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OVERVIEW
Generx, Cardium’s lead product candidate, is being developed for the potential treatment of myocardial ischemia (insufficient blood flow within the heart muscle) that gives rise to angina symptoms associated with coronary heart disease. Generx represents a new therapeutic class of cardiovascular biologics designed to leverage the body’s natural healing processes in response to repeated ischemic stress associated with severe coronary heart disease. The natural biologic response to repeated myocardial ischemia (insufficient oxygen levels in heart muscle) is angiogenesis, the growth of new collateral blood vessels. Newly formed vessels can effectively augment blood flow and oxygen delivery to the patient’s heart downstream from a partial or complete blockage in a coronary artery. In many patients however, including those with recurrent angina, collateral coronary vessel formation remains insufficient to meet the heart’s needs during exercise or stress. Currently available anti-anginal drugs, which may provide temporary symptomatic relief, are generally designed to alter the oxygen demand of the heart muscle or dilate vessels to relieve angina without changing the underlying medical condition. Generx is being developed as a one-time intracoronary administration to improve the underlying physiology in patients with recurrent angina.
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