TITAN BEGINS PHASE II CLINICAL STUDY OF DITPA

Titan Pharmaceuticals has announced today the initiation of a Phase II study of DITPA (3,5-diiodothyropropionic acid) in the treatment of elevated cholesterol levels. This study will evaluate the cholesterol-lowering properties of DITPA administered in combination with standard statin therapy, in individuals who are unable to achieve targeted cholesterol level reductions with statin therapy alone.

Recent data have indicated that further lowering of target LDL cholesterol level guidelines may be important in reducing the incidence of heart disease and stroke. Treatment with statins is the mainstay of therapy for people needing to lower their LDL cholesterol. However, many such individuals do not achieve the NCEP recommended goals. More than 40 percent of all Americans have LDL cholesterol levels above the currently recommended target maximum level of 130 mg/dl, and 13 million Americans have coronary artery disease that could benefit from lipid modification therapy.