Paper concludes that Imagify is well-tolerated and its diagnostic
performance is comparable with nuclear imaging
Acusphere, Inc. (OTCBB: ACUS) today announced that an original paper
summarizing the Phase 3 clinical trial results for ImagifyTM
(Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) for Injectable Suspension, a
cardiovascular drug for the detection of coronary artery disease, the
leading cause of death in the United States, has been published in the
current issue of the European Journal of Echocardiography. The
paper concludes that Imagify Perfusion Stress Echo is well-tolerated,
and that its diagnostic performance in chest pain patients is comparable
with single photo emission computed tomography, or SPECT, perfusion
imaging. The paper, entitled “Detection of Coronary Artery Disease with
Perfusion Stress Echocardiography Using a Novel Ultrasound Imaging
Agent: Two Phase 3 International Trials in Comparison with Radionuclide
Perfusion Imaging,” is authored by Dr. Roxy Senior, Consultant
Cardiologist and Director of Cardiac Research, Department of
Cardiovascular Medicine and Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education
and Research at Northwick Park Hospital in the U.K., among others. Dr.
Senior was the lead clinical investigator for Acusphere’s clinical
trials for Imagify.
The paper appears in the January 2009 issue, Volume 10, Pages 26-35.
About Acusphere, Inc.
Acusphere (OTCBB: ACUS) is a specialty pharmaceutical company that
develops new drugs and improved formulations of existing drugs using its
proprietary microsphere technology. We are focused on developing
proprietary drugs that can offer significant benefits such as improved
safety and efficacy, increased patient compliance, greater ease of use,
expanded indications or reduced cost. Our lead product candidate, ImagifyTM
(Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) for Injectable Suspension, is a
cardiovascular drug for the detection of coronary artery disease, the
leading cause of death in the United States, for which a New Drug
Application (NDA) was submitted to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
(FDA) in April 2008 and filed in June 2008. Imagify is designed to
enable ultrasound to compete more effectively with nuclear stress
testing, the leading procedure for detecting coronary artery disease. It
is estimated that more than 10 million procedures are done each year in
the U.S. to detect coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death
in the United States. The Company estimates that the potential annual
U.S. market opportunity for Imagify exceeds $2 billion. Imagify and the
Company's other product candidates were created using proprietary
technology that enables Acusphere to control the porosity and size of
nanoparticles and microspheres in a versatile manner that allows them to
be customized to address the delivery needs of a variety of drugs. For
more information about Acusphere visit the Company's web site at www.acusphere.com.
"Acusphere" and "Imagify" are trademarks of Acusphere, Inc.
Company:
Acusphere, Inc.
Lawrence A. Gyenes, 617-648-8800
Chief
Financial Officer
or
Investors:
617-925-3444
IR@acusphere.com
