Increased Drug Related Cardiac Toxicity Leads Gwathmey Preclinical Testing Services to Create Novel Cardionomics(TM) Services for Preclinical Cardiac Safety Screening of Drug ...( CAMBRIDGE Mass. May 8 /- In respo...)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to ever increasing cardiac toxicity found in market drugs, Gwathmey Preclinical Testing Services, Inc. today announced the launch of new Cardionomics(TM) services and the formation of its Cardionomics(TM) Advisory Board to provide new methods and technologies to improve cardiac safety of drug candidates.

Cardiac toxicity has played a major role in shutting down the sales of major drugs over the past 30 years. It is estimated that 28 percent of major drugs had to be withdrawn in that period due to cardiac side effects. When major drugs have to be withdrawn, the financial and safety consequences for the global pharmaceutical industry can be huge in terms of patient related morbidity and mortality, lost revenue and large-scale legal actions.

"Breakthroughs in the basic understanding of cardiovascular biology combined with powerful new large throughput biotechnological tools have provided the foundation for new, rational, and technologically sophisticated screening methods in cardiovascular therapeutics. Cardionomics takes advantage of these new methodologies with its internal cardiovascular technology and its network of cardiovascular leaders," said Roger J. Hajjar, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Director Cardiovascular Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Hajjar will be speaking about innovative approaches to preventing cardiac toxicity in new drugs at the World Pharmaceutical Congress in Philadelphia on May 12, 2008 when he gives a presentation entitled: "Evaluation of Cardiotoxicity of Novel Molecular Therapies."

"The topic of cardiac safety of new drugs is one that has long been a priority for pharmaceutical companies. Cardiac drug safety has taken on additional urgency in recent years. Gwathmey Preclinical Testing Services, Inc. has developed its new suite of Cardionomics(TM) Services to help answer a growing need among drug makers for skilled, specialized, and immediatel
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