V-Kardia Inc. Announces Successful Preclinical Trials For Targeted Drug Delivery

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- V-Kardia Incorporated announced that academic investigator, David Kaye, M.D., Ph.D. of the Baker Heart Research Institute, presented preclinical results on the successful use of the Company's new targeted delivery system (V-Focus(TM)) for administering therapeutic genes directly to the heart. The results demonstrated the ability of the system to selectively deliver therapeutic levels of a gene to the heart, with minimal leakage into the systemic circulation, significantly restoring heart function in a large animal model of heart failure. These data were presented at the recent American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Dallas, Texas.

Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalization, disability and death, with over five million people in the United States suffering from the disease. Despite significant advances in pharmacotherapy, heart failure remains a progressive disorder with five-year survival of less than 50 percent. Recently, many of the molecular and cellular mechanisms causing the impairment of heart function have been determined. Recent studies using a range of gene therapy approaches targeting these mechanisms have raised hopes for the treatment of heart failure. However, until now, there has not been a reliable means of delivering a therapeutic gene directly to the heart.

Professor David Kaye, working with colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, presented data which described the ability of the V-Focus(TM) System to allow targeted delivery of genes, molecules and cells to the heart and potentially other organs and tissues. In the cardiac application, Professor Kaye described how the V-Focus(TM) system was used to isolate the coronary circulation from the general circulation and effectively deliver gene therapy to a large animal model of heart failure. The system was introduced percutaneously and delivered the agent safely and efficiently. High, uniform levels of the test agent were found within the heart tissue while little to no agent was found in the lungs, liver, or kidneys. The results confirmed that this delivery system can be used for the delivery of gene therapy to the severely failing heart, significantly restoring heart function.

About V-Kardia Inc.

V-Kardia Inc. is a privately held company based in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company is focused on the development of percutaneous delivery systems for targeted agent delivery to an organ or body region. The initial product, the V-Focus(TM) System, is designed to deliver high, uniform level of agents to the heart while minimizing delivery to the other organs or areas of the body. The company is actively seeking other gene based and cell therapies for use with the V-Focus(TM) System. V-Kardia Inc. was founded in conjunction with the Baker Heart Research Institute of Melbourne Australia.

CONTACT: J. Edward Shapland, Ph.D., +1-651-209-1811, or Frank Solomon,+1-952-473-7971, +1-612-209-1814, fsolomon@vkardia.com , both of V-KardiaInc.