Cardiovascular
About 58 million Americans, roughly 25% of the population, are currently living with some form of cardiovascular disease. Ischemic heart disease, one of the major forms of cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. Existing treatments for ischemia, or insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle, include cardiovascular bypass, angioplasty and the use of cardiovascular stents and similar medical devices. While effective, these treatments are invasive and in roughly 40% of patients, ischemia returns within 2 years. There is a need for less invasive and more long lasting treatments for ischemic heart disease.
In collaboration with the University of Maastricht in The Netherlands, we are working to develop methods for treating ischemic heart disease and other chronic cardiovascular diseases through continuous pericardial delivery. Our research in animal models suggests that ischemic heart disease may be treated by continuously delivering an angiogenic factor to spur new blood vessel growth, thereby increasing blood flow, and restoring function to the diseased heart.
Central Nervous System
Millions of people suffer from chronic diseases and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), including brain and spinal cord tumors, psychosis, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. We believe that there are over 39,000 new brain tumors diagnosed in the United States every year and approximately 350,000 patients living with primary brain tumors in the U.S., of which, about 170,000 are malignant. Current treatments for CNS tumors include radiation, resection and chemotherapy. Treatment success rates vary by tumor type, but are generally low, and the risk of side effects or disability is high. It is generally recognized that improvements in treating primary metastatic brain tumors are needed, particularly for those which are inoperable.
Schizophrenia, a disease of the brain that manifests itself through multiple signs and symptoms involving thought, perception and behavior, is another CNS disorder estimated to affect about 2.5 million patients in the U.S.; worldwide, the incidence is about 51 million. Patients typically begin exhibiting symptoms early in life and the illness is usually severe and long lasting, requiring lifelong treatment. Adherence to prescribed drug regimens is recognized as a significant treatment obstacle in the schizophrenic population. According to IMS, global sales of antipsychotics increased more than ten-fold following the introduction of the new drugs, from less than $500 million in 1991 to almost $5 billion in 2000. Opportunities exist to apply our pharmaceutical systems for treatment of these and other CNS disorders.
Biotechnology
Drugs developed out of the biotechnology industry are today mainly administered by repeated, frequent injection. The desirability of dosage forms that can reliably administer proteins for long periods of time is readily acknowledged. We are currently researching various products utilizing our biodegradable platform technologies in combination with protein molecules having known efficacy against major diseases with a goal to develop products that require less frequent administration than products currently available on the market.
 Back to top
|
|
