WINNIPEG, Manitoba - (July 23, 2003) - Medicure
Inc. (TSX:MPH), a cardiovascular drug discovery and development
company, is pleased to announce that it has received approval from
Canada's Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) to commence a Phase
II trial as part of the development program for Medicure's second
clinical candidate, MC-4232. The initial patients are being enrolled
in the first of a series of exploratory trials in hypertension.
Hypertension is a common disorder in which blood pressure remains
abnormally high. Approximately 57 million adult North Americans
have high blood pressure. Of those, 73% of them are not adequately
controlled and have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney
failure, damage to the eyes, heart failure and atherosclerosis.
This initial trial will enroll 15 patients with hypertension and
is designed to determine an effective dose-range for future studies.
It is expected that results from the trial will be available by
the end of 2003.
"Commencing this study represents another major clinical milestone
for Medicure and the tremendous potential treatment of another major
unmet component of the cardiovascular market," stated Dr. Albert
D. Friesen, PhD, Medicure's President and Chief Executive Officer.
"This trial is an important step in the gathering of data that
will eventually support Medicure moving forward to a larger, pivotal
clinical trial of MC-4232."
About Medicure
Inc.
Medicure
Inc. is a cardiovascular drug discovery and development
Company focused on developing effective therapeutics for unmet needs
in the field of cardiovascular medicine. The Company's lead drug,
MC-1, is focused on the prevention and treatment of ischemia, ischemic
reperfusion injury, and stroke. The cardiovascular and stroke market
is the largest pharmaceutical sector with annual global sales of
over US $70 billion. In the United States alone, more than 7 million
people suffer some form of Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
annually, 6.2 million suffer from angina and 1.6 million undergo
bypass surgery or angioplasty procedure.
Medicure also has a medicinal chemistry based Drug
Discovery program focused on discovery and advancement of novel
small molecules - anti-ischemics and anti-thrombotics - towards
human clinical studies.
This
press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks,
which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements
made, and accordingly may be deemed to be forward-looking statements
made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are
made as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention
and has no obligation or responsibility to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
For more information, please contact:
Derek Reimer
Chief Financial Officer
Don Bain
Director of Investor & Public Relations
