Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) ranks among the most prevalent chronic diseases in cats—and a key obstacle to both veterinary and human cardiovascular drug development has been the absence of a rigorously standardized animal model. Today, YiJi Biology—a leader in companion-animal disease modeling—announces the launch of the world’s first fully standardized feline HCM model. By closely mirroring human cardiac physiology, this platform is set to accelerate preclinical studies across both pet therapeutics and human heart-drug pipelines.
A Stealthy Killer in Cats and Humans
HCM is a progressive disorder that often remains undetected until late stages, when affected cats may experience arrhythmias, heart failure, thromboembolism, or even sudden death. Breeds such as Maine Coons and Ragdolls carry particularly high risk. In parallel, obstructive HCM (oHCM) in humans represents a common inherited cardiomyopathy, fueling a surge of new-drug candidates that require predictive animal models for safety and efficacy testing. YiJi Biology’s model bridges these sectors, offering a single platform with dual veterinary and human-therapeutic relevance.
From Genetic Mutation to Clinical Fidelity
YiJi Biology employed selective breeding of Maine Coon cats harboring the MYBPC3 A31P mutation to establish a genetically uniform cohort. International best-practice protocols then validated the model’s clinical fidelity: under dobutamine stress testing, cats exhibited hallmark features such as systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO). Doppler echocardiography revealed the signature “dagger-shaped” flow profile, faithfully reproducing the hemodynamic patterns seen in human HCM.
A Dual-Use Preclinical Platform
As the pioneering globally standardized feline HCM model, YiJi Biology’s system offers:
- High-throughput compound screening
- Dose-response and mechanism-of-action studies
- Preclinical pathophysiological validation
Already, international biopharma innovators have leveraged similar feline platforms to propel their clinical candidates. YiJi Biology now provides comprehensive CRO services—spanning GCP-compliant pet-drug registration studies to mechanistic proof-of-concept work for human therapeutics—poised to expedite the next generation of cardiovascular treatments for both cats and people.