Experimental drug may prevent plaque formation

22 May 2010

A drug currently being tested in humans may help to reduce inflammation in patients with atherosclerosis, new research suggests.

The medication, VIA-2291, was developed by San Francisco-based biotechnology firm Via Pharmaceuticals and is designed to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome.

It has now been tested on about 200 patients and scientists at the Montreal Heart Institute believe the results are promising.

Dr Jean-Claude Tardif, cardiologist and director of the Montreal Heart Institute Research Centre, said that standard treatments for acute coronary syndrome do not specifically reduce inflammation, which contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.

"Research in recent years has allowed us to determine that the presence of inflammation significantly increases the risk of recurrence among these patients," he revealed.

"The findings we're publishing show that VIA-2291 may finally offer the solution we need to target and reduce inflammation. In fact, these newly published data strongly support the evaluation of VIA-2291 in larger outcome trials."

Dr Tardif, whose findings are published in the journal Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging, said that the team are satisfied with the results of the clinical trial.

"We're even more thrilled at the prospect of taking a big step toward more effective and personalised prevention of cardiovascular disease," he added.

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