Enters Research Agreement With Loyola University
Opinion Leader,
Dr. Jawed Fareed To Advance Development of Drug
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -(October 6, 2004). Medicure
Inc. (TSX: MPH; Amex: MCU), a cardiovascular drug discovery and
development company, is pleased to announce that preliminary results
have shown significant potential for its newest drug, MC-45308,
in preventing blood clots. The compound has shown a unique property
that demonstrates simultaneous anti-platelet and anti-coagulant
effects, which will make MC-45308 a major player in the management
strategy of cardiovascular diseases such as Myocardial Infarction
(MI), stroke, Pulmonary Emboli (PE) and Peripheral Arterial Disease
(PAD). A drug of this type currently is non-existent within the
antithrombotic marketplace.
"Medicure sees this as a major breakthrough and significant
future advantage to clinicians who are prescribing their patients
combinations of anti-platelets and anti-coagulants to treat their
cardiovascular disorders," stated Medicure President and CEO,
Dr. Albert D. Friesen.
The combined U.S. market for antiplatelets and anticoagulants is
projected to grow rapidly from an estimated USD$3 billion in 2000
to USD$6.7 billion in 2008.
To advance the development of MC-45308, a novel and composition
of matter patented drug from Medicure's antithrombotic library,
the Company has entered into a research agreement with Dr. Jawed
Fareed, Professor, Departments of Pathology and Pharmacology, Loyola
University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Ill.
"This has the potential to be a major discovery in the field
of antithrombotic therapy," stated Dr. Fareed. "Our preliminary
biochemical results suggest potential for MC-45308, which has a
unique property that demonstrates a dual anti-platelet and anti-coagulant
effect."
Dr. Fareed's laboratories will be conducting in vivo pre-clinical
efficacy studies with MC-45308, which was selected based on test
results from studies conducted earlier this year in his laboratory
at Loyola University.
As the following table illustrates, MC-45308, which is structurally
different from Medicure's lead compound MC-1, is the only agent
that addresses each of the three thrombotic cascades, namely antithrombin
effects, protease generation inhibition and anti-platelet effects.
Other known clinical agents, such as direct thrombin inhibitors
and low-molecular weight heparin are not known to have effects across
all three cascades, nor have these compounds shown any anti-platelet
effects.
"We are excited about the demonstrated potential of our new
antithrombotic drug, MC-45308," added Dr. Friesen. "This
is a novel discovery with a leading edge approach that is greatly
needed in the field of cardiovascular medicine.
"We are equally delighted to collaborate with an individual
of Dr. Fareed's caliber - an internationally recognized leader in
the study of antithrombotic therapy. Dr. Fareed's experience in
pre-clinical drug evaluation and his high throughput screening system,
have helped solidify Medicure's expanding drug discovery platform."
About Antithrombotics
Antithrombotics are drugs that prevent blood factors (platelets
and fibrin) from aggregating or clotting and subsequently blocking
blood flow. These blockages cause thrombosis, or the formation of
blood clots within an artery or vein, and represent the leading
cause of various acute cardiovascular problems, including stroke,
pulmonary embolism and heart attacks. Formation of the clot is driven
by acceleration in the coagulation and platelet activation coupled
with a reduced fibrinolyisis capability. In order to address this,
at-risk patients increasingly receive anti-platelet and/or anticoagulant
therapy.
About Jawed Fareed, PhD
Jawed Fareed is Professor of Pathology and Pharmacology and Director
of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Laboratories at Loyola
University Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Dr. Fareed's main research
interest is the development of novel anticoagulant and antithrombotic
drugs. He is recognized for his role in initiating the first clinical
trials of low-molecular-weight heparin use in acute coronary syndromes.
In addition, he has authored and co-authored more than 400 publications
in this area.
Dr. Fareed's professional affiliations include membership on the
expert panel on biologicals for the World Health Organization, and
fellowships of the American Heart Association, the American College
of Angiology, and the Indian College of Interventional Cardiology.
He also is currently President of the South Asian Society of Atherosclerosis.
Together with Professor Hans Klaus Breddin, Dr. Fareed founded the
International Institute of Blood and Vascular Disorders, Frankfurt,
Germany, of which he is currently the Associate Director.
Conference Call
Medicure will host a Conference Call on Thursday, October 7th at
10:00 am Eastern Time to discuss this exciting new development in
the Company's history. The Conference Call will feature presentations
by both Dr. Friesen and Dr. Fareed.
DATE: October 7, 2004
TIME: 10:00 AM Eastern Time
DIAL IN NUMBERS: 1-888-789-0150 or, 1-416-695-6140 (Toronto area
participants)
CONFIRMATION # FOR CALL: T524513M
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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