Therapeutic Dosing of a Neuregulin or a Subsequence Thereof for Treatment or Prophylaxis of Heart Failure

Abstract

The invention relates to treatment of heart failure in a mammal. Accordingly, the invention is directed to establishing a dosing regimen whereby the therapeutic benefits conferred by administration of a neuregulin such as glial growth factor 2 (GGF2) or a subsequence thereof are maintained and/or enhanced, while concomitantly minimizing any potential side effects.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating or preventing heart failure in a mammal, said method comprising:
 providing a peptide comprising an epidermal growth factor-like (EGF-like) domain;   administering a therapeutically effective amount of said peptide to a mammal at an interval of at least 48 hours, wherein said therapeutically effective amount is effective to treat or prevent heart failure in said mammal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering is performed every 48 hours. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administering is performed every 96 hours. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administration is performed on a regimen selected from the group consisting of every: four days, week, 10 days, 14 days, month, two months, three months or four months. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said peptide is recombinant human GGF2. 
     
     
         7 . The method of claim wherein the peptide is: 
       
         
           
                 
               
                   SHLVKCAEKEKTFCVNGGECFMVKDLSNPSRYLCKCPNEFTGDRCQNYVM 
                 
                     
                 
                   ASFYKAEELYQ. 
                 
             
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The method of claim wherein the peptide is: 
       
         
           
                 
               
                   SHLVKCAEKEKTFCVNGGECFMVKDLSNPSRYLCKCPNEFTGDRCQNYVM 
                 
                     
                 
                   ASFYKAEELY. 
                 
             
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said peptide is encoded by the neuregulin (NRG)-1 gene, the neuregulin (NRG)-2 gene, the neuregulin (NRG)-3 gene, or the neuregulin (NRG)-4 gene.