BASEL, Switzerland and BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Oct. 31, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Speedel (SWX:SPPN) announces that it has reached another significant milestone in the development of its family of renin inhibitors with the start of a Phase IIa clinical trial with SPP635 for the treatment of hypertension. This compound is the first of a next generation of renin inhibitors following Speedel's lead product SPP100 (aliskiren, Tekturna(1)), which is partnered with Novartis and awaiting marketing approval from the FDA and the EMEA(2). SPP635 is the most advanced compound in the SPP600 series and is one of several new proprietary renin inhibitors invented by Speedel Experimenta, the company's late-stage research unit.
