Gene Therapy Study Underway at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is participating in a research study of a gene therapy product, called Ad5FGF-4, designed to stimulate the bodys natural ability to grow new blood vessels.

On December 10, Dr. Abel Moreyra, MD, Director of the Heart Center of New Jersey, administered a one-time, intracoronary injection by heart catheterization, giving the patient either Ad5FGF-4 or a placebo. In this double-blind study, neither Dr. Moreyra nor the patient knew whether the injection contained the investigational gene therapy product or the placebo.

After receiving the injection, the patient will be monitored during clinic visits for one year and followed afterward to determine the long-term effects of the product. Approximately 100 centers around the country are seeking to enroll 450 patients in this study.

The purpose of this experimental gene therapy study is to determine if Ad5FGF-4 can help stimulate the bodys natural ability to grow new blood vessels in the heart, providing alternate routes for oxygenated blood to flow around narrow or blocked arteries.

Coronary artery disease affects more than 12 million Americans. More than half the people with coronary artery disease suffer from angina.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital seeks additional patients for this trial. Interested participants between the ages of 30 and 75 and who suffer from recurrent or persistent but stable angina, despite previous angioplasty, bypass or medical treatment, should contact Michael Cargill, Cardiology Research Coordinator, at (732) 235-6130.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, one of the nations leading academic health centers, is the principal hospital for UMDNJ -- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System & Network. For more information, please call the hospitals main phone number at 732-828-3000 or visit www.rwjuh.edu.