A diamond less rough
Preliminary results of Alteon Inc.'s Phase IIa DIAMOND trial in diastolic heart failure gave fresh hints last week that the company's ALT-711 advanced glycosylation end product (AGE) crosslink breaker could provide a novel mechanism for treating heart disease. While the data provide only a little help in reading the tea leaves about the company's next trials - which are due to report data mid-year - they are consistent with results of an earlier Phase IIa trial and with data from multiple animal models.
In the on-going open label DIAMOND (Distensibility Improvement and Remodeling in Diastolic Heart Failure) trial, patients had increased left ventricular mass as well as signs and symptoms of DHF. The condition is characterized by the inability of the heart to relax properly and fill with blood, due to stiffening of the heart and subsequent impaired relaxation of the left ventricle...