Myogen Research Aids Heart Disease Treatment
Published Apr 16, 2005
Myogen, a Westminster-based biopharmaceutical firm, is hoping to find treatments for cardiovascular disease by studying the ailments themselves.
“The idea behind the founding of the company was really to look at a scientific, molecular understanding of what is heart failure and how that might be impacted,” says Derek Cole, director of investor relations for Myogen.
Drs. Michael Bristow, Leslie Lienwand and Eric Olson, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, founded the company in 1996.
Dr. William Freytag is president and CEO.
“What evolved was a two-fold strategy of maintaining that focus of developing an understanding of the molecular basis of heart failure and then developing therapies based on that understanding,” Cole says.
Myogen’s goal is to produce therapies that address the fundamental mechanisms involved in cardiovascular disease.
Myogen currently has one product on the market and three in late-stage clinical development. Perfan I.V. is marketed in Europe for the treatment of acute heart failure. Three compounds – enoximone capsules for the treatment of chronic heart failure, ambrisentan for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and darusentan for treatment of resistant systolic hypertension – all are in the final phases of study and testing.
Cole says Myogen will file applications in the United States with the Food and Drug Administration, and in Europe for all three compounds, should results of the Phase 3 testing warrant it.
Myogen’s facility houses offices and laboratory space in two buildings in the Church Ranch Business Park. The company employs just under 100 people in research and development, clinical development, commercial development, and administration. Clinical trials take place off-site at 211 clinical research locations in 16 countries.
In October 2003, Myogen announced a partnership with biopharmaceutical company Novartis. Together the two are conducting drug-discovery research aimed at developing disease-modifying drugs for treating cardiovascular disorders.
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