Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLMD) has developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation of its drug Aramchol designed to target heart tissue, the company announced in a press release dated July 16, 2026.

The formulation was developed in collaboration with Barcode Nanotech and uses FDA-approved lipids. According to the company, the traditional Aramchol formulation results in 80–90% accumulation in the liver. The new LNP formulation redirects Aramchol's biodistribution away from liver cells toward heart muscle tissue.

The development process involved in vivo screening and AI-enabled analysis to identify nanoparticle candidates with targeted cardiac delivery. The collaboration aims to direct the therapy to specific cardiac cell types, including fibroblasts.

Galmed states that Aramchol has demonstrated anti-fibrotic effects in a Phase 3 open-label MASH liver study, as well as in human heart organoids and in vivo lung and heart models. The company indicated the cardiac-targeted formulation could serve as a potential therapy for cardiac fibrosis, though no clinical trials in cardiac indications have been announced.

Cardiac fibrosis is described as a contributor to heart failure progression. According to the press release, no approved therapies currently prevent or reverse cardiac fibrosis.

Galmed CEO Allen Baharaff noted that the company's current primary focus remains the commercialization of CG-100, a medical device developed by its recently acquired subsidiary Colospan Ltd., and clinical development of Aramchol for GI oncology. He described the Barcode Nanotech collaboration as supporting a longer-term vision for cardiometabolic disease.

Barcode Nanotech CEO Ronen Eavri said the company's platform can screen hundreds of nanoparticle formulations simultaneously using in vivo and AI-based methods, and that current efforts are focused on developing modified LNPs to target specific cardiac cell types.