VIA Pharmaceuticals Announces Updated DSMB Safety Results for VIA-2291 Ongoing Phase 2 Clinic...( SAN FRANCISCO April 4 2008 /- VIA...),Health

SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VIA Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VIAP), a biotechnology company focused on the development of compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, announced today that the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for its VIA-2291 Phase 2 clinical trial program recently met to review patient safety for its current Phase 2 studies. The DSMB observed a continued acceptable safety profile of VIA-2291 and recommended VIA continue its ongoing trials as planned.

"We are encouraged by the continued positive safety profile of VIA-2291 as we enroll more patients in our Phase 2 clinical program," said Adeoye Olukotun, M.D., chief medical officer for VIA Pharmaceuticals. "We believe that a drug that reduces inflammation, an underlying cause of atherosclerosis and complications including heart attack and stroke, would help to address a significant unmet medical need."

VIA recently announced enrollment completion of its Phase 2 carotid endarterectomy (CEA) trial and expects to present top-line results in the third quarter of 2008. Enrollment is also nearing completion for the company's acute coronary syndrome (ACS) Phase 2 trial and data is expected to follow soon after the CEA data. Patient enrollment continues in the FDG-PET study, the company's third Phase 2 clinical trial.

"With the recent completion of our CEA trial enrollment, and this positive DSMB recommendation, we continue to make significant progress with our Phase 2 clinical program, and remain on track to deliver our first proof of concept data later this year," said Lawrence K. Cohen, Ph.D., chief executive officer of VIA Pharmaceuticals.

About VIA-2291

VIA-2291 is a selective and reversible inh
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