Reimagining the future of cardiovascular disease treatment

Q: What are you most excited about within the field of cardiovascular medicine?

Francisco: It’s a particularly exciting time in cardiovascular research and development (R&D) as new advancements in obesity and metabolic health are showing impactful results in cardiovascular outcomes. That said, despite these and several other recent treatment advancements, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide, making new approaches more important than ever.

We are looking to make further progress in the field with innovative therapies that work directly on the heart. Unlike other approaches that indirectly affect heart function, our approach addresses the problem at the source: the heart muscle itself. For example, therapies that target the sarcomere (the fundamental building blocks of the heart muscle), may help treat the underlying cause of conditions involving problems with how the heart contracts and relaxes.

Q: How is precision medicine being applied to advance these new CVD therapies?
 

Francisco: Our scientists apply a precision medicine approach to research in CVD, drawing on 70 years of insights and progress from work across therapeutic areas and from deep knowledge of genetics and causal human biology. Causal human biology, in particular, applies human data to better understand how modulating a target might impact human physiology. This precision approach enables us to identify specific targets for specific patient segments, apply the appropriate therapeutic modality, and develop new medicines.

Q: What is your vision for the future?

Francisco: As we think about the future of CVD care, we are working to apply this precision medicine mindset in a nimble way to help large groups of people. For example, we are investigating precise, programmable therapies that can be developed into medicines and then tailored for different subgroups of patients. Our collaboration with Avidity, for example, explores the potential of an antibody oligonucleotide conjugate (AOC) platform, which offers significant adaptability across CVDs. Once a medication proves effective in one population, we can potentially adjust it to different patient subgroups using the same platform. This is important because it allows us to take an approach that can be applied to a broader range of patients. Through these efforts, we are envisioning a future where CVD treatments are more individualized and effective.

Q: What is it about your work that most motivates you?

Francisco: My passion for science is deeply rooted in how it can make a difference in people’s lives. During a hospital research internship, I recognized a desire to apply science to advance human health, and that feeling drove me to begin my career as a clinician. I was inspired by the needs of patients, especially those with few or no treatment options, and wanted to bring them new hope and solutions. This motivation led me to shift my focus to researching and developing medicines for patients with significant unmet therapeutic needs.