Synvista Therapeutics Reports Results of Three Phase 2 Clinical Trials of SYI-2074 in Diabetic Patients with Cardiovascul...( Company to Continue Focus on Pipel...),Health

Company to Continue Focus on Pipeline and Haptoglobin Diagnostic Assay

MONTVALE, N.J., June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Synvista Therapeutics, Inc. (Amex: SYI) today announced data from three Phase 2 trials (Trials 201a, 201 and 203) of SYI-2074 in Type 2 diabetic patients. Trial 201a established that haptoglobin (Hp) types, the target of Synvista's proprietary haptoglobin variant test currently under development, correlated with a difference in baseline levels of plasma isoprostanes, confirming that Hp2-2 in diabetic patients is associated with increased oxidized lipids. The mean F2a isoprostane level in Hp2-2 diabetic patients was 632 ng/mg Cr and in Hp1-1 diabetic patients was 453 ng/mg Cr (p=0.001). Trial 201 showed that SYI-2074, in Hp2-2 diabetic patients, did not demonstrate a dose-related improvement in all oxidized lipids and all markers of oxidative stress after one month. In Trial 203, SYI-2074 did not provide evidence of protection against cardiac injury in diabetic patients who were undergoing angioplasty. The Company has therefore decided not to advance the development of SYI-2074 as a treatment for acute coronary syndrome, while it continues to review and analyze the results of these studies.

These Phase 2 results do not impact the Company's plans to test a topical formulation of SYI-2074 in plaque psoriasis. Synvista expects to begin enrollment of patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis in a Phase 2 trial in the third quarter of 2008, as originally planned. The Company is continuing to evaluate a series of back-up compounds to SYI-2074 in preclinical studies, on the basis of some of the signals in these trials. The Company hopes to provide an update on this program during the third quarter of 2008.