VANCOUVER, March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardiome Pharma Corp (TSX: COM) webcast and conference call discussing financial results for the thirteen months ended December 31st, 2003 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 17th 2004, at 10:00 AM PST (1:00 PM EST). A press release with financial details will be issued this afternoon. The webcast will be available to all interested parties through Cardiome's website (http://www.cardiome.com/) under "What's New" or by dialing toll-free at 800-387-6216. To ensure a timely connection to the webcast, it is recommended that users register approximately 15 minutes before the conference call. Please note that at the end of the presentation we will answer questions from invited participants.
The conference call will be hosted by Bob Rieder, President & CEO, Doug Janzen, CFO, Christina Yip, VP Finance & Administration, and Don Graham, Director Corporate Communications.
About Cardiome Pharma Corp.
Cardiome Pharma Corp. is a product-focused cardiovascular drug development company. Cardiome has three late stage clinical drug programs focused on atrial arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and hyperuricemia (gout).
RSD1235 is Cardiome's lead drug in atrial arrhythmias. Cardiome initiated the first Phase 3 study for RSD1235, ACT 1, in August 2003. ACT 1 seeks to confirm the findings of the successful Phase 2 proof-of-concept CRAFT trial. ACT 1 includes both recent onset AF patients and those with longer AF duration. ACT 1 enrolment is projected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2004. Cardiome's lead drug in the congestive heart failure ("CHF") area is oxypurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor with antioxidant properties. CHF is the failure of the heart to pump blood at a rate sufficient to support the body's needs. Oxypurinol sensitises cardiac muscle cells to intracellular calcium, leading to increased cardiac oxygen-use efficiency. Cardiome believes that increasing the cardiac oxygen-use efficiency will improve the clinical outcomes for CHF patients. This application of oxypurinol is currently in a Phase 2/3 study in 400 patients with stage 3 and stage 4 CHF.
Cardiome also has a program applying its congestive heart failure product, oxypurinol, for the treatment of allopurinol-intolerant gout. Cardiome filed an Orphan Drug NDA for this indication in December 2003.
Cardiome is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (COM). Further information about Cardiome can be found at http://www.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) 677-6905ext. 109, Toll Free: 1-800-330-9928, Email: dgraham@cardiome.com
