Futura sees positive results from angina study
Futura Medical has seen positive initial results following the completion of its most recent clinical trial on angina patients taking regular oral nitrates.
Futura Medical has seen positive initial results following the completion of its most recent clinical trial on angina patients taking regular oral nitrates.
Fourteen patients with mild angina, low cardiovascular risk and moderate to severe erectile dysfunction (ED) completed a pilot study at St Jean's Hospital in Brussels, during which they received test doses of MED2001, Futura's rub-on cream for treating ED.
The product was found to be safe and well tolerated with no clinically significant changes in blood pressure. Pending regulatory and ethical clearance, the results should enable Futura to include a group of angina patients suffering from ED in the MED2001 Phase III study scheduled to commence in late 2004. It is currently estimated that between 5% and 10% of angina sufferers also experience ED. For safety reasons, medication normally used to treat angina prohibits this significant group of ED patients from using any of the current oral ED treatments (e.g. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra).
James Barder, chief executive of Futura, said: 'We are pleased that we will be able to include a group of angina patients within our planned Phase III trial later this year. Current medical research suggests that up to 3.5m ED patients suffer from angina within Europe alone. To have the potential to offer an ethical ED treatment for some of these patients represents a significant commercial opportunity.'