THERAPEUTIC FOCUS

CARDIOVASCULAR

Cardiovascular (CHD)

Cardiovascular disease encompasses many different diseases with patients often suffering from multiple conditions. The most prevalent type is hypertension, or high blood pressure, with 85% of U.S. CHD patients suffering from this condition. Over 50% of U.S. CHD patients have dyslipidemia, including elevated blood cholesterol levels.

It is estimated that total U.S. pharmaceutical sales in the cardiovascular segment in 2006 were approximately $43.7 billion. The dyslipidemia market, excluding statins, was estimated at approximately $2.2 billion in 2006, representing a compound annual growth rate of 31% since 2002. The major driver of this growth is believed to be an overall broadening of dyslipidemia treatment beyond reduction in Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

About Dyslipidemia

Dyslipidemia may be manifested by:
• high levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol,
• high levels of triglycerides and
• low levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the blood.

About metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors in one person. They include:
• insulin resistance or glucose intolerance
• dyslipidemia
• elevated blood pressure
• obesity

People with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk of coronary heart disease and other vascular disease (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in the United States. It is estimated that over 50 million Americans have metabolic syndrome.