CardioPep Pharma and University of Heidelberg

CardioPep Pharma is a German biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of peptide-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and renal diseases. The company's primary focus was the development of Ularitide, a synthetic form of the human natriuretic peptide urodilatin, which was investigated for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Ularitide was designed to induce vasodilation and diuresis by targeting natriuretic peptide receptors. The company originated from academic research conducted at the University of Heidelberg and the Lower Saxony Institute for Peptide Research. While the lead program reached Phase 3 clinical trials under a licensing agreement with PDL BioPharma, the pivotal TRUE-AHF study failed to meet its primary endpoints in 2017, leading to a cessation of development for that indication.