VANCOUVER, May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardiome Pharma Corp. (COM- TSX) reported today that Doug Janzen, Chief Financial Officer, will present highlights of Cardiome’s clinical and corporate achievements at the UBS Global Specialty Pharmaceuticals Conference on Tuesday May 25th from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. EST at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York.
A live audio webcast of the presentation may be accessed by following the webcast link next to the Global Specialty Pharmaceuticals Conference heading at http://www.ibb.ubs.com/Conferences/co_highlights.shtml.
About Cardiome Pharma Corp.
Cardiome Pharma Corp. is a product-focused cardiovascular drug development company with three late stage clinical drug programs focused on atrial arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and hyperuricemia (gout).
Cardiome’s lead antiarrhythmic product, RSD1235, is designed to be an acute-use, intravenous administration treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition in which the atria of the heart beat rapidly and erratically. RSD1235 selectively blocks ion channels in the heart that are known to be active during episodes of AF. Cardiome initiated two phase 3 studies for intravenous RSD1235 in August of 2003 and March 2004 respectively. Cardiome expects to initiate clinical studies for the chronic oral therapy of AF by the end of 2004.
Cardiome’s lead drug in the congestive heart failure (CHF) area is oxypurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. CHF is the failure of the heart to pump blood at a rate sufficient to support the body’s needs. Oxypurinol sensitizes cardiac muscle cells to intracellular calcium, leading to increased cardiac oxygen-use efficiency. Cardiome believes that increasing this efficiency will improve the clinical outcomes for CHF patients. Oxypurinol is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial. Cardiome also has a program applying its congestive heart failure product, oxypurinol, for the treatment of allopurinol-intolerant gout, for which it filed an Orphan NDA in December of 2003.
Cardiome is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (COM). Further information about Cardiome can be found at http://www.cardiome.com/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Don Graham Director of Corporate Communication (604) 676-6963 Toll Free: 1-800-330-9928 Email: dgraham@cardiome.com Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
Statements contained in this news release relating to future results, events and expectation are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, those described in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F. The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD “Robert Rieder” President & Chief Executive Officer
Cardiome Pharma Corp.
CONTACT: Don Graham, Director of Corporate Communication,(604) 676-6963, Toll Free: 1-800-330-9928, Email: dgraham@cardiome.com
