Wednesday April 26, 7:03 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: CV Therapeutics, Inc.
CV Therapeutics Selects CVT-3146 as Next Clinical
Candidate
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- CV Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CVTX - news) announced today the
selection of CVT-3146, a short acting selective A2A adenosine receptor agonist, as its next clinical candidate. CVT-3146 is
being developed for the potential use as an adjunctive pharmacologic agent in cardiac perfusion imaging studies. In 1997,
approximately 5.2 million cardiac perfusion imaging studies were performed in the U.S., of which 1.8 million were conducted
using a pharmacologic agent.
``This progress highlights the breadth and depth of our pipeline, and represents another milestone which we have achieved this
year,'' said Louis G. Lange, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CV Therapeutics.
Cardiac perfusion imaging studies are used for the detection and characterization of coronary artery disease by identifying areas
of insufficient blood flow in the heart. To perform this test, blood flow is measured when the patient's heart is at rest and when it
is working. Relatively low blood flow when the heart is working is indicative of which areas of the heart may be diseased.
Many patients exercise on a treadmill in order to stimulate their heart to work sufficiently to perform the test. However, more
than a third of the patients who take the test are unable to exercise adequately because of medical conditions such as peripheral
vascular disease and arthritis. For these patients, in order to simulate the condition of their heart at work, a pharmacalogic agent
that temporarily increases the coronary blood flow is required.
Stimulation of the A2A adenosine receptor in the heart induces vasodilation and thus increases coronary blood flow. In animal
studies, CVT-3146 has been shown to increase coronary blood flow without adversely affecting peripheral blood pressure.
Statements in this press release concerning the development and potential application of our drug candidates are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to CVT's early
stage of development and clinical trials. Actual results could differ materially. Factors that could cause or contribute to such
differences are more fully discussed in CVT's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999.
CV Therapeutics, Inc., headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on applying molecular
cardiology to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel, small molecule drugs for the treatment of
cardiovascular diseases. CVT is currently conducting clinical trials for two of its products. Ranolazine, the first in a new class of
compounds known as partial fatty acid oxidation (pFOX) inhibitors for the potential treatment of angina, is in Phase III clinical
trials. CVT-510, an A1 adenosine receptor agonist, for the potential treatment of atrial arrhythmias, is in Phase II clinical trials.
For more information, please visit CV Therapeutics' web site at www.cvt.com.
SOURCE: CV Therapeutics, Inc. |
