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Bayer Schering Pharma given hypertension therapy approval

20 Feb 2009

Ethical approval for a phase III trail involving the drug riociguat has been granted to Bayer Schering Pharma by the Cambridgeshire 1 Research Ethics Committee.

Riociguat is the first in a new class of therapeutics which stimulate an enzyme known as soluble guanylate cyclise.

It has shown "promising" phase II results and in the new trial will be tested in patients suffering from chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Professor Hossein Ardeschir Ghofrani is head of the pulmonary hypertension division in the department of internal medicine at the University Hospital Giessen and Marburg in Germany.

"We are very encouraged by the positive phase II findings with riociguat which, if replicated in phase III trials, will be an exciting breakthrough for patients with pulmonary hypertension," he said.

In recent weeks, the firm announced that applications are now open for those keen to take part in the Bayer Newbury 10K charity race.