The present invention provides an in vitro method for determining the prognosis in a patient suffering a heart failure disease, the method comprising the step of determining the level of soluble neprilysin (NEP) in a test sample of the patient.

The present invention provides an in vitro method for determining the prognosis in a patient suffering a heart failure disease, the method comprising the step of determining the level of soluble neprilysin (NEP) in a test sample of the patient.

The present invention relates to agonists of Neprilysin and their use in preventing and treating pulmonary vascular remodeling. Also described are diagnostic and screening applications stemming from the inventor's discovery that Neprilysin is expressed at reduced levels in disease tissues.