IBM and University of Washington to Demonstrate Computer Entertainment Technology for Medical Imaging Use

At the upcoming "Workshop on Solving Computational Challenges in Medical Imaging," IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the University of Washington will show how next-generation technology currently featured in computer entertainment and video-processing platforms is driving advancements in medical imaging.

Demonstrating the Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E) processor in medical imaging applications, IBM Global Engineering Solutions and the University of Washington will reveal performance results utilizing Cell/B.E. for several compute-intensive image/signal processing algorithms including ultrasound improvements. With the higher image quality and faster results achieved through the Cell/B.E., there is great potential for new, clinically beneficial applications not previously possible.

In addition to highlighting ultrasound applications, the workshop will focus on other computational challenges in medical imaging that can now be addressed through this new class of microprocessors.

The revolutionary Cell/B.E. is a breakthrough design featuring a central processing core based on IBM's industry-leading Power Architecture™ technology and eight synergistic processing elements (SPE). Cell/B.E. "supercharges" compute-intensive applications, offering fast performance for computer entertainment and handhelds, virtual reality, wireless downloads, real-time video chat, interactive TV shows and other "image-hungry" computing environments. The groundbreaking Cell/B.E. processor appears in products such as Sony Computer Entertainment's PLAYSTATION®3 and Toshiba's Cell/B.E. Reference Set, a development tool for Cell/B.E. products, as well as the IBM BladeCenter QS20. It is also embedded in custom Cell/B.E. based offerings from IBM Global Engineering Solutions.

IBM is also currently hosting a first of its kind programming contest on Cell/B.E -- the Cell University Challenge -- for college and university students in 25 different countries, offering cash prizes and awards for the most innovative applications of the breakthrough Cell/B.E. All information on eligibility, rules and requirements, and entry applications can be found at: http://www-304.ibm.com/jct09002c/university/students/contests/cell/index.html

The IBM - University of Washington workshop will take place July 23-24 on the University of Washington campus in the Foege Auditorium. For more information and to register, please visit http://icsl.washington.edu/miworkshop/index.html

IBM, Power Architecture are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

"PLAYSTATION" is a registered trademark and "Cell Broadband Engine" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.

Cordis Corporation Starts Pivotal Trial for ExoSeal Vascular Closure Device

Cordis Corporation, a worldwide leader in developing and manufacturing interventional vascular technology, announced today the start of the pivotal trial for the ExoSeal™ Vascular Closure Device. The ECLIPSE Trial is a multicenter, non-blinded, randomized study designed to measure the safety and efficacy of the ExoSeal™ Vascular Closure Device versus manual compression to close vascular access sites in patients having undergone diagnostic or interventional procedures. The trial will encompass 400 patients from 18 medical centers across the United States.

On February 13, Principal Investigator Chiu Wong, M.D., associate professor of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and a Cordis Corporation consultant, treated the first patient in the trial. Prior to the start of the ECLIPSE Trial, the ExoSeal™ Vascular Closure Device had been used in 150 patients participating in a first-in-human study for the device.

"The results from the first-in-man study were very encouraging, and this trial will help us determine whether those results can be maintained in a larger number of patients," said Dr. Wong. "As an interventional cardiologist, I welcome the opportunity to investigate a device that could help patients recover faster from a catheterization procedure."

The ExoSeal™ Vascular Closure Device features a synthetic bioabsorbable polymer and is being studied to determine whether it can enable expedited hemostasis (the cessation of bleeding), faster patient ambulation (ability to walk) and reduced bed-stay after a catheterization procedure. It also represents Cordis Corporation’s entry into the vascular closure device market. Nearly eight million patients undergo cardiac catheterization procedures annually.

"The swift progress of the ExoSeal™ Vascular Closure Device from the proof-of-concept stage to a pivotal trial in only seven months marks a major milestone in Cordis Corporation's efforts to accelerate the development of new devices to improve the treatment of vascular diseases," said Campbell Rogers, M.D., chief technology officer, Cordis Corporation. "The ECLIPSE Trial will help us evaluate whether the ExoSeal™ Vascular Closure Device could make a significant and positive difference in patients' comfort as well as recovery time following a catheterization procedure."

Catheterization procedures involve the temporary insertion of a catheter into an artery, usually the femoral artery, through a vascular puncture. While a variety of methods, such as manual compression, sandbags and mechanical clamps have been used to close the puncture site and stop the bleeding after the catheter is removed, many of these methods cause significant discomfort and require several hours of bed-rest.

About Cordis Corporation

Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a worldwide leader in developing and manufacturing interventional vascular technology. Through the company's innovation, research and development, physicians worldwide are better able to treat the millions of patients who suffer from vascular disease. For more information, visit www.cordis.com

GlaxoSmithKline files meningococcal conjugate vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline announced today the submission of a regulatory file to European Medicines Agency (EMEA) under Article 58 for the combination vaccine candidate Globorix™ (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitides serogroups A and C). In clinical trials including countries in Africaand Asia, the conjugate meningococcal vaccine has demonstrated a good safety profile and immunogenicity against meningococcal meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A and C in addition to five other major childhood diseases. Under Article 58, the EMEA, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), gives a scientific opinion on the efficacy, quality and safety of medicinal products intended for use exclusively outside the European Union.


“GSK’s long-standing commitment to the developing world is reflected in the development of Globorix™, a vaccine designed specifically to meeta pressing public health threat in Africa,” said Jean Stéphenne, President of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. “Using the innovative Article 58 mechanism will expedite the availability of Globorix™ to those in greatest need while ensuring it meets the world’s most stringent standards for safety and efficacy. This vaccine candidate could be available as early as 2008 and has the potential to break the cycle of meningitis epidemics in Africa. It will provide babies with protection against 7 diseases in a combination vaccine and, administered in the classical Expanded Programme on Immunisation, it will help to simplify logistics and costs.”


In 2000 the WHO and leading public health experts called for the development of conjugate vaccines in order to shift meningitis control away from expensive last-minute outbreak immunization campaigns towards a more sustainable and long-term prevention strategy. Until today no combined conjugate meningococcal vaccine has been available to protect infants in Africaagainst the disease.


The current meningitis control strategy relies on reactive mass immunization campaigns using polysaccharide vaccines. While these campaigns are estimated to have saved 70% of lives in epidemics, this older type of vaccine has significant drawbacks. Polysaccharide vaccines do not offer protection to infants and in older children and adults they only protect for 3-5 years, leaving them vulnerable to future epidemics. Polysaccharide vaccines also do not address endemic meningitis1.


“There is an urgent need for an improved meningococcal vaccine,” said Dr. A. Hodgson, Director, Navrongo Health Research Center, Ghana. “Children are at great risk during the first two years of life and currently we are powerless to protect them with the polysaccharide vaccines. The filing of this new vaccine is good news for African infants because it means that state of the art vaccine technology is now one step closer to those who need it,” continued Dr. Hodgson. “The arrival of Globorix™and other new conjugate vaccines is the start of a new era in meningococcal disease control for Africa.”


Meningococcal meningitis is a highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. The bacteria are transmitted through respiratory secretions, such as sneezing or coughing, and direct contact with infected people. Without treatment, the mortality rate can go up to 50%2, with most deaths occurring only 24-48 hours after the appearance of symptoms. Africa’s “meningitis belt” encompasses 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is home to more than 400 million people. Endemic meningitis infects children year-round and large outbreaks routinely occur during the dry season – between December and June – and major epidemics occur in cycles, every 8 – 12 years. The largest recorded outbreak took place in 1996 when 250,000 people contracted the disease and 25,000 died2.


Globorix™is intended for use in African meningitis belt countries, the Middle-East and Northern Africa, where it could replace the pentavalent combination vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b) already administered to many children. The new vaccine has been designed to fit with the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) calendar of organized infant immunization campaigns in Africa, which makes it an attractive and relevant public health response to a devastating disease in Africa.


GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals) is one of the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers. The company is located in Rixensart (Belgium) and is the centre of all GlaxoSmithKline’s activities in the field of vaccine research, development and production. GSK Biologicals employs over 5 000 people in Belgium (over 8 000 worldwide), of whom more than 1 500 are passionate scientists devoted to discovering innovative vaccines and developing cost-effective and convenient combination products that contribute to the health and well-being of billions of people, in every generation around the world.


