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Synvista Announces New Data Showing Haptoglobin Type Predicts Effectiveness of Tight Glycemic Control on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Diabetes

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 November 2007, 09:00 CST

MONTVALE, N.J., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synvista Therapeutics, Inc. announced results from a study demonstrating the important role of Haptoglobin (Hp) typing in determining the risk of cardiovascular complications in patients with diabetes. Presented today at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2007, the data show that tight glycemic control in patients with diabetes appears most effective in reducing cardiovascular events in patients who possess the Hp2-2 phenotype.

"This study provides, for the first time, strong prospective evidence that tight glucose monitoring and control can dramatically benefit certain identifiable patients with diabetes," said Noah Berkowitz, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Synvista. "While it is widely accepted that tight glycemic control can limit microvascular disease like retinopathy in patients with diabetes, the potential benefits of such control on macrovascular disease have been less clear. This large, prospective evaluation of Hp typing, for which Synvista is developing a clinical diagnostic test, demonstrates how 40% of diabetic patients can achieve significant cardiovascular benefit from tight glycemic control. We believe the findings of this study further validate our approach to target the treatment of heart disease in diabetic patients by using Hp testing for patient risk stratification, as we advance our lead product candidates, ALT-2074 and alagebrium, through clinical development."

In a presentation titled "Tight Diabetic Glycemic Control Reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Only in Individuals With the Hp2-2 Genotype," Shany Blum, M.D., of the Rappaport Institute of the Technion University, Haifa, Israel, reported the results of a prospective population-based study of more than 3,000 individuals age 55 or older with diabetes mellitus, who were tested for Hp type and followed for two years in a registry. It was observed that Hp2-2 was associated with a highly significant increase in incidence of non- fatal-myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death and that only patients with the Hp2-2 genotype (as compared to patients with genotypes Hp1-2 or Hp1-1) were shown to have a significant decrease in major cardiovascular events if their HbA1c was maintained below 7.0, the generally recommended target for tight glycemic control.

The study concluded that to optimize healthcare resource utilization, cardiovascular risk factor modification in individuals with diabetes mellitus should be focused on those patients exhibiting the Hp2-2 genotype (40% of the population). Synvista is developing a diagnostic kit for the detection of Hp type. Until that kit has completed development and becomes available for marketing, physicians or patients may order Hp genotyping from ARUP Laboratories, a Synvista licensee in Salt Lake City, Utah.

About Synvista Therapeutics

Synvista Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule drugs to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease and to treat nephropathy in people with diabetes. The Company has identified several product candidates that it believes represent novel approaches to some of the largest pharmaceutical markets. The Company's portfolio includes orally bioavailable, organoselenium mimics of glutathione peroxidase. These compounds metabolize lipid peroxides and have the potential to limit myocardial damage subsequent to a myocardial infarction. The Company is developing a clinical diagnostic test, based on cardiovascular risk assessment, using Haptoglobin characterization, to identify patients at high risk for cardiovascular complications of diabetes.

Synvista Therapeutics also is developing alagebrium, a proposed breaker of AGEs for the treatment of diastolic heart failure. This disease represents a rapidly growing market of unmet medical need, particularly common among diabetic patients. Alagebrium has demonstrated relevant clinical activity in two Phase 2 clinical trials in heart failure, as well as in animal models of heart failure and nephropathy, among others. Alagebrium has been tested in approximately 1,000 patients in multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, allowing Synvista Therapeutics to assemble a sizeable human safety database. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.synvista.com/.

Any statements contained in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks associated with the events described in this press release, future clinical development of Synvista Therapeutics' product candidates, and other risks identified in Synvista Therapeutics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Further information on risks faced by Synvista are detailed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Synvista Therapeutics' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. These filings are available on a website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov/. The information contained in this press release is accurate as of the date indicated. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. Synvista Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward- looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Synvista Therapeutics, Inc.

CONTACT: Synvista Therapeutics, Inc., +1-201-934-5000, ir@alteon.com;Investor Relations, Emmanuelle Ferrer, eferrer@lhai.com, or Kim SuttonGolodetz, kgolodetz@lhai.com, both of Lippert, Heilshorn & Associates,+1-212-838-3777

Web site: http://www.synvista.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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