Animal Studies Show Promising Therapeutic Dosing Results Using an Antisense Agent to Treat Heart Disease.Upcoming human studies could create potentially revolutionary new treatment for nation's top killer BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- Animal studies of a potentially breakthrough medical technology that uses a novel antisense antisense, DNA or RNA manipulated in a laboratory so that its components (nucleotides) form a complementary copy of normal, or "sense," messenger RNA (mRNA; see nucleic acid). agent to arrest the process of coronary arteries Coronary arteries The two main arteries that provide blood to the heart. The coronary arteries surround the heart like a crown, coming out of the aorta, arching down over the top of the heart, and dividing into two branches. becoming reblocked after treatment with angioplasty and stenting have shown highly promising results, a spokesman for Global Therapeutics, a Cook Medical company, announced today. Global Therapeutics reports that preclinical studies preclinical studies, n.pl a term used to describe research done before a clinical study. May be laboratory or epidemiologic research. have shown successful delivery of the agent to the specific site of stenting. Delivery of a therapeutic dose of the antisense agent was achieved safely without any adverse systemic effects. Furthermore, it was shown that the target RNA RNA: see nucleic acid. RNA in full ribonucleic acid One of the two main types of nucleic acid (the other being DNA), which functions in cellular protein synthesis in all living cells and replaces DNA as the carrier of genetic , from the c-myc gene, one of the main causes of restenosis, was effectively inhibited by the antisense compound AVI-5126 developed by Cook Medical's partner AVI BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVII). "Our main goal, following the achieved silencing of the target RNA, was to develop a system that is user-friendly and would not add time to the overall procedure for the physician," said Joseph B. Horn, president of Global Therapeutics. "The animal studies just completed have shown conclusively that the c-myc inhibitor (AVI-5126) we have been exploring produces a therapeutic effect at the dosages used. With the success of this phase of our preclinical investigation, our plans are to initiate a human clinical trial in the near future, pending regulatory consent." Global Therapeutics plans to pursue this technology beyond the preclinical setting and into a clinical trial in Europe later this year. The study design will incorporate up to 20 investigational centers throughout Europe with the intent to support a CE-mark filing. "We view this kit as a unique system needed by the industry given all the negative press surrounding the current generation of pharmaceutical-eluting coronary stents. It was developed in conjunction with Cook Medical's product development team and includes a bare metal cobalt chromium stent, a sub-selective drug delivery catheter and the AVI-5126 antisense drug component," Horn said. "This technology will allow cardiologists to treat lesions with a drug designed to prevent restenosis without the use of any non-therapeutic additives such as a polymer." Sebastian Phillip, M.D., head of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the Westgerman Heart Center in Essen and a key investigator in the APPRAISAL Trial, remarked. "Antisense therapy to prevent in-stent stenosis is an exciting breakthrough in the treatment of coronary artery disease coronary artery disease, condition that results when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded, most commonly by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous and fatty tissue. . Sub-selective delivery of AVI-5126 will open a new approach combining the safety of a bare metal stent with reducing restenosis comparable to DES. We are excited to begin this trial at the end of the year." Global Therapeutics licenses the AVI-5126 c-myc antisense agent from AVI BioPharma, which has ongoing manufacturing responsibilities. The technology is an investigational device not available in the United States or other markets at this time. About Cook Medical Cook Medical was the first company to introduce interventional devices in the United States. Today, the company integrates device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic aortic pertaining to or emanating from the aorta. See also aortic arch. aortic aneurysm occurs most often in dogs, where it is caused by Spirocerca lupi larvae, turkeys and primates, causing dyspnea, cyanosis and coughing. intervention; cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a general term referring to methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means. It is reproductive technology used in infertility treatment, which is the only application routinely used today of , gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Cook won the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award for 2006 from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com. About AVI BioPharma AVI BioPharma develops therapeutic products for the treatment of life-threatening diseases using third-generation NeuGene(R) antisense drugs and ESPRIT exon Exon In split genes, a portion that is included in the ribonucleic acid (RNA) transcript of a gene and survives processing of the RNA in the cell nucleus to become part of a spliced messenger RNA (mRNA) or structural RNA in the cell cytoplasm. skipping technology. AVI's lead NeuGene antisense compound is designed to target cell proliferation disorders, including cardiovascular restenosis. In addition to targeting specific genes in the body, AVI's antiviral program uses NeuGene antisense compounds to combat disease by targeting single-stranded RNA viruses, including West Nile virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. , hepatitis C virus
The most severe form of muscular dystrophy, DMD usually affects young boys and causes progressive muscle weakness, usually beginning in the legs. . More information about AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) A Windows multimedia video format from Microsoft. It interleaves standard waveform audio and digital video frames (bitmaps) to provide reduced animation at 15 fps at 160x120x8 resolution. Audio is 11,025Hz, 8-bit samples. is available on the company's Web site at http://www.avibio.com. |
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