Medera’s Novoheart Technology Powers Advanced Human Cardiac Disease Modeling at Singapore’s New CIPHER Research Centre
National Heart Centre Singapore's new research centre integrates Novoheart's proprietary Heart-in-a-Jar technology
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National Heart Centre Singapore’s new research centre integrates Novoheart’s proprietary Heart-in-a-Jar technology with patient-derived cardiac disease models to advance cardiovascular research and drug discovery
Collaboration expands Novoheart’s international footprint, building on technology deployment at University Medical Center Utrecht and AstraZeneca, pharmaceutical collaborations, and its strategic partnership with IQVIA
BOSTON and SINGAPORE, Oct. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Medera Inc. (“Medera”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing disease-modifying gene therapies for cardiovascular diseases, today announced that its wholly owned preclinical subsidiary, Novoheart, is contributing its proprietary human cardiac technologies to the newly launched Centre for Integrative Human Cell Research and Translation (CIPHER) at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS).
Officially launched on October 16, 2026, during the 6th NHCS Heart to Heart Gala at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, CIPHER represents an important initiative to advance human-relevant cardiovascular disease modeling and translational drug discovery. The launch was launched by Singapore’s Senior Minister of State, Mr. Tan Kiat How.
CIPHER is the first centre in the Asia-Pacific region dedicated to cardiovascular stem cell research and translational drug discovery using human heart cells derived from blood samples of Asian patients. The centre builds upon NHCS’s extensive collection of more than 40 patient-derived cardiac disease models, including models of heart failure, arrhythmogenic disorders, and cardiomyopathies. By generating induced pluripotent stem cells from patient samples and differentiating them into functional human heart cells, researchers can investigate disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic responses in a patient-relevant context.
Advancing Human Cardiac Disease Modeling Through Novoheart’s Proprietary Technologies
Novoheart is a pioneer in human cardiac tissue engineering, with more than two decades of research and development spanning individual human cardiomyocytes, engineered cardiac tissues, and functional human ventricular chamber models.
Its proprietary Human Heart-in-a-Jar™ technology is a miniaturized, bioengineered human ventricular chamber capable of generating pressure and ejecting fluid, reproducing key physiological characteristics of the human heart in a controlled laboratory environment.
Unlike conventional cell- and tissue-based assays, the Heart-in-a-Jar enables researchers to measure physiologically complex and clinically relevant parameters of cardiac pump performance, including cardiac output, ejection fraction, stroke volume, stroke work, and pressure-volume relationships. These integrated chamber-level measurements cannot be obtained from conventional isolated-cell assays and provide an important functional bridge between laboratory-based disease modeling and clinical assessment.
Within CIPHER, Novoheart’s technologies will complement NHCS’s patient-derived disease models by extending investigations across multiple levels of human cardiac biology, from individual cells to functional engineered cardiac tissues and chambers.
CIPHER’s research approach integrates four dimensions of cardiac biology: mechanical function, electrical activity, cellular metabolism, and tissue organization. The combination of these capabilities is intended to support more comprehensive investigations of cardiovascular disease mechanisms and the evaluation of potential therapeutic approaches. By combining patient-specific disease biology with advanced measurements of integrated cardiac function, the collaboration aims to improve the physiological relevance and predictive potential of human-based preclinical cardiovascular research.
Expanding Novoheart’s International Technology Footprint
The collaboration with NHCS builds upon Novoheart’s growing international presence and its strategy to make advanced human cardiac technologies more broadly accessible to academic researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnology developers.
Novoheart’s proprietary CTScreen™ human cardiac tissue screening platform has been deployed at leading academic and pharmaceutical research institutions, including University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands and AstraZeneca in Sweden, supporting applications in cardiac disease modeling, therapeutic screening, and translational cardiovascular science.
Novoheart has also collaborated with leading global pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Amgen, on applications of its human cardiac technologies in preclinical research and drug development.
More recently, Novoheart established a strategic partnership with IQVIA aimed at expanding access to its human-specific cardiac disease modeling and drug discovery platforms through IQVIA’s international laboratory infrastructure and pharmaceutical industry relationships. This collaboration represents an important step toward broader international deployment and commercial adoption of Novoheart’s technologies.
Beyond external research and pharmaceutical collaborations, Novoheart’s human mini-Heart technology platform has generated preclinical human data supporting the successful FDA IND and Fast Track designation applications for ongoing gene therapy clinical trials for heart failure by Sardocor, Medera’s clinical-stage subsidiary.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate Novoheart’s growing role in bridging human-based preclinical research and clinical drug development. This strategy aligns with the increasing emphasis on human-relevant, non-animal approaches to preclinical drug development, as reflected in the FDA Modernization Act 2.0.
Leadership Perspective
“For more than two decades, we have pioneered the development of human cardiac models, progressing from individual heart cells to functional engineered human heart tissues and chambers,” said Ronald Li, PhD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medera.
“Our Heart-in-a-Jar technology represents an important advance in human cardiac disease modeling by enabling researchers to measure clinically relevant parameters of cardiac pump function, such as cardiac output and ejection fraction, in a laboratory setting. These capabilities bring us closer to studying human cardiac physiology and disease in ways that are directly relevant to clinical medicine.”
“Our collaboration with NHCS brings together Novoheart’s proprietary technologies with extensive patient-derived disease models and clinical expertise. Alongside our expanding international collaborations with leading academic institutions and pharmaceutical partners, we believe this initiative will help accelerate the adoption of more predictive, human-relevant approaches to cardiovascular research and drug discovery.”
About Medera Inc.
Medera is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation gene therapies for cardiovascular and other serious diseases. Its pipeline includes multiple adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy programs targeting heart failure and related cardiovascular disorders.
The Company operates through two complementary business units: Novoheart, which develops advanced human-specific cardiac disease modeling and drug discovery platforms, and Sardocor, which leads clinical development of Medera’s gene therapy pipeline. Together, these capabilities create an integrated translational platform spanning drug discovery, preclinical validation, manufacturing, and clinical development.
For more information, please visit www.medera.bio.
About Novoheart
Novoheart is a pioneer in human cardiac tissue engineering and develops proprietary human-specific platforms for cardiac disease modeling, drug discovery, and preclinical evaluation. Its technologies include engineered human cardiac tissues, electrophysiological screening systems, and ventricular chamber models, including its proprietary Human Heart-in-a-Jar™ platform. The Heart-in-a-Jar enables researchers to investigate integrated cardiac pump function through physiologically complex measurements, including cardiac output, ejection fraction, stroke volume, and pressure-volume relationships, complementing conventional cellular and tissue-based assays.
Novoheart’s platforms support investigations of cardiac physiology, disease mechanisms, drug responses, and potential cardiotoxicity using human-relevant, non-animal experimental systems. Through collaborations with leading academic research institutions and pharmaceutical industry partners, Novoheart is advancing the international deployment and commercialization of its human cardiac technologies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Medera’s and Novoheart’s anticipated research activities, strategic collaborations, technology deployment, international expansion, commercialization opportunities, and potential applications of their proprietary platforms.
These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such risks include uncertainties relating to the establishment and operation of new facilities, execution of research collaborations, development and deployment of technologies, commercialization activities, regulatory developments, and other factors affecting the Company’s business and operations.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Medera undertakes no obligation to update these statements except as required by applicable law.
Contacts
Ally Stubin
Public Relations
ICR Healthcare
Ally.stubin@icrhealthcare.com
646.667.1861
Stephanie Carrington
Investor Relations
ICR Healthcare
Stephanie.carrington@icrhealthcare.com
646.277.1282
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