WINNIPEG, Manitoba -(October 12, 2004). Medicure
Inc. (TSX: MPH; Amex: MCU), a cardiovascular drug discovery and
development company, is pleased to announce that it will webcast
its Cardiovascular Symposium: "Emerging Strategies For Saving
The Heart" being held In New York City at the Four Seasons
Hotel on Wednesday, October 13, 2004.
The Medicure-sponsored symposium will bring together four leading
experts, seasoned in the science and clinical treatment of cardiovascular
disease. They will address the serious medical repercussions of
ischemic reperfusions injury associated with acute coronary syndromes,
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG) and other cardiovascular interventions.
In addition, there will be a discussion on the current state of
medicine in the field of cardiology and the future therapeutic arsenal
for treatment of this deadly disease, with a special focus on Medicure's
novel approach to protecting the ischemic myocardium.
"We are delighted and honoured to have such distinguished
members of the cardiovascular community participate in this symposium,"
stated Medicure President & CEO, Dr. Albert D. Friesen. "This
is a very special event for Medicure and I know those in attendance
and listening on the webcast will find it informative and interesting."
About the Panel Members
Paul W. Armstrong, MD, FRCP ©, FACC
Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta
& Chair, Medicure Inc. Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Armstrong, Chair of Medicure's Scientific Advisory Board, is
Professor of Medicine, at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
Dr. Armstrong is an internationally recognized cardiologist and
clinical investigator with extensive expertise in the design and
conduct of clinical trials focused on acute ischemic syndromes and
congestive heart failure. Dr. Armstrong has published widely and
served as a senior advisor to major organizations and industry,
including Past Member of the US Food and Drug Administration's Cardiovascular
and Renal Drug Advisory Committee.
Roberto Bolli, MD, FACC
Chief, Division of Cardiology, Professor of Medicine, Physiology
& Biophysics,
University of Louisville
Dr. Bolli is director of the Division of Cardiology at the University
of Louisville's Institute for Molecular Cardiology. He earned his
medical degree at the University of Perugia in Italy and was a cardiology
research fellow at the NIH. Prior to joining U of L, he was Professor
of Cardiology at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. His
research focuses on preventing the damage caused during heart attacks
by studying such phenomena as late ischemic preconditioning, in
which heart muscle exposed to brief periods of stress becomes resistant
to the tissue death that might be caused by a heart attack. He is
chair-elect of the AHA's Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences,
a member of the NIH's program project committee and secretary general
of the ISHR.
Christopher Granger, MD, FACC
Associate Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
& Director,
Cardiology Site Coordination, Duke Clinical Research Institute
Dr. Chris Granger has been affiliated with the DCRI since 1990.
He is the Director of the Duke Cardiology Site Coordination Group,
which enrolls cardiology patients in the Duke University Health
System in clinical trials. He also is an Associate Professor of
Medicine and is also the Director of the Cardiac Care Unit at Duke.
Dr. Granger is Associate Editor of the American Heart Journal and
serves on the editorial board of the European Heart Journal. He
is also a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the European
Society of Cardiology. Dr. Granger has helped lead some of the most
important cardiology trials of the last decade, including the GUSTO,
ASSENT, and CHARM trials.
Robert A. Harrington, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center &
Director, Cardiovascular
Clinical Trials, Duke Clinical Research Institute
Dr. Harrington has been head of the DCRI's Cardiovascular Clinical
Trials division since 1999. He has helped design and lead some of
the largest cardiology trials of the past several years, including
PURSUIT, PARAGON-A, and PARAGON-B. Before becoming a Professor of
Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, Dr. Harrington taught
at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where he was
selected as an Outstanding Medical Educator. He is a Fellow of the
American College of Cardiology and of the Society for Cardiovascular
Angiography and Intervention, as well as an Associate Editor of
the American Heart Journal. Dr. Harrington's clinical and research
interests are interventional cardiology, ischemic heart disease,
acute coronary care, and cardiovascular clinical trial methods.
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. In its successful Phase
II clinical trial, MEND-1, the Company's lead drug, MC-1, demonstrated
cardioprotective effects and safety in high-risk patients undergoing
angioplasty. The results from this clinical trial showed that MC-1
significantly reduces ischemic heart damage associated with the
angioplasty procedure. Proceeding from this positive outcome, Medicure's
ongoing Phase II/III MEND-CABG clinical trial is evaluating the
cardioprotective and neuroprotective effects of MC-1 in patients
undergoing high-risk Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery.
The cardiovascular market is the largest pharmaceutical sector with
annual global sales of over US $70 billion.
The Company's second product candidate, MC-4232, is a unique combination
drug for the treatment of diabetic patients with hypertension. The
co-existing conditions of diabetes and hypertension present a major
increase in risk of cardiovascular complications, including coronary
artery disease, peripheral artery disease, retinopathy, nephropathy
and stroke. MC-4232 is a novel combination product that combines
MC-1's cardioprotective properties with an ACE Inhibitor, the most
common form of hypertensive therapy. In addition to cardioprotection,
this product has also demonstrated potential to provide further
blood pressure lowering effects and reduction in glycated hemoglobin
(HbA1c), the primary measure of blood glucose control. The Company
is currently enrolling patients in the Phase II MATCHED study (MC-1
and ACE Therapeutic Combination for Hypertensive Diabetics), evaluating
the effects of MC-1 alone and in combination with an ACE Inhibitor
in control of blood pressure, metabolism and other endpoints in
diabetic patients with hypertension.
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
Medicure Inc.
888-435-2220
204-488-9823 fax
info@medicure.com
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