In 2006, GSK Bio distributed more than 1.1 billion doses of vaccines to 169 countries in both the developed and the developing world – an average of 3 million doses a day. Of those vaccine doses, approximately 136 million were doses of combination paediatric vaccines which protect the world's children up to six diseases in one vaccine.


GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and health care companies. GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For company information visit www.gsk.com


References

1. Bull World Health Organisation, Vol. 81, No. 10, Genebra Oct. 2003
2. WHO, Weekly epidemiological record, No. 37, 2005, 80, 313-320

Invitrogen and Emiliem Sign Major Kinase Screening Agreement, Kinase Drug Discovery Program Will Utilize Invitrogen's

Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN), a provider of essential life science technologies for disease research and drug discovery, today announced a partnership with Emiliem, Inc. to screen the company's multi-kinase inhibitors using Invitrogen's SelectScreen(TM) platform. Invitrogen will perform biochemical kinase screening, cellular pathway profiling and P450 screening of Emiliem's compounds targeting cancer. Financial details of the multi-year agreement were not disclosed.

"We are fortunate to have a partner with the highest technical and scientific standards in the industry and unmatched cellular screening assays," said Dale E. Johnson, Pharm.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Emiliem. "We view Invitrogen as a key component of our research arm in our quest to bring innovative therapeutics to cancer patients."

Invitrogen's SelectScreen(TM) profiling and screening service integrates industry-leading enzyme collections and cell-lines with state-of-the-art bioassay technologies to accelerate drug discovery programs. The first phase of the agreement will use the SelectScreen(TM) kinase profiling system to confirm specificity and potency of compounds in the Emiliem pipeline created through its K-STAR technology - a proprietary drug design platform for creating compounds that inhibit multiple kinases and other cellular targets known to be important in cancer progression. The second phase will use Invitrogen's SelectScreen(TM) cell-based pathway profiling service to interrogate the effects of Emiliem's compounds on biological pathways and the company's cytochrome P450 profiling service to determine the inhibitory profiles of lead molecules against drug metabolizing liver enzymes.

"Our services will provide critical information to Emiliem, including confirmation that Emiliem's compounds act on the kinases they are targeted to, determination of the compounds' effects on specific biological pathways and prediction of potential toxicity," noted Nick Ecos, Vice President and General Manager of Invitrogen's Discovery Sciences business. "Our selection for this research partnership demonstrates our strong credentials in kinase biology and small molecule screening."

About Emiliem

Emiliem, Inc. is a developmental-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of molecularly targeted oncology drugs. The company has developed proprietary drug design technologies that facilitate the inclusion of multiple kinase inhibitor profiles into single compounds. Emiliem's approach to developing targeted drugs includes the ability to identify proprietary biomarkers. Coupling drug discovery with biomarker identification and implementation increases the likelihood of achieving clinical trial endpoints and receiving approval to market these innovative drug candidates. The company is headquartered in Emeryville, California. For more information, visit www.emiliem.com

About Invitrogen

Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN) provides products and services that support academic and government research institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide in their efforts to improve the human condition. The company provides essential life science technologies for disease research, drug discovery, and commercial bioproduction. Invitrogen's own research and development efforts are focused on breakthrough innovation in all major areas of biological discovery including functional genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and cell biology -- placing Invitrogen's products in nearly every major laboratory in the world. Founded in 1987, Invitrogen is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and conducts business in more than 70 countries around the world. The company is celebrating 20 years of accelerating scientific discovery. Invitrogen globally employs approximately 5,000 scientists and other professionals and had revenues of more than $1.26 billion in 2006. For more information, visit www.invitrogen.com

CYPHER Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent Demonstrates Sustained Benefits Compared To Bare-Metal Stents In Five-Year Randomized Clinical Trial

Clinical investigators at the American College of Cardiology's 56th Annual Scientific Session (ACC.07) reported today that the clinical benefit of the CYPHER® Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent compared to a bare-metal stent (BMS) in the SIRIUS Trial was preserved from the initial nine-month follow-up out to five years. In addition, no differences were observed between the CYPHER® Stent and the BMS in the safety measures of myocardial infarction (heart attack), death or stent thrombosis (blood clots).

At five-year follow-up, patients in the CYPHER® Stent arm experienced significantly lower rates of target vessel failure (TVF), the primary endpoint of the trial, than those who received the BMS (22.5 percent for the CYPHER® Stent versus 34.7 percent for the BMS; p<0.0001). In the trial, TVF was defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization (TVR, or re-treatment of the blocked vessel).

"Our findings reinforce the existing body of evidence supporting the long-term benefits of the CYPHER® Stent as an effective treatment for coronary artery disease," said Co-principal Investigator Martin B. Leon, M.D., Chairman Emeritus, Cardiovascular Research Foundation and Associate Director, Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy, Columbia University Medical Center. "The CYPHER® Stent has provided significant benefits for many patients since we initiated the SIRIUS Trial."

In this long-term follow-up, the CYPHER® Stent also demonstrated lower rates of target lesion revascularization (TLR, or re-treatment at the same arterial site) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE), which include myocardial infarction and death, compared to the BMS. The TLR rate for the CYPHER® Stent was 9.4 percent versus 24.2 percent for the BMS (p<0.0001), and the MACE rate for the CYPHER® Stent was 20.3 percent versus 33.5 percent for the BMS (p<0.0001). These five-year outcomes support the previously reported results of the trial.

There was no significant difference in the overall rate of stent thrombosis between the CYPHER® Stent and the BMS, regardless of the definition of stent thrombosis employed. The definitions include the original SIRIUS Trial protocol definition and the Academic Research Consortium (ARC) definition. At 5 years, the protocol definition identified a rate of 1.0 percent stent thrombosis for the CYPHER® Stent versus 0.8 percent for the BMS (p=0.75). The definite/probable ARC definition identified a stent thrombosis rate of 1.2 percent for the CYPHER® Stent versus 1.8 percent for the BMS (p=0.43). While the data demonstrated slight numeric differences in the timing of such events between the CYPHER® Stent and the BMS, at no point throughout the five-year period were the differences statistically significant.

In addition, there was no significant difference in the mortality or the myocardial infarction rates between the CYPHER® Stent and the BMS at five-year follow-up. The mortality rate was 8.4 percent for both stents, while the myocardial infarction rate for the CYPHER® Stent was 6.2 percent, compared to 6.5 percent for the BMS (p=0.90).

"The data presented throughout ACC.07 reinforce the importance of evidence-based medical decisions," said David E. Kandzari, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I., Chief Medical Officer, Cordis Cardiology Division of Cordis Corporation. "As previously announced, Cordis is expanding the SIRIUS Trial to eight years of follow-up to provide physicians with longer term data about the CYPHER® Stent that will assist them in making informed treatment decisions."

The SIRIUS (Sirolimus-coated BX VELOCITY® Balloon-Expandable Stent in Treatment of Patients with De Novo Coronary Artery Lesions) Trial, sponsored by Cordis Corporation, served as a pivotal study for the U.S. approval of the CYPHER® Stent in 2003 and is the longest running U.S.-based study for a drug-eluting stent.In the double-blinded, multi-center randomized trial, patients were divided into two treatment groups: 533 patients received the CYPHER® Stent and 525 patients received a BMS. Of the original 1,058 participants, 93.8 percent of patients (501 patients receiving the CYPHER® Stent and 491 patients receiving a BMS) participated in the five-year follow up.

About the CYPHER® Stent

The CYPHER® Stent has been chosen by cardiologists worldwide to treat approximately three million patients with coronary artery disease. The safety and efficacy of the device is supported by a robust clinical trial program that includes more than 70 studies that examine the performance of the CYPHER® Stent in a broad range of patients.

Developed and manufactured by Cordis Corporation, the CYPHER® Stent is currently available in more than 80 countries and has the broadest clinical experience and longest-term clinical follow-up of any drug-eluting stent. The next version of sirolimus-eluting stent, the CYPHER® SELECT™ Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent, was launched in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Canada in 2003. The CYPHER® SELECT® Plus Stent, the third version of a sirolimus-eluting coronary stent, received CE Mark in 2006 and is currently available in many markets outside the United States.

