NASDAQ: CRME TSX: COM
VANCOUVER, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME) (TSX: COM) today announces the addition of Steen Juul-Möller, M.D., Ph.D./DMSc., FESC to Cardiome's management team as Medical Director, Europe. In his capacity of Medical Director, Dr. Juul-Möller will oversee Cardiome's clinical and medical affairs activities.
Dr. Juul-Möller has held his clinical position at the Malmö University Hospital (now Skane University Hospital) since 1980. He is a strong proponent for the rapid cardioversion of patients with recent onset atrial fibrillation (AF). Dr. Juul-Möller was responsible for changing his hospital's emergency room AF management protocol and developed an AF fast-track treatment system where patients were safely and rapidly cardioverted resulting in both patient and economic benefits. Vernakalant was regularly used in the atrial fibrillation fast-track protocol. Since BRINAVESS(TM) was available in Sweden, clinicians at Skane University Hospital have used it to cardiovert over 250 recent onset atrial fibrillation patients to normal sinus rhythm achieving successful cardioversion in 70% to 80% of patients, which is almost 50% higher than what was achieved in clinical trials. He has also served on the Steering Committee of both the ACT I and ACT III pivotal Phase 3 trials for vernakalant.
"We are thrilled to have Dr. Juul-Möller join Cardiome's medical team," said Bill Hunter, M.D., Cardiome's President and CEO. "Sharing his BRINAVESS(TM) experience with other clinicians and decision makers such as the identification of patients who would best respond to BRINAVESS(TM) and the economic benefits his hospital has gained after implementing a fast-track AF protocol will be key as Cardiome assumes BRINAVESS(TM) commercialization activities."
In addition to clinical practice, he has concentrated his research activities on clinical cardiology. He successfully ran a large clinical project involving 94 centers in Sweden, the results of which were singularly responsible for the 1997 FDA recommendation of aspirin treatment for primary prevention of myocardial infarction in patients with stable angina (published in Lancet 1992;340:1421-1425).
For the last 10 years, Dr. Juul-Möller has directed his research towards arrhythmias and international drug development including Phase 2 through to Phase 4 clinical studies, frequently utilizing the state-of-the-art Laboratory for Ambulatory ECG Monitoring. He has had an instrumental role in creating the first Scandinavian Syncope Center, located in Malmö and developing a fast-track atrial fibrillation treatment program at his hospital.
About Cardiome Pharma Corp.
Cardiome Pharma Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the
discovery, development and commercialization of new therapies that will
improve the health of patients around the world. Cardiome has one
marketed product, BRINAVESS(TM) (vernakalant IV), approved in Europe and
other territories for the rapid conversion of recent onset atrial
fibrillation to sinus rhythm in adults.
Cardiome is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market (CRME) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (COM). For more information, please visit our web site at www.cardiome.com.
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SOURCE Cardiome Pharma Corp.