President George Bush Delivers Keynote Address at Launch of Centocor's New Acute Cardiovascular Care Division
New Division Marks Centocor's Evolution to a Full-Service
Biopharmaceutical Company
ATLANTA, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- President George Bush delivered the keynote address today at the launch of Centocor's (Nasdaq: CNTO) new acute care cardiovascular division. The 41st president of the United States addressed more than 800 cardiologists at the Centocor's event, and reinforced America's commitment to treating cardiovascular disease and the importance of biotechnology in achieving this goal.
"As heart disease continues to be one of our nation's leading killers, American researchers, physicians, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies are working harder than ever to improve the care of cardiovascular disease patients," said President George Bush. "Their efforts or developments, will be a key component in preventing, diagnosing, and treating cardiovascular disease in the 21st century."
"The unveiling of Centocor's new acute cardiovascular care unit marks an important development for a biopharmaceutical company to help Americans fight heart disease, as noted by David P. Holveck, Chief Executive Officer of Centocor. "Centocor has become a leader in bringing biotechnology to bedside by making the company's discoveries accessible to physicians and patients," David Holveck added.
Centocor's range of cardiovascular products includes its lead product, the potent antiplatelet drug ReoPro(R)(abciximab). ReoPro, a monoclonal antibody, is the first of a new class of drugs known as glycoprotein(GP) llb/llla inhibitors that has been shown to help improve the outcome and save the lives of patients undergoing angioplasty.
Recently, Centocor acquired the product rights, in the U.S. and Canada for the thrombolytic Retavase(TM)(reteplase) from Roche Holding, Ltd., a parent company of Boehringer Mannheim. The acquisition provides a sales and marketing infrastructure which will commercialize Retavase as well as jointly promote ReoPro with its partner Eli Lilly and Company. In addition, Centocor and Lilly soon will begin a clinical trial to test the combination of Retavase and ReoPro, in the medical management of heart-attack patients.
"As we approach the new millennium, about 58 million people will have one or more types of heart disease," said David Holveck. "Centocor has the capability to provide a full range of therapeutic and diagnostic cardiovascular products that can help save human lives."
ReoPro was developed by Centocor, Inc., and is manufactured by Centocor B.V. in Leiden, The Netherlands. Eli Lilly and Company distributes the product worldwide, except in Japan. Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. will distribute ReoPro upon arrival in Japan.
Centocor is a biotechnology company whose mission is to develop and commercialize novel therapeutic and diagnostic products and services that solve critical needs in human health care. The Company concentrates on research and development, manufacturing and market development, with a primary technological focus on monoclonal antibodies and DNA-based products. SOURCE Centocor
CO: Centocor
ST: Georgia
IN: HEA
SU: PDT
03/31/98 19:30 EST prnewswire.com |