For more complete information on indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions, see the Instructions for Use available at www.cypherstent.com

About Cordis Corporation

Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of interventional vascular technology. Through the company's innovation, research and development, Cordis partners with interventional cardiologists worldwide to treat millions of patients who suffer from vascular disease. More information about Cordis Corporation can be found at www.cordis.com

*Cordis Corporation has entered into an exclusive worldwide license with Wyeth for the localized delivery of sirolimus in certain fields of use, including delivery via vascular stenting. Sirolimus, the active drug released for the stent, is marketed by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, under the name Rapamune®. Rapamune is a trademark of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Merck & Co., Inc. and Lundbeck Discontinue Joint Development Program for Gaboxadol, an Investigational Compound for Insomnia

Merck & Co., Inc., and H. Lundbeck A/S announced today the discontinuation of their joint development program for gaboxadol, an investigational new medicine for the treatment of insomnia currently in Phase III development. Data from recently completed clinical studies suggest that the overall clinical profile for gaboxadol in insomnia does not support further development.

As a result of this new information, Merck and Lundbeck will not file a new drug application for gaboxadol for the treatment of insomnia with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or other regulatory agencies worldwide, and are terminating ongoing clinical studies.

"The termination of our joint insomnia development program with Lundbeck is clearly disappointing," said Dr. Peter S. Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories. "Lundbeck has been a valued partner for the past three years, and our collaboration has benefited from the strong relationship between the companies. Although Merck will not be continuing with the clinical development program for gaboxadol for the treatment of insomnia, we remain committed to our neuroscience and sleep disorders research program, one of nine priority disease areas for research and product development. As part of that commitment, we also welcome the opportunity to engage in other joint development efforts with Lundbeck in the future."

"When developing new and innovative medicines there are always risks of failure, particularly for broad-based therapeutics which often carry a higher threshold for demonstrating value to physicians, and ultimately to patients," said senior vice president Anders Gersel Pedersen, head of development at Lundbeck. "It is clearly disappointing, but we will continue to develop new and innovative medicines to treat unmet medical needs and to seek strong and productive partnerships like the one we have experienced with Merck to maximize these efforts."

About Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit www.merck.com

About Lundbeck
H. Lundbeck A/S is an international pharmaceutical company engaged in the research and development, production, marketing and sale of drugs for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. In 2006, the company's revenue was DKK 9.2 billion (approximately EUR 1.2 billion or USD 1.6 billion). The number of employees is approximately 5,300 globally. For further information, please visit www.lundbeck.com

Calcium channel blocker Adalat GITS offer additional benefits

Two recently published articles in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology provide further evidence that the use of the long-acting calcium channel blocker (CCB) nifedipine GITS (Adalat GITS) has additional benefits beyond its blood pressure lowing effect. A first publication from Lubsen et al. (Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2007; first published online) demonstrates that while the blood pressure lowering effect of nifedipine GITS did play a major role in the reduction of debilitating stroke and new overt heart failure, the anti-anginal and vascular protective effects of nifedipine GITS seem to be just as important in reducing cardiovascular events.

A second publication by Poole-Wilson et al. (Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2007; first published online) also demonstrates that a nifedipine GITS therapy in patients with stable angina can help contain healthcare expenses by reducing the need for additional medication and the use of expensive diagnostic and surgical procedures. Both these papers are based on analyses of the ACTION-database. ACTION (A Coronary Disease Trial Investigating Outcome with Nifedipine GITS) collected data from 7,665 patients with stable angina pectoris.

Lowering blood pressure helps reduce stroke and heart failure
The ACTION-trial showed that adding nifedipine GITS to a best practice angina pectoris therapy significantly reduced the incidence of any stroke or TIA (28%) and the development of new overt heart failure (29%). Using an innovative statistical approach, Lubsen et al. found that nifedipine GITS’ ability to lower systolic blood pressure was largely responsible for these impressive results. The reduction in the risks of coronary angiography and surgery, attributed to nifedipine GITS on the other hand, are likely to be due to an anti-anginal and a vascular protective effect.


Efficient utilization of resources
Using the ACTION data, Poole-Wilson et al. showed that adding nifedipine GITS to the best practice therapy reduced the need for additional medication and also the use of expensive diagnostic and surgical procedures together with their associated costs. Basis for the calculation of hospital expenses was a reference hospital in the Netherlands. The estimated cost of medication was also based on drug pricing in the Netherlands. In total the incremental cost of the nifedipine GITS therapy was just about € 69 per year, or about € 3,036 per year of event free survival.


Bayer HealthCare
Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.

Bayer Schering Pharma
Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, is a worldwide leading specialty pharmaceutical company. Its research and business activities are focused on the following areas: Diagnostic Imaging, Hematology/Cardiology, Oncology, Primary Care, Specialized Therapeutics and Women's Healthcare. With innovative products, Bayer Schering Pharma aims for leading positions in specialized markets worldwide. Using new ideas, Bayer Schering Pharma aims to make a contribution to medical progress and strives to improve the quality of life.

Nuvelo Receives FDA Fast Track Status for rNAPc2 in Both First- and Second-Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Nuvelo, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUVO) today announced that it has been granted two separate fast track designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its product candidate, rNAPc2. The first fast track designation is for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) to improve progression-free survival and overall survival when added to Avastin(R)-containing 5- flurourocil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy regimens. The other is for second-line treatment of mCRC to improve progression-free survival and overall survival when added to 5-FU-based chemotherapy regimens. Fast track designation, which was mandated by the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, can potentially facilitate development and expedited review of Biologics License Applications (BLA). Fast track designation is reserved for new drugs that demonstrate the potential to address an unmet medical need and are intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition.

rNAPc2 is currently being studied in a Phase 2 clinical trial in subjects with mCRC, which accounted for approximately 55,000 colorectal cancer deaths in 2006. The primary objectives of this trial are to determine the safety and efficacy of twice-weekly, subcutaneous rNAPc2 for the second-line treatment of mCRC in combination with select 5-FU-based chemotherapy regimens.

"Given the magnitude of mCRC related deaths, there is a need for additional safe and effective treatments that prevent metastasis and prolong survival," said Michael Levy, M.D., executive vice president of research and development for Nuvelo. "We are pleased that the FDA has granted us fast track designation and are committed to developing rNAPc2 to further understand its potential to help this underserved patient population."

About rNAPc2

Recombinant nematode anticoagulant protein c2 (rNAPc2) is a recombinant protein that interferes with the tissue factor/factor VIIa/factor Xa protease complex. This complex has been shown to play a role in activating the cellular signaling events leading to metastasis and angiogenesis in a variety of cancers.

In addition, rNAPc2 has been shown to have a potential anticoagulant effect. This effect results from its ability to prevent new thrombin generation by blocking the factor VIIa/tissue factor protease complex, which is the initial step of coagulation or blood clot formation.

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related death and the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 154,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 52,000 colorectal cancer deaths will occur in 2007.

About Nuvelo

Nuvelo, Inc. is dedicated to improving the lives of patients through the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for acute cardiovascular and cancer therapy. Nuvelo's development pipeline includes three acute cardiovascular programs: alfimeprase, a direct-acting thrombolytic for the treatment of thrombotic-related disorders which is suspended pending review and analysis of clinical data; rNAPc2, an anticoagulant that inhibits the factor VIIa and tissue factor protease complex that completed Phase 2 clinical development in acute coronary syndromes; and preclinical candidate NU172, a direct thrombin inhibitor for use as a short-acting anticoagulant during medical or surgical procedures. Nuvelo is also advancing an emerging oncology pipeline, including rNAPc2 which is in Phase 2 testing for potential use as a cancer therapy, as well as NU206, a preclinical candidate for the potential treatment of chemotherapy/radiation therapy-induced mucositis and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, Nuvelo expects to leverage its expertise in secreted proteins and cancer antibody discovery to further expand its pipeline and create additional partnering and licensing opportunities.

Information about Nuvelo is available at http://www.nuvelo.com or by phoning 650-517-8000.

March Of Dimes, Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C., Launch Prematurity Prevention Partnership

To reduce the rate of preventable preterm births in targeted areas of Kentucky, the March of Dimes and Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C., today formally launched Healthy Babies Are Worth the Waitsm, a three-year partnership with the Kentucky Department for Public Health. The announcement was made at a news conference prior to the opening of the Kentucky Public Health Association's annual meeting here.

Six Kentucky hospitals representing diverse geographic regions are participating in Healthy Babies Are Worth the Waitsm and are divided into "intervention" and "comparison" sites.

The three intervention sites – King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland; Trover Clinic/ Regional Medical Center in Hopkins County; and University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington – will employ an innovative model combining interventions that are diverse, linked elements of clinical care, public health and public education. These include consumer awareness and education; access to screenings and referrals for treatable or preventable conditions; consistent clinical care during the prenatal period and appropriate care between pregnancies; and professional education. The primary goal of Healthy Babies Are Worth the Waitsm is a 15 percent reduction in the rate of singleton (one baby) preterm births in these targeted areas.

Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, Norton Hospital (Downtown) in Louisville, and Paducah's Western Baptist Hospital will serve as comparison sites, providing traditional high quality perinatal services and care.

Preterm birth (defined as birth before 37 completed weeks' gestation) is the leading cause of infant death in the U.S. and puts babies at great risk for lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy, blindness and physical and neurological impairment.

Just a few extra days in the womb can make a difference, the organizations said today at the news conference. Even babies considered "late preterm," those born between 34 and 36 weeks, are more likely than full-term infants to experience acute problems after birth, be re-hospitalized, or die within the first year of life.

Nationally, rates of preterm birth have increased more than 30 percent since 1981 and today more than 520,000 babies are born too soon each year; 400,000 of these (or about 80 percent) are late preterm births. In Kentucky, more than 14 percent of births in 2005 were delivered preterm – one of the highest rates in the nation (the U.S. rate is 12.7 percent).

"Preventing preterm birth not only saves babies' lives and improves the future for them and their families, it can lessen the long-term toll such births take on our communities," said Ruth Ann Shepherd, M.D., FAAP, director, Adult & Child Health Improvement, Kentucky Department for Public Health. "We hope that Kentucky's experience with Healthy Babies Are Worth the Waitsm will one day help other states protect their most vulnerable populations so that together we can permanently reverse this trend."

Coordinated Efforts in Public and Professional Education

Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait sm takes a "bundled" approach to reducing the known risk factors for preterm birth during prenatal care and between pregnancies.

Education at multiple community levels, via myriad channels, will be critical to the partnership's ongoing efforts. To augment the relationships between expectant mothers and their health care providers, the local health departments serving intervention sites will be integral in reaching community members with information about the known risk factors for, and ways to prevent, preterm birth. Further, a tool kit will be available at www.prematurityprevention.org for use by community leaders ranging from social or civic organizations to houses of worship. Finally, ongoing professional education will be available for health care providers at intervention sites.

"Our experience has shown that resolving a public health issue as serious as preterm birth requires commitments from a community's individuals, influential groups and the public and private sectors," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "We hope that Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait sm inspires others to do all they can to make sure the babies in their families and communities are born full term if there are no medical problems for either mother or baby."

On-site planning and baseline data collection occurred at all three intervention sites during January and February of this year; implementation began in March and will continue through June 2009. Follow up and evaluation will continue through December 2009; interim reports on results will be made available. Successful outcomes from this model in reducing the rate of preventable singleton preterm births could be replicated in other regions of the country.

"Parents are often unaware about the serious consequences of preterm birth because medical technology is saving babies who once would not have survived. However, babies born even just a few weeks early who physically appear healthy are at risk," said Bonnie J. Petrauskas, a director of the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C. "Healthy Babies Are Worth the Waitsm will bring together parents, providers and communities in an environment that fosters understanding of preterm birth and what can be done to help babies get a healthy start in life."

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at www.nacersano.org

About the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C.

The Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C., is an education-based entity within Johnson & Johnson Corporate Contributions, which has a mission to make life-changing, long-term differences in human health by targeting, through community engagement, the world's major health-related issues. Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, L.L.C., partnerships focus on safe, healthy pregnancies and deliveries, and improved care for babies who might otherwise succumb to preventable conditions.

About the Kentucky Department for Public Health

The Department for Public Health is a part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Through its expansive services, Department for Public Health reaches thousands of Kentuckians each year by developing and operating all public health programs and activities for the citizens of Kentucky. These health service programs are aimed at prevention, detection, care and treatment of physical disabilities, illness and disease. More information about DPH can be found at www.chfs.ky.gov/dph

Positive interim Phase 2 Data reported for VEGF Trap-Eye in age-related macular degeneration

Bayer HealthCare AG and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced positive preliminary data from a pre-planned interim analysis of their Phase 2 randomized study of their VEGF Trap-Eye in patients with the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The VEGF Trap-Eye met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant reduction in retinal thickness after 12 weeks compared with baseline (all groups combined, decrease of 135 microns, p < 0.0001). Mean change from baseline in visual acuity, a key secondary endpoint of the study, also demonstrated statistically significant improvement (all groups combined, increase of 5.9 letters, p < 0.0001). Moreover, patients in the dose groups that received only a single dose, on average, demonstrated a decrease in excess retinal thickness (p < 0.0001) and an increase in visual acuity (p = 0.012) over 12 weeks. There were no drug-related serious adverse events, and treatment with the VEGF Trap-Eye was generally well-tolerated. The most common adverse events were those typically associated with intravitreal injections. Detailed data from this interim analysis will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this interim analysis and the findings support the potential of VEGF Trap-Eye to improve the lives of patients suffering from wet AMD, which accounts for 90% of AMD related blindness”, said Kemal Malik, M.D., Member of the Bayer HealthCare Executive Committee, responsible for Global Development. “These results encourage us in our plans to foster next steps in development and to further study VEGF Trap-Eye in additional eye diseases.“

"These data support our efforts to develop the VEGF Trap-Eye as a potent blocker of VEGF in various diseases,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President of Regeneron Research Laboratories. “Importantly, the VEGF Trap-Eye may offer the potential to improve vision in patients with wet AMD with dosing less frequently than every four weeks. Our Phase 3 program is being designed to test this possibility and further evaluate the safety and efficacy of various doses and dosing intervals of the VEGF Trap-Eye.”

Based on these results, Bayer HealthCare AG and Regeneron plan to initiate the VEGF Trap-Eye Phase 3 program in the second half of 2007. The companies are collaborating on the global development of the VEGF Trap-Eye for the treatment of wet AMD, diabetic eye diseases, and other eye diseases and disorders. Bayer HealthCare AG and Regeneron will jointly commercialize the VEGF Trap-Eye outside the United States and Regeneron maintains exclusive rights in the United States.

The Phase 2 study is a 12-week, multi-centre trial involving 150 patients who are randomized to 5 groups and treated with the VEGF Trap-Eye in one eye. Two groups received three doses of either 0.5 or 2.0 mg of VEGF Trap-Eye administered every four weeks, and three groups received a single dose of 0.5, 2.0, or 4.0 mg of VEGF Trap-Eye. Patients are monitored for safety, retinal thickness, and visual acuity over 12 weeks. Retinal thickness is determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans read at an independent reading centre. Visual acuity is defined as the total number of letters read correctly on the Early Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart. Maintenance of vision is defined as losing fewer than 3 lines (equivalent to 15 letters) on the ETDRS chart.

The interim analysis was conducted on the first 78 patients who completed 12 weeks of study. As summarized above, overall, patients had a statistically significant improvement in retinal thickness and visual acuity. All but one patient maintained or improved vision at 12 weeks. Although the improvement in visual acuity was numerically larger in patients receiving injections every four weeks, there were no statistically significant differences across the five dose groups in either retinal thickness or visual acuity at 12 weeks.

About the VEGF Trap-Eye
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a naturally occurring protein in the body whose normal role is to trigger formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) to support the growth of the body’s tissues and organs. It has also been associated with the abnormal growth and fragility of new blood vessels in the eye, which lead to the development of wet AMD. The VEGF Trap-Eye is a fully human, soluble VEGF receptor fusion protein that binds all forms of VEGF-A along with the related placental growth factor (PlGF). The VEGF Trap-Eye is a specific and highly potent blocker of these growth factors. Blockade of VEGF, which can prevent abnormal blood vessel formation and vascular leak, has proven beneficial in the treatment of wet AMD.

About AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of acquired blindness. Patients with condition can experience a loss of vision due to the development of abnormal, fragile blood vessels in the back of the eye. A particular type of AMD, called wet AMD, accounts for approximately 90% of AMD-related blindness. Wet AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 65 in the U.S. and Europe.

Macular degeneration is diagnosed as either dry (nonexudative) or wet (exudative). In wet AMD, new blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood and fluid. This leakage causes disruption and dysfunction of the retina creating blind spots in central vision and can account for blindness in wet AMD patients.

Bayer HealthCare
Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and intends to commercialize therapeutic medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron has therapeutic candidates for the potential treatment of cancer, eye diseases, and inflammatory diseases and has preclinical programs in other diseases and disorders.

