Celladon Corporation Announces Upcoming Presentations at American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009.

SAN DIEGO -- Celladon Corporation, developing therapies for the treatment of heart failure, today announced upcoming data presentations at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions, November 14-18, 2009, Orlando, Florida.

Mechano-electrical remodeling is a major cause of mortality in patients with heart failure. Most pharmacological treatments for improving contractility (inotropes) enhance calcium entry into the cell. Unfortunately, these strategies increase mortality by promoting arrhythmias. Celladon is developing both biologics and small molecules targeting a key enzyme deficiency in advanced heart failure, the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (SERCA2a), which promote contractility but without the negative consequences of current inotropic therapies. MYDICAR[R] is a genetically targeted enzyme-replacement therapy intended to restore levels of SERCA2a protein in phase 2 development; and CDN small molecule compounds are allosteric activators of SERCA2a, for the treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. SERCA2a is a protein that is vital to the proper contraction and relaxation of the heart.

Tuesday, November 17

International Congress Plenary ICP.303: Genome-Guided Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease Time: 9:00 - 10:15 AM ET Abstract #2064 Title: "Personalized Gene Therapy" Presenter: Roger J. Hajjar, M.D., Director, Cardiovascular Research Center, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and Co-Founder, Celladon Corporation

Special Session Presentation SS06: Novel Molecular and Cellular Therapeutic Advances for Heart Disease Time: 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM ET Abstract #3645 Title: "Ongoing Human Trials of Heart Failure Gene Therapy" Presenter: Roger J. Hajjar, M.D.

The two presentations by Roger Hajjar, M.D., from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine will review ongoing trials in heart failure using genetic modification. He will provide an update on the follow-up of patients in the Phase 1 portion of the Calcium Up-regulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy in Cardiac Disease (CUPID) trial utilizing MYDICAR[R] (AAV1/SERCA2a). This is a First-in-Man open-label, sequential dose escalation, multi-center phase of the trial and was designed to investigate safety and biological effects of restoring SERCA2a enzyme activity in failing heart muscle cells. The trial enrolled patients with severe forms of ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathies who had New York Heart Association Class III or IV heart failure, significantly impaired heart pumping function, and less than half the normal ability to transport and utilize oxygen during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The phase 1 dose-escalation data demonstrate that MYDICAR[R] had an acceptable safety profile in 12 patients and 4 increasing doses. Safety was determined by study investigators and an independent safety monitoring committee. In addition, improvements from baseline to 6 months were observed across a number of key efficacy parameters important in assessing heart failure status. Efficacy was defined as the mean improvement in at least 2 of 5 endpoints without any worsening in the remaining endpoints, including a functional six-minute walk test, oxygen consumption, quality of life questionnaire, biomarker activity, and left ventricular size and function.

Celladon has also completed Phase 2 enrollment of the CUPID trial, which is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in a similar patient population as the Phase 1 trial. This CUPID Phase 2 trial enrolled 39 Patients who were treated with 1 of 3 doses of MYDICAR[R] or placebo via a single intracoronary infusion and will continue to be followed for 12 months after administration. Effects of treatment will be assessed by changes in how the heart contracts, a blood test of an important marker of heart failure called NT-proBNP, symptoms of heart failure and ability to exercise.

Wednesday, November 18

Poster Presentation Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET Abstract #3911/5021 Title: "A Novel Small Molecule Approach for Treating Mechano-electrical Dysfunction in Heart Failure" Authors: Dongzhu Jin, David D. Thomas, Razvan Cornea, Yifan Zhai, Russell Dahl, Thomas Larocca, Krisztina Zsebo, Roger J. Hajjar, and Fadi G. Akar

Celladon Corporation is developing specific small molecule allosteric modulators of the SERCA2a enzyme for both acute and chronic heart failure. This CDN small molecule trial is designed to activate SERCA2a in a dose and calcium dependent manner, intravenously or orally, for the treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. The study presented was conducted in the laboratory of Fadi Akar, Ph.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Allosteric modulators of SERCA2a bind to the enzyme resulting in increased activity, and enhance contractility of cardiomyocytes from normal and heart failure animals. These data indicate that CDN modulate contractility in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo without increasing the incidence of arrhythmias.

About Heart Failure

Chronic heart failure is an increasingly important health problem. It is the leading medical cause of hospitalization and is expected to result in an estimated direct and indirect cost to the healthcare system in 2009 of $37.2 billion. About 5 million people in the United States have heart failure, and another 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Heart failure contributes to or causes about 280,000 deaths annually. The most common symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, feeling tired, and swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, and sometimes the abdomen. There is no cure for heart failure.

About Celladon Corporation

Celladon Corporation, based in La Jolla, California, was launched in October 2004 as a privately held biotechnology company founded with the goal of becoming the leader in developing molecular therapies for the treatment of heart failure. The company's products target the key enzyme deficiency in advanced heart failure, SERCA2a, which regulates calcium cycling and contractility in heart muscle cells. Celladon's first product candidate, MYDICAR[R], delivers the gene for the SERCA2a enzyme and is currently being tested in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Celladon is also developing traditional small molecule activators of SERCA2a for the treatment of heart failure. To learn more about Celladon, visit Celladon's website at www.celladon.net.