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FYI..
Dow Jones Newswires
Cor's Integrilin, Other Clot-Busters Popular at Heart Conf
By OTESA MIDDLETON
Dow Jones Newswires
"DALLAS -- New antiplatelet therapies are one of the hot topics among the 40,000 people attending the American Heart Association meeting.
"Cor Therapeutics Inc.'s (CORR) Integrilin, which hit the market in June, is the subject of several studies presented at the meeting.
"One six-month study of more than 9,000 patients looked at people with unstable angina, or severe chest pain.
"Patients were randomly assigned to be treated with Integrilin or a placebo.
"The study's presenters said the group treated with Integrilin saw a reduced incidence of death and heart attack compared to those people treated with the placebo. The study also found that the benefit of the Integrilin treatment was maintained after 30 days and six months.
"Integrilin has been on sale since June. Integrilin sales to wholesalers totaled $2.3 million for the third quarter of this year, according to Cor.
"Integrilin, which blocks the formation of blood clots, which can cut off blood flow to the heart, is in the class of drugs called IIb-IIa inhibitors. Also in this class is ReoPro, which is made by Centocor (CNTO) and sold by Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) and Merck's (MRK) Aggrastat.
"Dr. Charles Curry, chief of cardiology and a professor at Howard University Hospital in Washington, said following news on this class of drugs has been one of his priorities as he attends the conference.
""IIb-IIIa inhibitors are one of the hottest issues," Curry said. "Because they are new, we are trying to find out when to use them. This conference is where you get the earliest reports."
-Otesa Middleton; 202-862-6654
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