Milestone Pharmaceuticals Initiates a Phase 1 Clinical Trial with MSP-2017

MONTREAL, Oct. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc., a cardiovascular drug development company, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial with MSP-2017. MSP-2017 is a novel short-acting calcium channel antagonist that has demonstrated modulation of conductivity at the AV node of the heart in preclinical models. Milestone is initially developing MSP-2017 as a nasal spray that could be self-administered at home by patients for an initial potential treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). The Phase 1 single ascending dose study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of MSP-2017 in healthy volunteers using a crossover design to assess two intranasal formulations of MSP-2017.

"MSP-2017 addresses an unmet medical need because there are no short-acting products for terminating PSVT episodes in the at-home setting, requiring most patients developing this arrhythmia to have to go to the emergency room for treatment with intravenous medications. The treatment could provide patients with an alternative to catheter ablation and might also be used in lieu of chronic pharmacologic therapy for patients with mild to moderate symptoms," said Philippe Douville, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Pharmaceuticals.

"Adenosine, the most widely used short-acting drug, can only be administered intravenously in a clinical setting. A short-acting product for PSVT episodes that could be self-administered would change the pharmacological paradigm for PSVT treatment and give patients the option to treat these events in the unmonitored setting and hopefully improve their quality of life," added Philip Sager, MD, FACC, Chief Medical Advisor for Milestone Pharmaceuticals.

The Phase 1 study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to assess single ascending doses of two intranasal formulations of MSP-2017 in healthy adult volunteers in Australia. The program advanced into Phase 1 clinical testing following successful preclinical studies with MSP-2017.

About Milestone Pharmaceuticals
Milestone is a drug development company developing novel small molecule therapeutics based on clinically validated mechanisms for cardiovascular diseases. Milestone's lead product is a novel and potent short-acting calcium channel antagonist for the systemic treatment of transient cardiovascular conditions such as atrial arrhythmias and angina. The Company has assembled a world-class scientific advisory board of key opinion leaders with significant cardiovascular expertise in cardiology, regulatory affairs, and drug development. For more information, please visit www.milestonepharma.com

SOURCE Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc.