Collateral likes the angiogenesis treadmill

Although Chiron Corp. may have concluded that treadmill exercise time might not be the best end point for testing angiogenesis compounds in cardiovascular conditions, Collateral Therapeutics Inc. believes that the treadmill has successfully pointed it toward pivotal studies of its gene therapy for angina.

CHIR's fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) recently failed to show significant impact on exercise time in a Phase II study in angina. The company (Emeryville, Calif.) suggested that a high placebo effect, plus the ability of patients to stop exercising for reasons other than angina, had shown the exercise measure needs to be rethought as an end point (see BioCentury, March 20)...