FORM 6 - K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of March 2000
Commission File Number 0-29350
VASOGEN INC.
(Translation of Registrant's name into English)
2155 Dunwin Drive, Suite 10, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 4M1
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover Form 20 - F or Form 40 - F.)
Form 20 - F [ X ] Form 40 - F [ ]
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.)
Yes [ ] No [ X ]
This Form 6-K consists of:
A press release issued by Vasogen Inc. on March 15, 2000, entitled: "Vasogen
Reports Atherosclerosis Results at the American College of Cardiology Meeting"
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
VASOGEN INC.
By /S/Christopher Waddick
----------------------
(Name: Christopher Waddick)
(Title: Vice-President, Finance & CFO)
Date: March 15, 2000
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Vasogen Inc.
INVESTOR CONTACT
2155 Dunwin Drive, Suite 10
Mississauga, ON, Canada L5L 4M1 Trevor Burns
tel: (905) 569-2265 fax: (905) 569-9231 Investor Relations
http://www.vasogen.com tel: (905) 569-9065
e-mail: [email protected]
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VASOGEN REPORTS ATHEROSCLEROSIS RESULTS AT THE
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY MEETING
Toronto, Ontario (March 15, 2000) -- Vasogen Inc. (TSE:VAS; AMEX:MEW) today
announced that researchers from the University of Toronto presented the results
of experimental studies showing the beneficial effects of VasoCare(TM) therapy
on atherosclerosis at the 49th Annual Scientific Session of the American College
of Cardiology, being held this week in Anaheim, California.
The results presented demonstrate that VasoCare(TM)therapy reduces inflammation
in the blood vessel wall and retards the development of atherosclerotic plaque
by up to 75%. This research was carried out at St. Michael's Hospital, under the
direction of Dr. Duncan Stewart, Head of the Division of Cardiology at the
University of Toronto, and Dr. David Courtman, Director of Research, Division of
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at St. Michael's Hospital.
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease; clots that form
at the site of unstable atherosclerotic plaques cause both heart attacks and
strokes. Recent research has shown that inflammation within the blood vessel
wall contributes significantly to both the development and instability of
atherosclerotic plaques. Reduction of inflammation and the resulting
stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques has, therefore, become an important
therapeutic target in the treatment of patients with atherosclerosis.
"VasoCare(TM) therapy reduced the infiltration of harmful inflammatory cells
that play a major role in the development of atherosclerosis," said Dr.
Courtman. "The marked impact on the development of atherosclerosis is very
promising and we look forward to rapidly advancing the development of this
exciting therapeutic approach."
The University of Toronto studies used mice that lack the LDL-cholesterol
receptor (LDL-R-/- mice). These animals mimic the situation in patients with
familial hypercholesterolemia, a condition that leads to high blood cholesterol,
the rapid development of atherosclerosis, and a high risk of heart attack and
stroke at a young age. To induce the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the
LDL-R-/- mice were fed a high cholesterol diet for up to 12 weeks.
In the first study, two groups of animals were fed a high cholesterol diet for
eight weeks, with one group receiving a course of VasoCare(TM) therapy beginning
at four weeks. When examined at eight weeks, the amount of plaque formation in
the main artery leading from the heart was significantly lower in the
VasoCare(TM)-treated group (4% +/- 3% in treated animals vs 16% +/- 1% in
untreated controls, p<0.05). In a second study of 12 weeks duration, in which
therapy was initiated following eight weeks of high cholesterol feeding, there
was a similar reduction in the development of plaque in the VasoCare(TM)-treated
group. These findings were accompanied by evidence of a reduction in
inflammatory cell infiltration into the blood vessel wall in the treated
animals, suggesting that the observed reduction in plaque development resulted
from a counter-inflammatory effect of VasoCare(TM) therapy.
<PAGE>
Dr. Eldon Smith, Vasogen's Vice-President of Scientific Affairs, stated: "These
results concerning the effects of VasoCare(TM) therapy represent a significant
advance in the development of our immune modulation therapies. Importantly, they
suggest an effective means of limiting the development and progression of
atherosclerosis with a therapy that could act synergistically with the current
approaches of lipid lowering and prevention of clotting."
The American Heart Association currently lists cardiovascular disease as the
number-one cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis, the major cause
of cardiovascular disease, is a progressive condition leading to arterial
blockage with reduced blood flow resulting from the build-up of
cholesterol-containing plaque within the blood vessel wall. In the United States
alone, more than 20 million people have cardiovascular disease; 14 million
suffer from coronary heart disease, 2 million have peripheral vascular disease,
and 4 million suffer the effects of stroke. These conditions lead to more than
500,000 deaths each year in North America alone, and cost the health care system
in excess of $150 billion annually.
Vasogen is focused on developing immune modulation therapies to advance the
treatment of cardiovascular, autoimmune and related inflammatory diseases.
These therapies are designed to target fundamental disease-causing events,
providing safe, effective treatment.
Statements contained in this press release, including those pertaining to
scientific and clinical research, commercialization plans, strategic alliances,
and intellectual property protection, other than statements of historical fact,
are forward-looking statements subject to a number of uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from statements made.
