Targeting Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation plays a fundamental role in a number of devastating conditions, including heart failure, atherosclerosis, and neuro-inflammatory disorders.

Advancing the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure

We are developing our Celacade™ technology to address the inflammatory pathology in chronic heart failure. Current therapies for heart failure do not address chronic inflammation-an important mechanism in the pathophysiology and progression of this syndrome.

In 2006, we reported the results from the 175-center, 2,408-patient phase III ACCLAIM (Advanced Chronic Heart Failure CLinical Assessment of Immune Modulation Therapy) trial in patients with advanced chronic heart failure. ACCLAIM was assessing the ability of our lead product, Celacade, to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization in patents with chronic heart failure. Dr. Torre-Amione, Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program, Methodist DeBakey Heart Center at The Methodist Hospital, and U.S. Principal Investigator for ACCLAIM presented the results from the study at the World Congress of Cardiology 2006 in Barcelona, Spain, and at the 10th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America in Seattle, Washington.

Therapeutic Potential in Neuro-inflammatory Disease

Neurological diseases that are associated with an inflammatory response in the brain and peripheral nervous system include such conditions as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

We are developing a new class of drugs for the treatment of neuro-inflammatory disorders. VP025 is the lead product candidate from this new class of drugs and, based on phase I results, we are preparing to enter this product candidate into phase II development.