ALT-711 Improves Cardiac Function in the Aging Diabetic Heart - Preclinical Canine Study Presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2003 - RAMSEY, N.J., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alteon's lead A.G.E. Crosslink Breaker ALT-711 has been found by an independent research team to improve overall cardiac function in aged diabetic dogs by restoring left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), reducing aortic stiffness and reducing left ventricular (LV) mass. These changes were observed to be associated with a reversal of the overexpression of cardiac collagen seen with aging and diabetes. The study, "A Glycation End-Product Cross Link Breaker Reduces Collagen and Improves Cardiac Function in the Aging Diabetic Heart," was conducted by researchers at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and presented today at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2003 today in Orlando, FL. The authors propose that A.G.E. Crosslink Breakers, a class of compounds pioneered by Alteon, could provide therapeutic potential in the treatment of aged patients with diabetes. ALT-711 is under Phase 2 investigation in humans by Alteon for its potential in systolic hypertension and heart failure. In this investigation, researchers first observed how aging and diabetes affected the structure and function of the hearts of 12 dogs, 9-12 years old. Five months of induced diabetes resulted in a 25% reduction in LVEF, a 28% decrease in stroke volume and an approximate 1.7-fold increase in aortic stiffness. Another major finding was that diabetes increased both type I and type III collagen, which accounts for roughly 96% of total collagen in the heart, by approximately 2-3 fold, contributing to an increase in LV mass. The decline of heart function and change in structure was attributed in part to the formation and crosslinking of Advanced Glycation End-products (A.G.E.s), a pathological process of aging that occurs at an accelerated rate in diabetes and has damaging effects on proteins such as collagen and elastin. Treatment with the A.G.E. Crosslink Breaker ALT-711 over one month resulted in a reversal of these conditions, normalizing LVEH (p