23rd Apr 2007 07:03
AstraZeneca PLC23 April 2007 AstraZeneca announces decision to discontinue collaboration with AtheroGenicsregarding AGI-1067 AstraZeneca today announced that it has decided to terminate the License andCollaboration Agreement with AtheroGenics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGIX), regardingAGI-1067. AGI-1067, an investigational anti-atherosclerotic agent, was studied in theARISE (Aggressive Reduction of Inflammation Stops Events) phase III clinicaloutcomes trial in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The initialresults from ARISE were announced by AtheroGenics on 19 March 2007 and presentedat the American College of Cardiology on 27 March 2007. The decision to terminate the collaboration was reached following a fullanalysis of the AGI-1067 product profile in the context of the terms andconditions of the License and Collaboration agreement. Provisions for the impairment of intangible assets and associated close downcosts of $83m to be taken in 1Q 2007. The ARISE study ARISE was a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled study which involvedmore than 6,000 patients with coronary artery disease from over 250 centres inCanada, South Africa, the UK and the US. The study was designed to evaluate theadditional benefits of adding AGI-1067 to current standard of care therapies, onseveral outcomes due to coronary vascular events such as death, heart attack,stroke, revascularisation and hospital admission for unstable angina. AstraZeneca AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in theresearch, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticalsand the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leadingpharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $26.47 billion and leadingpositions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience,respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the DowJones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4 Good Index. -Ends- 23 April 2007 Media enquiries:Patricia O'Connor, Tel: +46 708 46 76 33 Edel McCaffrey, Tel: +44 (0) 207 304 5034Steve Brown, Tel: +44 (0) 207 304 5033 Investor Relations:Mina Blair, Tel: +44 (0) 207 304 5084Jonathan Hunt, Tel: +44 (0) 207 304 5087Karl Hard, Tel: +44 (0)207 304 5322Jorgen Winroth, Tel: +1 (212) 579 0506Ed Seage, Tel: +1 302 886 4065 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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