CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 11, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHTP) announced that it will be sponsoring a symposium on orthostatic hypotension and hosting its 2007 analyst and institutional investor day from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM on Friday, April 20, 2007 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
The symposium, featuring a panel of academic thought leaders and experts in the field of autonomic disorders, is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM and will provide an update on the diagnosis, epidemiology and treatment of orthostatic hypotension. The afternoon session, scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM, will feature presentations by Chelsea's management team including an overview and discussion of the market opportunity, clinical development program and preliminary marketing plans for Droxidopa, an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension.
"We are pleased to have such experienced and distinguished leaders joining us to provide a comprehensive overview of the diagnosis and treatment of orthostatic hypotension, including presentations on the U.S. clinical experience and results of the European Phase II trials of Droxidopa," stated Dr. Simon Pedder, Chelsea's President and CEO. "My colleagues and I look forward to this opportunity to also update analysts, shareholders, and prospective institutional investors on our Droxidopa development program and provide additional insight into our near and long-term goals for this compound."
Individuals interested in attending the event are requested to please contact Kathryn McNeil, Director of Investor Relations, at 718-788-2856 for registration. For those unable to attend in person, each presentation will also be webcast live commencing at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. To access the live audio webcast for this conference, please log onto Chelsea's website at http://www.chelseatherapeutics.com/events.html approximately 10 minutes prior to the presentation in order to register and download any necessary software. The event will be archived and available for replay on the Company's website.
The program will be as follows:
Pathophysiology and Diagnosis of Orthostatic Hypotension
Dr. David Robertson
Elton Yates Professor of Autonomic Disorders
Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology and Neurology
Vanderbilt University
Epidemiology of Orthostatic Hypotension
Dr. Phillip Low
Professor of Neurology
Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine
Current Pharmacologic Treatment for Orthostatic Hypotension
Dr. Roy Freeman
Professor of Neurology
Harvard School of Medicine
Director, Center for Autonomic and Peripheral Nerve Disorders
A New Therapeutic Treatment: Droxidopa US Experience
Dr. Horacio Kaufmann
Alex and Shirley Aidekman Professor of Neurology
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Director, Autonomic Disorders and Treatment Program
A New Therapeutic Treatment: Droxidopa EU Experience
Dr. Christopher Mathias
Professor Neurovascular Medicine
Imperial College School of Medicine
St. Mary's Hospital, London
Moderated Panel: Faculty Q&A
Droxidopa Overview and Market Opportunity
Dr. Simon Pedder
President and CEO
Chelsea Therapeutics
Droxidopa Development Programs
Dr. Art Hewitt
VP, Drug Development
Chelsea Therapeutics
U.S. Marketing Plans for Droxidopa
Keith Schmidt
VP, Marketing & Sales
Chelsea Therapeutics
Moderated Panel: Management Q & A
About Droxidopa and Symptomatic Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension
Symptomatic NOH is a neurogenic disorder resulting from a deficient release of norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter used by sympathetic autonomic nerves to send signals to the blood vessels and the heart. This deficiency results in decreased blood pressure when a person assumes a standing position and is characterized by lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision and syncope. Droxidopa, an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine, increases the supply of norepinephrine available for delivery to its receptors to improve orthostatic blood pressure and alleviate symptoms of orthostatic hypotension.
In addition to creating significant health care costs, symptomatic NOH has a dramatic impact on the quality of life for those patients suffering from Primary Autonomic Failure, a group of diseases that includes Parkinson's Disease, Pure Autonomic Failure and Multiple Systems Atrophy. Midodrine, currently the only FDA approved treatment for orthostatic hypotension, not only fails to treat the underlying cause of symptomatic NOH but is limited in its use by a pronounced side-effect profile and black box warning for supine hypertension. Given the chronic nature of symptomatic NOH and the proven safety and tolerability of Droxidopa, Chelsea expects that daily oral treatment with Droxidopa should provide a significant improvement in the long-term treatment of symptomatic NOH.
About Chelsea Therapeutics
Chelsea Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical development company that acquires and develops innovative products for the treatment of a variety of human diseases. The Company is currently developing a library of metabolically inert antifolate compounds engineered to have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity to treat a range of immunological disorders. Early clinical data suggests that Chelsea's lead antifolate compound, CH-1504, is a safe and effective treatment alternative to methotrexate for RA and may have further applications for psoriasis, IBD and certain cancers. Chelsea's antifolate program is complemented by a strategic partnership with Active Biotech AB for the joint development of a portfolio of therapeutics targeting immune-mediated inflammatory disorders and transplantation. In addition to its autoimmune pipeline, Chelsea is developing Droxidopa, an orally active synthetic precursor of norepinephrine, for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. Currently approved and marketed in Japan, Droxidopa has accumulated over 15 years of proven safety and efficacy, historically generating annual revenues of approximately $50 million in Japan.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events. These statements are just predictions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual events or results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include reliance on collaborations and licenses, risks and costs of drug development, regulatory approvals, intellectual property risks, our reliance on our lead drug candidate CH-1504, our history of losses and need to raise more money, competition, market acceptance for our products if any are approved for marketing, reliance on key personnel including specifically Dr. Pedder, management of rapid growth, the need to acquire or develop additional products and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in our SEC filings.