WINNIPEG, Manitoba - (May 18, 2004) - Medicure
Inc. (TSX: MPH / Amex: MCU), a cardiovascular drug discovery and
development company, is pleased to announce the issuance of the
Company's first European patent related to the treatment of cardiovascular
and related diseases.
The issued patent, number 1,162,980, entitled Pyridoxine Compounds
in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Pathologies, provides protection
relating to the use of MC-1, the Company's lead product, and associated
molecules in the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and congestive
heart failure.
"This new patent is very important for the Company as Europe
is the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world, and broadens
the protection of our intellectual properties beyond the United
States," said Albert D. Friesen, PhD, Medicure's President
and CEO. "We have already made significant inroads with investors
there and we are continuing to raise our profile in the European
market. The patent represents an important asset for the Company,
securing commercial value to our clinical products and strengthening
our drug development pipeline."
Novel molecules included in the patent are products of Medicure's
established capabilities in the areas of medicinal chemistry, cardiovascular
physiology and drug screening. The Company's drug discovery program
is focused on creating new therapeutics based on MC-1's scaffold,
which has been established as safe and active, and provides a powerful
guiding principle for development of novel drugs.
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.
The Company's second product candidate, MC-4232, is being targeted
for the treatment of hypertension, a common disorder in which blood
pressure remains abnormally high. Approximately 73% of the more
than 50 million adult Americans who have hypertension, are not adequately
treated.
Medicure also has a medicinal chemistry based Drug Discovery program
focused on discovery and advancement of novel small molecule, anti-ischemics
and anti-thrombotics towards human clinical studies.
This news 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
