Intellectual property based on breakthrough research from a team led by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif at the Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre, Canada.
TOULOUSE, France and ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerenis Therapeutics SA (Cerenis), a privately held pharmaceutical company developing HDL-related compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, today announced that it has in-licensed intellectual property supporting an investigational new treatment of aortic valve stenosis (AVS) based on HDL therapy. This technology is based on the findings of a study led by Jean-Claude Tardif, M.D. at the Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre in Canada.
AVS is characterized by a narrowing of the aortic valve, which can obstruct the flow of oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As the heart works harder to compensate for the obstruction, the heart muscle thickens and can cause a potentially dangerous imbalance in blood pressure between the heart and body. Symptoms of severe AVS can include angina and syncope (fainting), and major complications can include heart failure and sudden death. AVS is the most common form of heart valve disease in Western countries, resulting in more than 50,000 aortic valve replacement surgeries each year in the U.S.
In Dr. Tardif’s placebo-controlled study in rabbit AVS models, the aortic valve opening in the treatment group returned to a near-normal state and aortic valve thickness was significantly decreased after 14 days of treatment. In addition, the treatment group showed significantly less extensive valve lesions than the control group as well as reduced aortic valve calcification. Results of the study were published in April 2008 in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
“We are very pleased to add this exciting new intellectual property to our growing portfolio of HDL therapies,” said Jean-Louis Dasseux, Ph.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of Cerenis. “Currently, patients who suffer from severe AVS have no option other than surgical valve replacement. Even after newer, minimally invasive surgery, there are risks of valve wear and blood clots, requiring permanent treatment with blood thinners. Cerenis is grateful to Dr. Tardif and his team for their ground-breaking work, and we look forward to moving this very promising treatment approach for AVS into clinical development.”
About Cerenis Therapeutics
Cerenis Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of breakthrough HDL-related therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Based on pioneering research conducted by the Cerenis team of world leaders in HDL therapy, the Company is pursuing a range of HDL product candidates that are positioned to represent major advances in patient care and significant commercial opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Cerenis has operations in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Toulouse, France.
For further information please visit www.cerenis.com.
CONTACT: Europe: College Hill, +44 (0)20 7866 7856, or Holly Griffiths,
Account Manager, holly.griffiths@collegehill.com, or Benjamyn Tan, Account
Executive, benjamyn.tan@collegehill.com, USA: Stephen G. Zoegall, Ph.D.
Berry & Company Public Relations, +1-212-253-8881, szoegall@berrypr.com
Web site: http://www.cerenis.com/
