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Cytos Biotechnology AG today announced the publication of results from a phase IIa clinical trial with the hypertension vaccine CYT006-AngQb in the renowned medical journal THE LANCET
SCHLIEREN, Switzerland | March 7, 2008 | Cytos Biotechnology AG (SWX:CYTN) today announced the publication of results from a phase IIa clinical trial with the hypertension vaccine CYT006-AngQb in the renowned medical journal THE LANCET. The data are published in the March 08, 2008 issue of the journal in the article entitled “Effect of immunization against angiotensin II with CYT006-AngQb on ambulatory blood pressure: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase IIa study”. Martin F. Bachmann, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Cytos Biotechnology, comments: “The publication of this study is the result of basic and applied research that aims at employing our own immune system to protect us not only from infectious diseases, which is the traditional field for vaccines, but also from common chronic diseases like hypertension. The positive outcome of this study is therefore an important milestone in our quest to expand the use of vaccines into today’s most widespread chronic diseases.” THE LANCET, which first appeared in the year 1823, is an “independent and authoritative voice in global medicine. It seeks to publish high-quality clinical trials that will alter medical practice and delivers in depth knowledge in key medical disciplines.” (www.thelancet.com) To receive a full text copy of the present publication, please visit www.cytos.com.
About the hypertension vaccine CYT006-AngQb
CYT006-AngQb is a therapeutic vaccine in development for the treatment of hypertension1,2. It is designed to instruct the patient’s immune system to produce an antibody response against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a small peptide in the body and part of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which is an important regulator of blood pressure. Angiotensin II causes blood vessels to narrow, resulting in increased blood pressure. In a phase IIa study with hypertensive patients, vaccination with CYT006-AngQb has been shown to significantly reduce the mean ambulatory daytime blood pressure by induction of antibodies that bind angiotensin II. Thereby, binding of angiotensin II to its receptors and subsequent narrowing of blood vessels should be decreased. A particularly strong blood pressure reduction has been observed in the early morning hours - a crucial time of day when adverse cardiovascular events are more likely to occur than during other times of the day. CYT006-AngQb is a first-in-class product candidate in this important indication and represents a completely novel approach to hypertension treatment. Treatment with CYT006-AngQb should allow for convenient dosing schedules and a smooth control of blood pressure due to a sustained antibody response induced by vaccination.
About hypertension
Hypertension, also termed high blood pressure, is a medical condition where the blood pressure is chronically elevated. Although symptomless in nature and in itself rarely an acute problem, persistent hypertension is one of the most important preventable causes of premature death worldwide and contributes to around half of all cardiovascular diseases3. It is one of the major risk factors for stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and vascular disease, and is a leading cause of chronic renal failure. Genetic predisposition and lifestyle habits such as inadequate physical activity, high fat diet, and high salt intake promote high blood pressure. Up to 30% of adults in most countries suffer from hypertension. Despite effective and relatively inexpensive treatment available, less than one out of four hypertensive individuals have their blood pressure controlled successfully4,5. This poor overall treatment success is mainly attributed to the symptomless nature of hypertension and the necessity for long-term treatment with currently available medications that require at least once daily self-administration.
References
1. Journal of Hypertension; A vaccine for hypertension based on virus-like particles: preclinical efficacy and phase I safety and immunogenicity; 2007, 25:63
2. The Lancet; Effect of immunization against angiotensin II with CYT006-AngQb on ambulatory blood pressure: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase IIa study; 2008, 371:821
3. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); The Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke, 2004
4. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure; 2003, 289:2560
5. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Centre for Health Services Research, UK; Essential Hypertension: managing adult patients in primary care; August 2004
SOURCE: Cytos Biotechnology |
