the first patient in RESCUE HF-CS, a global Phase 3 trial testing istaroxime as a potential first-ever approved drug for heart-failure-related cardiogenic shock, a condition with no FDA-approved treatment.
Trial to enroll 600 patients across four continents
The study will recruit approximately 600 patients at clinical sites in the United States, Europe, China and South America. It builds on four completed Phase 2 trials that enrolled more than 350 patients.
Cardiogenic shock carries high mortality despite critical care advances
The condition occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, cutting oxygen delivery to vital organs. It often complicates acute heart failure or other serious cardiac events, and no pharmacologic therapy has been developed specifically to treat it.