Advances in cardio, diabetes highlight of CIBC conference

Drug Store News,  May 20, 2002  by Diane West

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NEW YORK - Partial fatty acid oxidation inhibitors, or pFOX therapies, may be the next big treatment for coronary artery disease, while in a ers may replace several oral and intravenous drugs, according to presentations at the CIBC World Markets' annual Biotechnology and Specialty Pharmaceuticals Conference held here earlier this month.

Dr. Howard Weintraub, director of the Lipid Program at the Joan and Joel Smilow Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention Center at New York University Medical Center and the opening day keynote speaker, cited studies that seem to demonstrate sustained cardiac improvement from such drugs as Novartis' Diovan (vaistartan), and a drug in late-stage development called ranolazine from CV Therapeutics. Ranolazine seems to encourage the heart to use more energy with more efficiency, he stated.

The conference opened by Peter Crowley, managing director and head of heath care investment banking for CIBC gave about 500 institutional investors the opportunity to meet and question top executives representing more than 45 biotechnology companies and 35 specialty pharmaceutical companies.

"This conference gives our institutional investors a unique opportunity," said Crowley.

Presentations from specialists, such as Dr. Weintraub gave snapshots of advances in cardiology, opthamology, oncology, autoimmune diseases and other medical fields.

Particularly well attended by the investment community was a presentation given by CV Therapeutics senior vice president and chief financial officer Dan Spiegelman. Spiegelman said Phase III results from CARISA and MARISA clinical trials (Combination and Monotherapy Assessments of Ranolazine In Stable Angina) showed ranolazine significantly reduces angina attacks, a heart condition affecting 6.4 million people in the United States with 400,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Ranolazine patients also experienced fewer side effects than beta-blocker patients.

Spiegelman said the company will file a new drug submission with the Food and Drug Administration for ranolazine later this year. If the drug is approved, the company will use the cardiac sales force of Parsippany, N.J.-based Innovex to sell it. "There's a potential $350 million market here," he said, "and we haven't partnered it away to any big pharmaceutical company."

Another compelling session was led by Christopher Searcy, Pharm. D., of San Carlos, Calif.-based Inhale Therapeutic Systems. The vice president of corporate development said late-stage clinical data on Exubera (inhaled insulin) continues to be positive. Recent findings indicated that 50 percent more people with type 2 diabetes achieved tighter control with Exubera than other insulin agents; other data showed that Exubera was as efficacious as oral medications in type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetics.

Exubera filing short

Inhale is manufacturing the delivery device, while the inhalable insulin is being co-developed by Aventis and Pfizer. "Pfizer is waiting for one-year control data," Searcy said. "We expect to file a new drug application for Exubera later this year."

Inhale also is working with other pharmas on delivery alternatives for pulmonary drugs, thrombocytopenia treatments, anti-arthritics, opthamology drugs and others. "We feel that we have the technology that can address basically every product in a company's pipeline," Searcy said.

Other presenters included Genentech, which aims to launch one to two new products in either cardiac, oncology, inflammatory disease or metabolic disease per year; Watson, which said it will concentrate on products in. "exclusive or semi-exclusive markets;" and Taro, which is working on a "spill proof" liquid for oral medications.

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