Arrowhead To Form New Nanomedicine Subsidiary And Acquire Nanotherapeutics Company, C Sixty, Inc.

Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ARWR) announced today that it has formed a new wholly-owned subsidiary and has agreed to acquire the assets, as well as the name, of C Sixty, Inc. (C-60), a company pioneering the development of new drugs based on buckministerfullerenes (also known as fullerenes or buckyballs).

The new subsidary joins Arrowhead as its third focused on nanomedicine. Arrowhead operates two other majority owned subsidiaries commercializing nanotherapeutics. Calando Pharmaceuticals is a leading RNAi company specializing in the design and delivery of siRNA therapeutics. Insert Therapeutics is commercializing drug-delivery-enhanced small-molecule therapeutics and nucleic acids. Insert’s first anti-cancer drug candidate is in Phase I clinical trials.

“The future of medicine lies in targeted delivery of therapeutics through nanotechnology,” said R. Bruce Stewart, Arrowhead’s Chairman. “Our experience and expertise in this area makes C-60 a great strategic complement to our other majority owned subsidiaries.”

Fullerenes are a highly structured, water soluble, nanoscale form of carbon, similar to carbon nanotubes, discovered by Richard Smalley, who received the Nobel Prize for his work in this area. Roughly one nanometer in diameter, the molecules are composed of 60 carbon atoms and have the symmetry of soccer balls. The spherical shape, hollow interior, and 60 carbon atoms of the molecule allow drug designers the opportunity to attach therapeutic and targeting chemical groups in many configurations.

C Sixty, Inc. has secured and developed a strong patent position covering the strategic biomedical uses of fullerenes. Initially, C-60 will focus on the antioxidant activity of fullerenes. Arrowhead believes that drugs based on fullerene antioxidant molecules may have significant impact on several unsolved diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, atherosclerosis, complications from diabetes and protection of bone marrow cells from cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Solutions for any of these diseases could represent billion dollar annual market opportunities.



About Arrowhead Research Corporation

Arrowhead Research Corporation (www.arrowheadresearch.com ) is a publicly-traded nanotechnology company commercializing new technologies in the areas of life sciences, electronics, and energy. Arrowhead is building value for shareholders through the progress of majority owned subsidiaries founded on nanotechnologies originally developed at universities. The company works closely with universities to source early stage deals and to generate rights to intellectual property covering promising new nanotechnologies. Currently, Arrowhead has four subsidiaries commercializing nanotech products and applications, including anti-cancer drugs, RNAi therapeutics, carbon-based electronics and compound semiconductor materials.

Bayer deal with Novartis improves profit outlook for Betaseron franchise

Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, has purchased from Novartis a biologics manufacturing facility in Emeryville, California, which is currently used to produce Bayer Schering Pharma’s Betaseron® for patients in the United States. Bayer Schering Pharma will manufacture Betaseron® at the Emeryville site, retain full control of all manufacturing and process technology used in the production of Betaseron® and will continue to employ the facility’s employees.

Novartis will transfer manufacturing responsibility for Betaseron® (interferon beta-1b) including the Biologics License Application (BLA), by selling related equipment and property, as well as leasing certain buildings at the Emeryville site to Bayer Schering Pharma for a one-off payment of approximately USD 110 million. To assure a smooth transition and safeguard continuous product supply for patients, Novartis will assist Bayer Schering Pharma in assuming responsibility for Betaseron® manufacturing in Emeryville and will also help Bayer qualify another possible supplier of the product. In addition, Novartis will grant Bayer royalty-free licenses under all patents and know-how used by Novartis in relation to Betaseron®.

Bayer Schering Pharma will continue to pay Novartis royalties equivalent to those being paid currently on net sales of Betaseron® manufactured by Bayer at the Emeryville facilities until expiration of the original regulatory filing, development and supply agreement in October 2008. After this date, no more royalties will be due to Novartis on the sales of Betaseron®.

Bayer Schering Pharma will support Novartis in the regulatory filing process of a Novartis brand of interferon beta-1b. When approved by health authorities, Bayer Schering Pharma will supply this medicine to Novartis from 2009 forward and receive in return a double digit royalty payment from Novartis.

“Manufacturing knowledge is critical in this marketplace, and we are looking forward to having the employees at Emeryville join the Bayer Schering Pharma team” said Arthur Higgins, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer Schering Pharma AG. “In addition to improving the profitability of the Betaseron® franchise through this transaction we believe a second independent brand will reinforce the existing growth of the global MS market”.

Bayer Schering Pharma has pioneered the treatment of multiple sclerosis and is committed to expand the boundaries of MS treatment through lifecycle management of Betaseron® and the development of new treatment options. Betaseron® is the only high-dose, high-frequency interferon beta indicated for patients at the earliest stage of MS.

In 2006 prior to the close of the Novartis-Chiron transaction, Bayer Schering Pharma AG exercised its option to acquire all Betaseron®-related assets at the Emeryville site at fair market value. Since then, both sides have continued discussions about the transfer of the Betaseron® assets.

The agreement is subject to regulatory consent and resolves all outstanding legal actions between the parties regarding Betaseron®.

Further financial details were not disclosed.

About Betaseron® / Betaferon®
Betaseron®, which is marketed outside the U.S. and Canada under the trademark Betaferon®, was the first disease-modifying drug introduced for MS and is a well-established treatment around the world. Betaferon® is indicated for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis to reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations. Betaferon® has the broadest experience of any MS medication. In the U.S., Europe and Japan, the drug has been approved for all relapsing forms of MS. It is able to reduce the number of MS episodes by one-third, and the frequency of moderate to severe episodes by as much as 50 percent. Sixteen years’ follow up of people treated with Betaferon® has shown that it is safe and well tolerated.

Bayer HealthCare
Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.

Bayer Schering Pharma
Bayer Schering Pharma is a worldwide leading specialty pharmaceuticals company. Its research and business activities are focused on the following areas: Diagnostic Imaging, Hematology/Cardiology, Oncology, Primary Care, Specialized Therapeutics and Women's Healthcare. With innovative products, Bayer Schering Pharma aims for leading positions in specialized markets worldwide. Using new ideas, Bayer Schering Pharma aims to make a contribution to medical progress and strives to improve the quality of life.

Marketing Authorisation Application for Ambrisentan Validated by European Medicines Agency

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that GlaxoSmithKline's Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for ambrisentan for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was validated by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) following a review by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). Following the validation of an MAA, the dossier is distributed to members of the CHMP for formal review. As a result of this validation, Gilead will receive a milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline.

About Ambrisentan

Ambrisentan is a non-sulfonamide, propanoic acid-class, endothelin receptor antagonist that is selective for the endothelin type-A (ET(A)) receptor. Activation of the ET(A) receptor by endothelin, a small peptide hormone, leads to vasoconstriction and cell proliferation. PAH is associated with elevated endothelin blood levels. Ambrisentan has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of PAH in both the United States and European Union.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently accepted for filing and granted a Priority Review for Gilead's New Drug Application (NDA) for marketing approval of ambrisentan (5 mg and 10 mg) for the once-daily treatment of PAH. The FDA has established a target review date, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), of June 18, 2007.

As an investigational compound, ambrisentan has not yet been determined safe or efficacious in humans.

GlaxoSmithKline holds rights to commercialize ambrisentan in territories outside of the United States.

About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

PAH is a debilitating disease characterized by constriction of the blood vessels in the lungs leading to high pulmonary arterial pressures. These high pressures make it difficult for the heart to pump blood through the lungs to be oxygenated. Patients with PAH suffer from shortness of breath as the heart struggles to pump against these high pressures causing such patients to ultimately die of heart failure. PAH can occur with no known underlying cause, or it can occur secondary to diseases such as connective tissue disease, congenital heart defects, cirrhosis of the liver and HIV infection. PAH afflicts approximately 200,000 patients worldwide.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical need. The company's mission is to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases worldwide. Headquartered in Foster City, California, Gilead has operations in North America, Europe and Australia. For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company's website at www.gilead.com or call Gilead Public Affairs at 1-800-GILEAD-5 or 1-650-574-3000.

Abaxis Announces CLIA Waived Status for Two Additional Medical Test Panels

Abaxis, Inc. (Nasdaq: ABAX), a medical products company manufacturing point-of-care blood analysis systems, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted waived status under CLIA regulations for four additional analytes, Calcium (CA), Creatinine (CRE), Urea Nitrogen (BUN), and Uric Acid (UA), when used in conjunction with the Piccolo and Piccolo Xpress point-of-care analyzers for the medical market.

"In obtaining CLIA waivers on four additional analytes, we have achieved waived status on sixteen analytes, which represents 70% of the analytes we sell into the medical market. We can now provide the General Chemistry 13 panel, which is a comprehensive screening panel, the General Chemistry 6 panel, the Liver Panel Plus, the Lipids Panel and the Lipids Plus Panel, as CLIA waived test panels to the medical market.

"The FDA, through the waived status process, continues to validate our belief that any medical practice using our Piccolo, or our recently released Piccolo Xpress analyzers, can achieve the same results as the highly regulated, complex and expensive systems most commonly in use today," commented Clint Severson, chairman, president and CEO of Abaxis, Inc. "We are very pleased with the consistent progress we are making in completing a full complement of diagnostic tests that can dramatically increase the efficiency of the medical practices that utilize our technologies."

Dr. Dennis Bleile, director of assay performance and compliance for Abaxis, Inc. said, "Having a CLIA waived general health panel that permits simultaneous determination of 13 results from a single small sample is unique and a big step forward in demonstrating the feasibility of moving routine chemistry testing from the central laboratory to every physician's office."

About Abaxis, Inc.

Abaxis develops, manufactures and markets portable blood analysis systems for use in any patient-care setting to provide clinicians with rapid blood constituent measurements. The system consists of a compact, 6.9 kilogram, portable analyzer and a series of 8-cm diameter single-use plastic disks, called rotors or reagent discs that contain all the reagents necessary to perform a fixed menu of tests. The system can be operated with minimal training and perform multiple tests on whole blood, serum or plasma samples. The system provides test results in less than 14 minutes with the precision and accuracy equivalent to a clinical laboratory.

Eisai to Acquire Morphotek, Eisai's Dramatic Leap towards Biologic Therapeutics Evidenced by the Acquisition

Eisai Co., Ltd.　(Tokyo, "Eisai," President and CEO: Haruo Naito), Eisai Corporation of North America (Woodcliff Lake, NJ, "ECA," President: Hajime Shimizu) and Morphotek® Inc. (Exton, PA, "Morphotek," CEO: Nicholas Nicolaides) today announce that ECA has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Morphotek for US$325 million after excess net cash.

Morphotek develops therapeutic monoclonal antibodies through the use of proprietary human antibody technologies, including Human MORPHODOMA® and LibradomaTM. The company is leveraging these technologies to enrich its pipeline that already includes therapeutic antibody leads for the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and infectious disease. Two of its programs are currently in early stage clinical trials for the treatment of ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer, respectively, with several others in preclinical development.

Eisai currently has an extensive global oncology research program for discovering small molecule anti-cancer agents, and upon completion of the acquisition, will expand its capabilities into the biologic therapeutics field. With this unique and strategic antibody technology acquisition, Eisai can meet a variety of medical needs of cancer patients, through the development of therapeutic antibodies, small-molecule anti-cancer drugs, and potential combinations of both.

Mr. Naito said, "I sincerely respect Dr. Nicolaides' innovative and courageous endeavor in developing human monoclonal antibody therapeutics. He has made a tremendous contribution to that effort. By combining Morphotek's proprietary technologies and promising therapeutic antibodies with Eisai's existing research programs and infrastructure, we will be able to meet our goal of addressing the unmet medical needs of patients, especially cancer patients, all around the world. Morphotek's rich pipeline, unique and proprietary antibody generation technology platform, and highly skilled management and scientific team will become the core of our R&D efforts in biologics."

Dr. Nicolaides said, "Eisai's substantial intellectual and managerial resources will enable us to accelerate the development of our current therapeutic antibody pipeline as well as develop a number of additional clinical compounds to targets accessed from our broad network of research collaborations and to those discovered by Eisai researchers globally."

Dr. Ivor Royston, Chairman of Morphotek and Managing Partner of Forward Ventures added, "This is an excellent opportunity for Morphotek to join the Eisai organization and to further its founding mission of becoming a global leader in the development of innovative immunotherapies to treat serious diseases and to establish solutions for the health and well-being of people worldwide."

Upon completion of the transaction, Morphotek will become part of Eisai's growing global discovery and development research network, which is comprised of research laboratories in Japan, Europe and the U.S. The addition of Morphotek further extends Eisai's research presence in the U.S., which includes the Eisai Research Institute of Boston, Inc., a discovery operation based in Andover, Massachusetts, Eisai Medical Research Inc., for clinical development, located in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, and RTP laboratory for formulation research, North Carolina.

"Morphotek will enjoy its autonomy in Eisai's discovery network but I will encourage close collaboration among all Eisai R&D member companies. We very much look forward to welcoming Morphotek to the Eisai family of companies," Mr. Naito concluded.

This planned expansion of Eisai's discovery, research and clinical capabilities complements Eisai's establishment of its oncology sales and marketing operations in the U.S. under ECA. Aided in part through its recent acquisition of four oncology-related products from Ligand Pharmaceuticals in October 2006, which included the retention of key oncology personnel and expertise including a sales force, Eisai has developed its commercial oncology infrastructure and is well positioned to market new oncology products that originate from Eisai's research and discovery efforts or through future acquisition, co-promotion or in-licensing opportunities.

The Morphotek acquisition, which has been approved by the boards of directors of ECA and Morphotek, is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close sometime during Eisai's first fiscal quarter of 2007.

Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co., Ltd. and Montgomery & Co. LLC are acting as financial advisors and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as legal counsel to Eisai in this transaction.

Lehman Brothers Inc. is acting as financial advisor and Cozen O'Conner LLP is acting as legal counsel to Morphotek in this transaction.

About Eisai Co., Ltd.
Eisai Co., Ltd. is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three areas of therapeutic focus: Integrative neuroscience including neurology and psychiatric medicines; gastrointestinal disorders; and integrative oncology including oncotherapy and supportive-care treatments. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide health care system. Eisai employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and forecasts the group sales of ¥668 billion in FY2006. More than 50% of the group sales is derived from overseas business. For more information, visit www.eisai.co.jp

About Eisai Corporation of North America
Eisai Corporation of North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. and supports the activities of its operating companies in North America. These operating companies include: Eisai Research Institute of Boston, Inc., a discovery operation with strong organic chemistry capabilities; Eisai Medical Research Inc., for clinical development; Eisai Inc. for manufacturing and marketing/sales functions; and Eisai Machinery U.S.A. for marketing and maintenance of pharmaceutical manufacturing machinery.

About Morphotek
Morphotek®, which was founded in 2000 and is located in Exton, Pennsylvania, and employs 45 people, is a privately held biopharmaceutical company which discovers and develops monoclonal antibodies for oncology, inflammatory and infectious diseases through the use of a proprietary human antibody technology called Human MORPHODOMA®. The company has assembled a strong pipeline of lead products in the area of cancer, inflammation and infectious diseases. Morphotek's most advanced programs are MORAb-003, in Phase I/II for ovarian cancer, and MORAb-009, in Phase I for pancreatic cancer. There are several programs in preclinical stage moving towards IND filing. Its partners to date have included world-renowned research laboratories and leading biopharmaceutical companies. For further information, visit www.morphotek.com

ACUVUE Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of First Disposable Contact Lens With Launch Of New 1•DAY ACUVUE MOIST

Twenty years after revolutionizing the contact lens industry with the introduction of the first disposable soft contact lens, VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., today announced the U.S. launch of 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ Brand Contact Lenses with breakthrough LACREON™ technology.

LACREON™ technology employs a unique process that permanently embeds a water holding ingredient, similar to that found in natural tears, into the proven etafilcon A material of the 1•DAY ACUVUE® Brand. This technological advancement locks in moisture that lasts throughout the day, offering relief for the most frequently reported complaints of contact lens discomfort – dryness and end of day comfort. The new daily disposable lenses also eliminate the need for cleaning, disinfecting solutions and storage, and, compared to two-week lenses, may provide improved comfort for patients who experience mild discomfort and itching associated with allergies during contact lens wear.

"Two decades ago, with the introduction of ACUVUE®, it was immediately clear that a new, clean lens every week or every two weeks was a healthier paradigm," says Cristina Schnider, O.D., director, Medical Affairs, Vistakon. "Today, many eye care practitioners and consumers favor daily disposable contacts because of their health and convenience benefits."

