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Reader's Digest Article Calls CVBT's Protein Treatment a 'Gleam of Hope' for Patients With Severe Coronary Heart Disease

Posted on: Wednesday, 9 January 2008, 09:00 CST

CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB: CVBT) is pleased to announce that its breakthrough angiogenesis therapy has been featured in the February 2008 issue of "Reader's Digest." The article, titled, "Heart Hope" by Lisa Collier Cool, refers to CVBT's therapy as a "new lease on life" for patients suffering from severe coronary heart disease who do not have any other viable treatment options. Patients such as those featured in the Reader's Digest article could benefit from this innovative treatment where conventional methods have failed them. Angiogenesis refers to the growth of new blood vessels that may help those suffering from coronary heart disease by increasing blood flow to the affected tissue.

Jim Blevins and Gail Keller, both patients of Dr. Lynne Wagoner, were what some refer to as "no option patients" for whom all of the "conventional treatments had been exhausted." Dr. Wagoner was the principal investigator in CVBT's completed Phase I Coronary Heart Disease trial. She learned of CVBT's new procedure in which its drug, containing the active protein fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1), was injected into the heart thereby stimulating angiogenesis. In the article, Thomas J. Stegmann, MD, co-founder, co-president, and chief medical officer of CVBT explains, "the protein is like a seed that causes new vessels to sprout, creating a network of capillaries and small arteries." Once admitted into the trial, Gail Keller felt "thrilled and elated to finally have hope." In the article Gail continued, "I had nothing to lose, because the quality of my life was so bad." Before participating in the trial, Jim Blevins had been "dreading the future thinking that I'd go into heart failure again and only have a few years left." Jim continued, "within a few months of being treated, my energy was up at least 50 percent." Both Jim and Gail had successful outcomes from the Phase I trial and have been able to get back to activities that were once thought to be lost to them forever such as golf, biking and gardening.

Improving the quality of life for these patients through improvement of myocardial blood supply is CVBT's main objective. "We are pleased about being highlighted by 'Reader's Digest' for our intensive work in the field of angiogenesis therapy," said Dr. Stegmann. "Our goal is to provide a viable treatment that gives heart disease patients hope and can return them to the quality of life they once enjoyed."

The Phase II study will utilize an injection catheter to deliver the drug to ischemic regions in the heart wall without surgery. It is less invasive than the surgical delivery of the drug used in the Phase I trial. The Phase II trial will also permit the comparison of the benefits of CVBT's drug candidate with the requirement of a placebo control group. CardioVascular BioTherapeutics is expected to begin its Phase II clinical trial of its drug candidate CVBT-141H for the treatment of severe coronary heart disease in the coming months. For more details please visit www.cvbt.com.

About CardioVascular BioTherapeutics

CVBT is a biopharmaceutical company developing drug candidates with FGF-1 as its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for diseases characterized by inadequate blood flow to a tissue or organ. The company has FDA-authorization for a Phase II trial to treat severe Coronary Heart Disease (CVBT-141H) and a Phase I trial to treat Peripheral Arterial Disease (CVBT-141C). A Phase Ib or Phase II trial to treat dermal wound healing in diabetics (CVBT-141B) is planned to begin in 2008.

Source: Business Wire

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