NORTRAN DRUG EFFECTIVE IN ATRIAL ARRHYTHMIA MODEL.

Nortran Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NRT-TSE), Vancouver, Canada, has announced that its clinical candidate, RSD1235, showed efficacy in terminating atrial fibrillation (AF). The study evaluated the efficacy of RSD1235 in a canine model of AF. The studies were performed at the Montreal Heart Institute under the guidance of Dr. Stanley Nattel, MD.

"RSD1235 is extremely effective at terminating vagal atrial fibrillation. It is probably the most effective compound we have tested to date," said Dr. Nattel. "The drug has a novel and potentially very interesting profile of anti-AF action."

In the study, RSD1235 was administered at increasing doses to 9 subjects with induced atrial fibrillation. The objective was to terminate the fibrillation. Administration of RSD1235 terminated atrial fibrillation in all subjects in a dose dependent manner, with half terminated at a dose of 1mg/kg and 90% terminated at 2mg/kg. The time required for termination decreased successively with each dose, indicating that both efficacy and speed of conversion are dose dependent.

The study showed no change in an important cardiac ECG parameter, the QT interval. Prolongation of the QT interval is an important indicator of potential side effects of anti-fibrillatory drugs. In previous canine safety studies, RSD1235 was administered to each subject once daily at various doses repeated over 14 days. At approximately 10 times the effective dose there were no adverse events observed.

"These results reinforce our intention to take RSD1235 forward into clinical development." said Bob Rieder, president. "RSD1235 has a novel mechanism of action, has now proven effective in four different animal species, and has an attractive safety profile. We are excited about putting this drug into clinical trials in order to demonstrate safety and efficacy in humans."

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. It represents the largest part of the overall arrhythmia market with major-market sales of US $1 billion in 1999. Current drugs to treat atrial fibrillation have serious, sometimes-fatal side effects. A drug that satisfies this major unmet medical need has an estimated total market potential of US $2 billion or more.

Nortran Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a cardiac drug discovery and development company. Its primary programs are focused on prevention and treatment of cardiac arrhythmia, with three programs in that area. In its RSD1122 chronic therapy program, Nortran has a license agreement with AstraZeneca, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. Nortran's RSD1235 acute-use antiarrhythmic program is about to enter the clinical testing phase. The KV1.5 program is in the pre-clinical phase. The company is based at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NRT) and the NASD BB market (NTRDF).

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