Demonstrated Benefits for Eye Allergy Sufferers

Approximately two million allergy sufferers have eye allergies as their primary allergy, according to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America. For many of the nation's 38 million contact lens wearers, allergy season can bring tears, and more, to their eyes.

"Allergy sufferers who wear contact lenses that you use for two weeks or more may experience discomfort and symptoms such as ocular itching, tearing and redness when wearing their lenses, because allergens may build up on the lenses over time," explains Leonard Bielory, M.D., professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Ophthalmology, director, Division of Allergy/Immunology & Rheumatology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. "When worn on a daily disposable basis, 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ may provide improved comfort for many patients who experience mild discomfort and itching associated with allergies during contact lens wear, compared to lenses replaced at intervals of greater than two weeks."

Lenses Also Offer UV Protection

All ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses offer effective UV-blocking. 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ block approximately 82 percent of UV-A radiation and 97 percent of UV-B radiation† *. On average, contact lenses without UV blocking block approximately 10 percent of UV-A radiation and 30 percent of UV-B radiation.

Although UV-blocking contact lenses provide important added protection for patients, they should not be viewed as a stand-alone solution. "For more complete protection, UV-blocking contact lenses should always be worn in conjunction with high-quality UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat," says Dr.Schnider.

To receive a free trial pair certificate for 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ visit www.acuvue.com (Professional exam fees not included) and look for "Click-to-be-Contacted," a new online service that offers patients a quick, easy way to schedule an eye exam for contact lenses.

1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ is available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for individual patients. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop. To help avoid these problems, patients should follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens-care instructions provided by their eye doctor. Individuals should not wear lenses if they have an eye infection or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, they should contact their eye doctor immediately.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.

The VISTAKON division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., specializes in disposable contact lenses which it markets under such brand names as ACUVUE®, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ with HYDRACLEAR™, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM, ACUVUE® OASYS™ with HYDRACLEAR™ PLUS, ACUVUE® and ACUVUE® 2; 1•DAYACUVUE®; 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™; ACUVUE® BIFOCAL; ACUVUE® TORIC, and ACUVUE® 2 COLOURS™.

ACUVUE®, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™, HYDRACLEAR™, ACUVUE® OASYS™, ACUVUE® 2 COLOURS™, 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™, LACREON™ and VISTAKON® are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

† Helps protect against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye.

* WARNING: UV-absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV-absorbing eyewear such as UV-absorbing goggles or sunglasses because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area. You should continue to use UV-absorbing eyewear as directed. NOTE: Long term exposure to UV radiation is one of the risk factors associated with cataracts. Exposure is based on a number of factors such as environmental conditions (altitude, geography, cloud cover) and personal factors (extent and nature of outdoor activities). UV-Blocking contact lenses help provide protection against harmful UV radiation. However, clinical studies have not been done to demonstrate that wearing UV-Blocking contact lenses reduces the risk of developing cataracts or other eye disorders. Consult your eye care practitioner for more information.

U.S. District Court Grants Permanent Injunction Prohibiting Mylan From Marketing Generic Version Of TOPAMAX (topiramate)

A U.S. District Court has upheld the validity and enforceability of the TOPAMAX® (topiramate) patent, and today issued a permanent injunction against Mylan Laboratories, Inc. The injunction prohibits Mylan from selling generic topiramate tablets and capsules in the U.S. until the Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., compound patent on TOPAMAX® expires in 2008.

Mylan filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") to market topiramate before the expiration of the patent, claiming the patent was invalid. Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., filed a patent infringement complaint against Mylan in April 2004. A preliminary injunction against Mylan was granted on October 23, 2006.

The final ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark, NJ, directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change the effective date of Mylan's approvals to market its generic topiramate products to no earlier than September 26, 2008, the date of the TOPAMAX® compound patent expiration. Cobalt Pharmaceuticals, which Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., sued in October 2005, agreed to be bound by the outcome of the Mylan case.

TOPAMAX® is indicated as monotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy or for conversion to monotherapy in patients with epilepsy. It is also indicated as adjunctive therapy for adults and children (aged two and above) with partial onset seizures or generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and in adults and children as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox Gastaut syndrome. TOPAMAX® is indicated in adults for the prophylaxis of migraine headache. The usefulness in the acute treatment of migraine headache has not been studied.

Headquartered in Titusville, NJ, Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., focuses exclusively on providing solutions that improve neurological health. The company currently markets products for Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and acute and preventative migraine treatment. Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., in conjunction with internal and external research partners, continues to explore new opportunities to develop solutions for unmet healthcare needs in neurology.

TOPAMAX® Important Safety Information for Epilepsy

Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX® include lowered bicarbonate levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the blood (metabolic acidosis), and hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing) or fatigue. More severe symptoms of metabolic acidosis could include irregular heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase the risk for kidney stones or bone disease. Your doctor may want to do simple blood tests to measure bicarbonate levels.

Other serious risks include increased eye pressure (glaucoma), decreased sweating, increased body temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion and difficulty concentrating. Tell your doctor immediately if you have blurred vision or eye pain.

More common side effects in adults are nervousness, coordination problems, fatigue, speech problems, slowed thinking, memory difficulty, tingling in arms and legs and double vision; and in children, fatigue, loss of appetite, nervousness, memory difficulty, aggressive behavior and weight loss.

As monotherapy, the most common side effects of TOPAMAX® (in the 400 mg/day group and at a rate higher than the 50 mg/day group) in adults were tingling in arms and legs, weight decrease, sleepiness, loss of appetite, dizziness and difficulty with memory; and in children, weight decrease, upper respiratory tract infection, tingling in arms and legs, loss of appetite, diarrhea and mood problems.

In combination with other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), the most common side effects of TOPAMAX® in adults (200 to 400 mg/day) were sleepiness, dizziness, nervousness, loss of muscle coordination, fatigue, speech disorders and related problems, psychomotor slowing, abnormal vision, difficulty with memory, tingling in arms and legs and double vision; and in children (5 to 9 mg/kg/day), fatigue, sleepiness, loss of appetite, nervousness, difficulty with concentration/attention, difficulty with memory, aggressive reaction and weight decrease.

Tell your doctor about other medications you take.

Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information at www.TOPAMAX-epilepsy.com

TOPAMAX® Important Safety Information for Migraine

Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX® include lowered bicarbonate levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the blood (metabolic acidosis), and hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing) or fatigue. More severe symptoms of metabolic acidosis could include irregular heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase the risk for kidney stones or bone disease. Your doctor may want to do simple blood tests to measure bicarbonate levels.

Other serious risks include increased eye pressure (glaucoma), decreased sweating, increased body temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion and difficulty concentrating. Tell your doctor immediately if you have blurred vision or eye pain.

More common side effects are tingling in arms and legs, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, taste change and weight loss.

Tell your doctor about other medications you take.

Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information at www.TOPAMAX.com or call 1-888-526-7736.

Arrowhead Subsidiary, Unidym, To Merge With Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Arrowhead Research Corporation (NASDAQ: ARWR) announced today that its majority-owned subsidiary, Unidym, Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (“CNI”). The transaction is expected to close in early April. The combined company, which will operate under the Unidym name, will have the dominant portfolio of carbon nanotube-related patents and be positioned as a leader in bringing carbon nanotube-based products to market.

“CNI is the largest manufacturer of carbon nanotubes in the world and has hundreds of customers, in addition to partnerships and licensing arrangements with companies like Motorola, Sumitomo, IBM, DuPont, and Johnson Matthey,” said R. Bruce Stewart, Arrowhead’s Chairman. “We believe this deal is transformational for the industry and will enable more rapid commercialization of products incorporating nanotubes since so much of the intellectual property can now be licensed from one company.”

CNI was founded in 2000 by the late Rice University professor Richard Smalley who received the Nobel Prize for his work in carbon nanotubes. His pioneering work led to a suite of patents that covers technologies being used today to develop nanotube-based products. CNI has more than 100 patents (including 54 issued U.S. patents) and patent applications covering compositions of matter, methods of manufacturing, processing and products incorporating carbon nanotubes, with over 5000 claims in various stages of prosecution.

