NISSAN CHEMICAL REPORTS POSITIVE STUDY RESULTS FOR NM-702

Nissan Chemical Industries has reported positive results from their Phase IIb study NCI-IC-0201 of NM-702 for the treatment of intermittent claudication. The study enrolled 391 patients, who were assessed after six months of therapy. Results from the study showed NM-702 was associated with a statistically significant increase in patients' peak walking time as compared with placebo, the study's primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were also supportive of NM-702 efficacy.

Intermittent claudication is a major symptom of peripheral arterial disease. Intermittent claudication is characterized by exercise-induced lower extremity pain and muscle fatigue that is relieved by rest. Intermittent claudication symptoms are thought to occur when the blood supply is inadequate to meet the demands of lower limb muscle metabolism. This leads to a severe limitation in walking ability, which in turn adversely affects the social, leisure, and occupational activities of the patient. Approximately four to six million persons in the U.S. suffer from intermittent claudication, with only about 10 percent of these patients currently receiving drug therapy to improve their exercise performance.