Corautus responds to FDA's decision to stop VEGF-2 trial

Atlanta, USA-based biopharmaceutical company Corautus Genetics has issued a response to the Food and Drug Administration's decision to halt a clinical trial of its vascular endothelial growth factor 2, after some patients suffered adverse events. The drug was being evaluated for use in the treatment of severe angina and chest pain.

In March of this year, Corautus suspended patient enrollment after three cases of pericardial effusion occurred in patients who had already received the drug. The FDA then put the trial on hold following evaluation of the program by an independent committee.

Corautus said that the adverse events were not related to VEGF-2, and added that it had been working with fellow US firm Boston Scientific, which supplies the catheter technology used to deliver the drug, to fully identify the problem.