Drug Pipeline Series: Submissions, Nov 13 - Nov 20, 2006

Angiotech submits application for European regulatory approval for its Vascular Wrap™ product
Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has submitted an application for a CE Mark for its Vascular Wrap™ paclitaxel-eluting mesh / ePTFE vascular graft combination product on the strength of the results from its European first-in-man study.
The two-year trial which supports the CE Mark application produced evidence that treatment with the Vascular Wrap reduced the overall incidence of leg amputation and prolonged limb retention time in patients suffering from late stage peripheral arterial disease who underwent bypass surgery. For the patients that required an amputation during the study period, the mean interval to amputation for patients treated with the Vascular Wrap was 156 days - more than double the mean interval to amputation for the control, which was 76 days. At the same time, the Vascular Wrap appeared to be well tolerated, with no adverse events being considered related to the use of the product.

About peripheral arterial disease
Angiotech's Vascular Wrap™ paclitaxel-eluting mesh / ePTFE graft combination product technology is being developed for use in hemodialysis access and peripheral arterial bypass surgery. It is a combination product consisting of both the ePTFE graft and the Vascular Wrap paclitaxel-eluting mesh. The Vascular Wrap component is a biodegradable mesh implant incorporating Angiotech's paclitaxel technology in a novel biomaterial with the goal of mitigating scar formation caused by abnormal blood flow thereby potentially enhancing graft patency rates in AV-access patients as well as in peripheral bypass procedures.