INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Company Background
Serodus ASA is a Norwegian drug development company, focusing on new therapeutic products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases with large unmet clinical needs. Two of the company's products are ready for clinical Phase II Proof-of-Concept studies in patients with isolated systolic hypertension and heart failure respectively. The company's business model is to seek partnering with international pharmaceutical companies after having demonstrated clinical effect in humans.
Company Presentation
Focus Areas
Serodus is focusing on isolated systolic hypertension, chronic congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation after intra-thoracical surgery.
Isolated systolic hypertension is an ignored cardiovascular condition but represents the most common form of hypertension in patients above the age of 50 years. The disease is seen more often in females than in males and is a major risk factor leading to stroke, renal failure and myocardial infarction. Isolated systolic hypertension is characterized by a systolic blood pressure above 140 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg.
Chronic congestive heart failure is the condition where the heart is unable to circulate enough blood to meet the metabolic demands of the body's tissues due to a reduced cardiac output. Patients accumulate water, which lead to lung stasis and dyspnoea (shortness of breath). Five years mortality rate is high, approaching 50%.
Post-surgical atrial fibrillation is a complication to intra-thoracical surgery such as surgery for lung cancer and coronary bypass graft, and atrial fibrillation prolongs the stay in intensive care unit and increases the risk of embolism. Atrial fibrillation is also seen as a complication to congestive heart failure either as paroxysms or as chronic atrial fibrillation. The aetiology of these different forms of atrial fibrillation is different; it is believed that the first is due to changes of intra-thoracical pressure whereas the two others are believed to be secondary to arteriosclerosis.