“We chose Unidym as our partner because Unidym has the most advanced carbon nanotube-based electronic products with billion dollar market potential, as well as an impressive carbon nanotube patent portfolio of its own,” said Bob Gower, CEO of Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

Unidym, founded by distinguished UCLA professor Dr. George Gruner, is developing carbon nanotube-based products for the electronics industry. The company’s first product is a transparent electrode that is intended to replace the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes in products such as flat-panel displays used in televisions, laptop computers, mobile phones and touch screens, solar cells, and solid state lighting. The total existing market for this product is approximately $1 billion. Unidym has already provided samples to potential customers in each of its target industries. Unidym’s second product is a carbon nanotube-based thin film transistor (TFT) intended for the emerging flexible (also known as printable) electronics industry.

“Unidym now has critical mass,” stated Sean Olson, President of Unidym. “Unidym will use its expansive patent portfolio to protect its first three products – transparent electrodes, fuel cell electrodes, and thin film transistors – and to immediately pursue licensing opportunities for a range of other nanotube-based products such as targeted therapeutics, medical devices, field emission displays, batteries, sporting goods and composite materials.”

Upon closing, Arrowhead will retain majority-ownership of Unidym. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, all outstanding shares of capital stock of CNI will be converted into shares of Series A Preferred Stock of Unidym. In connection with the merger, Arrowhead will exchange $5.4 million worth of Arrowhead common stock for Series E preferred stock in CNI prior to the closing of the merger. In addition, Arrowhead is transferring to Unidym the rights and obligations of its research agreement with Duke University and the University of Florida and Arrowhead will accelerate $4 million of future capital contributions to Unidym on the closing date.



About Arrowhead Research Corporation

Arrowhead Research Corporation (www.arrowheadresearch.com ) is a publicly-traded nanotechnology company commercializing new technologies in the areas of life sciences, electronics, and energy. Arrowhead is building value for shareholders through the progress of majority owned subsidiaries founded on nanotechnologies originally developed at universities. The company works closely with universities to source early stage deals and to generate rights to intellectual property covering promising new nanotechnologies. Currently, Arrowhead has four subsidiaries commercializing nanotech products and applications, including anti-cancer drugs, RNAi therapeutics, carbon-based electronics and compound semiconductor materials.

About Unidym

Unidym, Inc. is developing low-cost, carbon-based materials, processes, and devices for the electronics industry. The Company’s initial product is a thin, transparent film of carbon nanotubes that replaces the expensive, failure-prone materials currently employed by manufacturers of devices such as touch screens, flat panel displays, and solid state lighting. Unidym is also developing novel carbon nanotube-based transistors and conductive inks for the printable electronics industry to replace today’s complex and capital intensive semiconductor manufacturing processes with inexpensive, solution-based printing processes. Unidym differentiates itself through its emphasis on low-cost materials and processes, in-house carbon nanotube production, aggressive partnership strategy, and significant intellectual property portfolio that includes foundational IP in both of its initial applications.

About Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc.

CNI has more than 100 patents and patent applications with a total of about 5000 claims in various stages of prosecution. The portfolio of 100 patents and applications includes about 850 composition of matter claims. CNI has several pilot plants to produce single-wall and other small-diameter carbon nanotubes in operation at its location in west Houston.

Medtronic Announces Strategic Agreement with Osteogenix, Incorporated

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced it has entered into a development agreement with OsteoGenix Incorporated, a privately-held orthobiologic pharmaceutical company based in California. The agreement will enable OsteoGenix to complete preclinical work on its proprietary bone anabolic agent and advance this program through clinical trials. The agreement will give Medtronic an additional source of bone growth therapies for surgeons whose patients require bone grafting options.

“We welcome the agreement announced today,” said Pete Wehrly, senior vice president and president of the Spinal and Navigation businesses at Medtronic. “We see Osteogenix as bringing a new option to patients and one that will nicely compliment our existing industry-leading bone growth therapies.”

“Working with Medtronic is a wonderful opportunity for us to complete our clinical trials and get this innovative product to patients who need options when it comes to accelerating bone growth,” said Teddy Shalon, founder and CEO of OsteoGenix. This agreement represents an endorsement of the science and team we assembled to take this technology to the clinic.”

About the Spinal Business at Medtronic
The Spinal business, based in Memphis, Tenn., is the global leader in today’s spine market and is committed to advancing the treatment of spinal conditions. Medtronic’s Spinal business collaborates with world-renowned surgeons, researchers and innovative partners to offer state-of-the-art products and technologies for neurological, orthopedic and spinal conditions. Medtronic is committed to developing affordable, minimally invasive procedures that provide lifestyle friendly surgical therapies. More information about the company and its spinal treatments can be found at www.medtronicspinal.com and its patient-education Web sites, www.back.com , www.iscoliosis.com, www.maturespine.com and www.necksurgery.com

About Osteogenix
Osteogenix is a therapeutic products company with novel products for the large and rapidly growing area of accelerating bone repair and bone growth. Osteogenix was founded in 2005 and incubated by Shalon Ventures to clinically develop and commercialize the osteo-pharmacologic platform discovered and patented by Dr. Greg Mundy and his associates. Greg Mundy MD, CSO, is a Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, Orthopaedics, Cancer Biology at Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology. Osteogenix has assembled an outstanding team of expert advisors, many of whom have been principal investigators in key orthobiologics trials as well as research.

About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com ), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

Medtronic Commences Clinical Trial of Innovative Delivery Technology for Heart Failure Patients with Implanted Cardiac Resynchronization Devices

Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced the first clinical implants in the United States of the Medtronic Attain Ability™ over-the-wire lead (Model 4196), a dual-electrode left ventricular (LV) lead for use in heart failure patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. These implantable devices are used to resynchronize the heart’s ventricles to help pump blood more effectively through the body.

Placing a lead in the LV is widely recognized by physicians as the most challenging aspect of implanting CRT devices. Anatomic challenges can make it difficult to access and work within the coronary sinus to place a lead in the desired vein of the LV. The Attain Ability lead is specially designed for optimal tracking over a guide wire, which is intended to allow physicians greater ability to deliver the left heart lead in difficult to access veins.

Once implanted in the LV, two electrodes located at the tip of the lead provide physicians with options to tailor delivery of stimulation for each patient. When approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Attain Ability lead will be the smallest LV lead in the U.S. market.

The clinical trial will involve up to 200 patients at 25 centers in the U.S. and Canada to determine the safety and efficacy of the Attain Ability lead. First implants in the U.S. were conducted by Dr. Brian Ramza, director of Electrophysiology Laboratory Services at the Mid-America Heart Institute, Saint Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City, MO, and principal investigator of the trial. First implants in Canada were conducted by Dr. Derek Exner, associate professor, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta.

“The technological advancements found in the Attain Ability lead is designed to provide us with improved ways of reaching and appropriately stimulating the left ventricle, and hopefully providing better therapy to heart failure patients with implanted cardiac resynchronization therapy devices,” said Dr. Ramza, principal investigator of the trial.

Commenting on the clinical trial and the first patient to receive the Attain Ability lead in Canada, Dr. Exner said, “our initial experience with this lead has been positive. It provided additional flexibility, allowing placement in a wider range of vein sizes to better target left ventricle lead placement and will potentially result in better patient outcomes.”

About The Attain Ability Lead
The Attain Ability lead features a unique insulation material, licensed by Medtronic from NASA, which enables the addition of the lead’s two electrodes while maintaining a small lead circumference. This material has been evaluated for space applications, high-performance engines and caustic environments; the Attain Ability lead marks the first time this material has been used in a medical device.

About Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
CRT resynchronizes the contractions of the heart’s ventricles by sending tiny electrical impulses to the heart muscle, which can help the heart pump blood throughout the body more efficiently. CRT defibrillators (CRT-D) also incorporate additional lifesaving therapy to quickly terminate an abnormally fast, life-threatening heart rhythm. CRT and CRT-D have become increasingly important therapeutic options for patients with moderate and severe heart failure since Medtronic first began clinical evaluation of its CRT systems in 1997.

About Heart Failure
Heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition that affects more than five million Americans and more than 22 million worldwide. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is unable to pump effectively to meet the body’s need for blood and oxygen. In the late stages of heart failure, the heart cannot keep up with the body’s demand for oxygen-rich blood and its ability to pump blood significantly deteriorates, creating a backup of blood flowing into the heart. This extra blood pools in the pulmonary veins and causes fluid to build in the lungs and other tissues. Additionally, when the heart is not pumping properly, even mild activity can cause shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Cardiac resynchronization therapy is designed to coordinate the contraction of the heart’s two lower chambers and improve the heart’s efficiency to increase blood flow to the body.