Atherosclerosis News and Research

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Atherosclerosis is the progressive buildup of plaque - the fatty deposits and other cells - in the inner walls of the arteries. The condition is a consequence of elevated cholesterol and for many it's a silent disease, with no visible signs or symptoms. The disease can begin in early adulthood and continues to progress for the rest of a person's life. Despite the serious nature of atherosclerosis, many people do not understand how it develops and progresses.

Treatment with Effient more cost effective, show TRITON-TIMI 38 clinical trial results

Results from a health economic substudy of the TRITON-TIMI 38 clinical trial showed that among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), including stenting, treatment with Effient(®) (prasugrel) compared with branded clopidogrel (Plavix(®)) was more cost effective, and in most cases cost saving.

6 Jan 2010

Phase 2 study evaluating VBL Therapeutics' lead compound VB-201 initiated

VBL Therapeutics today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 efficacy and safety study evaluating lead compound VB-201 for the treatment of patients with psoriasis. VB-201 is poised to be a first-in-class, orally-administered immune response modifier expected to reduce inflammation in a broad range of conditions such as psoriasis.

5 Jan 2010

Androgen receptor plays critical role in wound healing

A molecular receptor pivotal to the action of male hormones such as testosterone also plays a crucial role in the body's ability to heal, report scientists in the December issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

5 Jan 2010

BioInvent International begins BI-505 drug study on patients with advanced multiple myeloma

BioInvent International AB announced today that the first patient has been treated in an open, dose-escalation phase I study of the company’s antibody BI-505 for patients with advanced multiple myeloma.

4 Jan 2010

Research suggests high-dose Vitamin E supplements may do more harm than good

Vitamin-fortified foods and dietary health supplements can ease health worries. But what kinds of vitamins are right for you? And how much of them should you take, and how often?

31 Dec 2009

VIA Pharmaceuticals receives NASDAQ delisting notice

VIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, today announced that on December 29, 2009, it received a written notice from the listing qualifications staff of the NASDAQ Stock Market ("NASDAQ") informing the Company that trading of the Company's common stock would be suspended prior to the open of business on January 4, 2010 and that NASDAQ would initiate procedures to delist the Company's common stock.

29 Dec 2009

Merck discontinues MK-1903 niacin receptor agonist development program with Arena Pharmaceuticals

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today Merck and Co., Inc.'s decision (through an affiliate) to discontinue development of MK-1903, an investigational niacin receptor agonist to treat atherosclerosis being developed under its research collaboration with Arena. Merck also informed Arena that the company will not continue the collaboration.

24 Dec 2009

US Phase 2 clinical trial of RVX-208 commenced by Resverlogix

Resverlogix Corp. ("Resverlogix" or the "Company") announced today that it has begun dosing patients in its US Phase 2 clinical trial lead by Cleveland Clinic. This trial will examine RVX-208, Resverlogix's oral small molecule therapy for the treatment of atherosclerosis, in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

23 Dec 2009

Treprostinil drug reduces breathlessness in PAH patients, says study

Patients with a rare, deadly disease that mostly affects young women felt a dramatic reduction in breathlessness using an approved drug, according to study results published online today in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

18 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca's CRESTOR receives favorable vote from FDA Advisory Committee

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee (EMDAC) today voted 12 yes, 4 no, and 1 abstention that AstraZeneca has established sufficient benefit to offset the observed risks to support the use of CRESTOR®

16 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca, UVa announce collaboration in development of new treatments for CAD and PAD

AstraZeneca and the University of Virginia (UVa) in Charlottesville, today announced that they have entered into a strategic research collaboration to enhance development of new treatments primarily for coronary artery disease (CAD) with a secondary focus on peripheral vascular disease (PAD).

15 Dec 2009

Intensive medical therapy may benefit patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup

Intensive medical therapy, including aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup in their carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) appears to be associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular events and reduced risk of microemboli (microscopic-sized blood clots) in the brain arteries, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the February 2010 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

15 Dec 2009

Myrrh resin may have cholesterol-lowering properties

Laboratory experiments suggest that the resin of certain trees of the Middle East, known commonly as the "myrrh" of the Christmas story, may have cholesterol-lowering properties.

14 Dec 2009

Special issue focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention and outcomes

Emerging research on cardiovascular risk factors and treatment effects are helping clinicians gain a better understanding of which patients are most likely to benefit from close monitoring, lifestyle changes and/or additional therapeutic interventions.

14 Dec 2009

LLS becomes corporate partner and joins VDF as sponsor

The Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) announced today that Life Line Screening, Inc. (LLS) has become a corporate partner and joined the foundation as a sponsor.

11 Dec 2009

Second pivotal Phase 3 trial to evaluate investigational Lp-PLA2 inhibitor darapladib initiated

Attached is a press release issued earlier this morning by GlaxoSmithKline, announcing that GSK has initiated its second pivotal Phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy of long-term treatment with the investigational Lp-PLA2 inhibitor darapladib in men and women with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

10 Dec 2009

Experts call on Europe's policy makers to take urgent action against preventable strokes

A report launched today by experts from medical and patient communities calls on Europe's policy makers to take urgent action against preventable strokes that strike thousands of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients each year

9 Dec 2009

Findings suggest severity of atherosclerosis depends on the rate of white blood cell migration

By measuring the total gene activity in organs relevant for coronary artery disease (CAD), scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have identified a module of genes that is important for the recruitment of white blood cells into the atherosclerotic plaque.

4 Dec 2009

Last patient visit complete in VIA Pharmaceuticals' Phase 2 FDG-PET trial

VIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, today announced that it has completed the last patient visit in its Phase 2 FDG-PET clinical trial of VIA-2291.

3 Dec 2009

Exercise remains one of the most effective interventions for peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects 5 million individuals in the U.S. and is the leading cause of limb amputations. Doctors have long considered exercise to be the single best therapy for PAD, and now a new study helps explain why. Led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and published in this week's Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the findings demonstrate that a protein called PGC-1alpha plays a key role in the process.