Cordex Pharma to Collaborate with BG Medicine in a Clinical Study of Heart Failure Biomarkers03/30/2009LA JOLLA, Calif., March 30, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cordex Pharma, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board CDXP) announced today that it has agreed to collaborate with BG Medicine (BGM) in its Phase 2 clinical safety trial with CDP-1050 in heart failure patients. In this collaboration, BGM will use its proprietary biomarker technology to monitor levels of Galectin-3 in patients enrolled in the study. Galectin-3 is now recognized as a reliable biomarker for cardiac remodeling associated with advanced stages of heart failure. CDP-1050 is being developed as a new therapeutic modality in the management of heart failure. It targets the redox-nitiric oxide imbalance, which is increasingly recognized as a major factor in poor myocardial contractile efficiency, the hallmark manifestation of this disorder. About Heart Failure Heart failure, a condition characterized by the inability of the heart to effectively pump blood as well as by fluid accumulation in the lungs and other tissues, is suffered by an estimated five million Americans and is responsible for 300,000 deaths in the U.S. annually, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. It is the single largest Medicare expense, at a cost of $33.2 billion each year. The five-year mortality rate with heart failure can be as high as fifty (50) percent.
CDP-1050 is an investigational drug candidate for the treatment of heart failure. The drug is designed to correct the nitric oxide and redox imbalance in the failing heart and the cardiovascular system. CDP-1050 has a dual mechanism of action; it inhibits the production of excessive reactive oxygen radicals and restores nitric oxide to physiologic levels. The primary therapeutic target is the ryanodine receptor, the main ion channel in the heart that supplies the calcium necessary for the heart to contract. CDP-1050 is expected to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial.
Cordex is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops new cardiovascular medicines based upon the emerging pharmacology of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nitric oxide (NO). These two molecules play critical roles in cellular metabolism and signal transduction, the manipulation of which constitute novel therapeutic modalities for the treatment of major cardiovascular disorders. Cordex has a portfolio of investigational medicines, two of which are in late stages of clinical development. Cordex's ATPace is expected to enter a Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in 2009. Cordex's CDP-1050 is also expected to commence a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of heart failure. In addition, Cordex has a preclinical program to develop new chemical entities that target a recently discovered pathway in the pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For further information regarding Cordex, please visit the company's website at www.cordexpharma.com. |