NitroMed, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTMD)
Industry: Healthcare
Nitromed, Inc., incorporated in 1992, is a pharmaceutical company engaged in nitric oxide-based drug development. Nitric oxide is a naturally occurring compound that is synthesized in cells to regulate a range of cellular reactions. Many disease states are associated with a deficiency in nitric oxide and might benefit from nitric oxide-enhancing medicines. The Company is developing nitric oxide-based products, and is building on its BiDil development experience and commercialization infrastructure to identify and market additional products for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Nitromed is also applying its nitric oxide technology to develop additional novel pharmaceuticals, as well as versions of existing drugs, to target diseases that are characterized by a deficiency in nitric oxide and to treat underserved patient populations. In June 2005, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Company's first commercial product, BiDil, for the treatment of heart failure in self-identified black patients as an adjunct to current standard therapies. BiDil is an orally administered fixed-dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine hydrochloride. In July 2005, Nitromed launched BiDil with 195 sales territories that were estimated to account for 90% of African American patients with heart failure. The Company markets BiDil primarily to cardiologists and primary care physicians who treat African Americans with heart failure. Nitromed has an agreement with Publicis Selling Solutions pursuant to which, on the Company's behalf, Publicis has employed and trained a cardiovascular specialty sales force consisting of 144 sales representatives to sell BiDil to its target prescriber markets. Nitromed has also engaged Schwarz Pharma Manufacturing Inc. under a five-year exclusive manufacturing and supply agreement for the three times daily immediate release dosage formulation of BiDil. The formulation of BiDil is an immediate-release tablet that must be taken three times daily. The Company is pursuing the development of an extended release formulation of BiDil (BiDil XR) that could be taken either once or twice a day, depending on the particular formulation it pursues. BiDil XR could enhance the BiDil market by facilitating greater compliance by patients with their medications schedule, an issue that is more pronounced in a patient population already on a substantial number of concomitant medications. Nitromed is also engaging in research and development efforts to develop BiDil Combination products, which would combine BiDil with existing, marketed medicines, such as ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, or aldosterone receptor blockers. Nitric Oxide Enhancing Medicines for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease The Company is utilizing its nitric oxide expertise to develop product candidates for a variety of additional medical conditions. As part of this effort, Nitrome announced that it expects to file an Investigational New Drug Application (INDA) for NMI 3377, a nitric oxide-enhancing cardiovascular agent during 2006. The Company has retained all development rights to this product candidate. Nitromed has initiated several new and novel cardiovascular drug discovery programs based on the therapeutic potential of nitric oxide-enhancing drugs in the treatment of diseases associated with Endothelial Dysfunction. Endothelial Dysfunction is recognized as one of the common denominators underlying many cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension and metabolic syndrome. These are the classes of nitric oxide-enhancing cardiovascular medicines where the Company has created, or is seeking to create, intellectual property rights: Nitric Oxide-Enhancing Angiotensin Receptor Blockers for hypertension; Nitric Oxide-Enhancing Beta Blockers for hypertension and heart failure; Nitric Oxide-Enhancing Diuretics for hypertension, heart failure and edema; Nitric Oxide-Enhancing Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors for hypertension; Nitric Ox
As Of: 10/07 00:00 ET
*Quotes delayed by 20min.
BuyIns.Net Alerts for Symbol NTMD
- No BuyIns.Net Alerts Available for NTMD
Graphs for NTMD
3 Month Graph
6 Month Graph
1 Year Graph
