Good News For Scios With Ph III Natrecor Data

Scios shares rose on the news that its drug for acute congestive heartfailure, Natrecor (human b-type natriuretic peptide), relieved patients' symptoms as well as improving pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and cardiac index, two important measures of cardiac function. The shares rose $1.50 to $8.75 on September 11, on volume of 2.4 million traded.

The study, which enrolled 127 patients with acutely decompensated CHF requiring hospitalization, began at the end of last year (Marketletter November 18, 1996) and was designed to investigate the efficacy of Natrecor in the short-term treatment of CHF.

Significant Improvements In Cardiac Function Among the patients receiving Natrecor 0.015mcg/kg/min, PCWP was reduced by 20% compared with placebo, while those receiving a 0.03mcg dose experienced a 31% reduction in PCWP. Both symptom score and cardiac index were also significantly improved compared to placebo.