Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd (NASDAQ:GLMD), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on liver, cardiometabolic and gastrointestinal oncology, announced on Thursday the breakthrough development of a new Aramchol-based lipid nanoparticles (LNP) formulation for targeted delivery to the heart.

In collaboration with Barcode Nanotech, Galmed has developed a novel formulation of Aramchol that penetrates the heart tissue and redirects Aramchol's biodistribution away from liver-hepatocytes to the heart's muscle.

Traditional Aramchol formulation results in 80-90% accumulation in the liver and has limited effect on the heart. The new LPNs Aramchol formulation which selectively targets the heart tissue could potentially become a disease modifying therapy for cardiac fibrosis and unmet cardiac diseases.

The development work applies advanced formulation science, in vivo screening, and AI-enabled analysis which aims to identify optimal vehicles for precise cardiac delivery. According to Galmed, the platform enables in vivo screening of hundreds of nanoparticle candidates to support the identification of formulations with potentially improved targeting, biodistribution, and functional performance.

By adapting this platform to cardiac applications, the companies aim to develop cardiac-targeted therapies delivered through LNPs that can selectively engage relevant cell populations, including fibroblasts and other disease-driving cardiac cells. These efforts are intended to support both Aramchol-based cardiac programmes and future therapeutic candidates built on the same delivery technology.