Cor Therapeutics Inc. announced Tuesday that it has startedPhase II trials on Integrelin, its product for patientsundergoing coronary angioplasty.

Integrelin is a glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa antagonist for treatingdiseases associated with arterial thrombosis.

This is the second clinical indication for the compound, LauraBrege, chief financial officer for the South San Francisco, Calif.,company (NASDAQ:CORR), told BioWorld. Integrelin has been inthe clinic for the first indication, unstable angina, since March,she said.

For treating coronary angioplasty, the goal is to prevent theoccurrence of "abrupt closure," which occurs in 5 percent to 8percent of patients who have had some sort of angioplasty,Brege explained. The artery's reclosing is a "severe, immediate,thrombotic event," much more rapid than the time course forrestenoisi, Brege said.

"This is the same indication that Centocor is testing for CentoRxin Phase IIIs," Brege added.

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