Cardiome Announces Publication of Positive Data from an Observational, Retrospective Study of BRINAVESS

VANCOUVER, October 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

NASDAQ: CRME TSX: COM

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME / TSX: COM) today announced publication of positive data from an observational, retrospective study performed at the Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden. The study included 251 recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who received 355 BRINAVESS™ treatments during the period between January 15, 2011 and April 15, 2013. During the observation period, 70% of the AF patients treated with BRINAVESS converted with a median time of 11 minutes. Conversion efficacy was 76% in patients with AF duration <10 hours. The median time spent in the ER for patients who converted on BRINAVESS was 6.5 hours. These results are published in the October 2013 issue of The European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine.

"It is exciting to see that patients treated in the clinically critical first 48 hours after AF onset appear to continue to derive better-than-expected benefit from BRINAVESS and that they also prefer this therapy over DC cardioversion," stated William Hunter, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Cardiome Pharma Corp. "The high conversion efficacy coupled with short hospital stay we believe makes BRINAVESS a practical option for physicians and patients who value rapid relief from AF."

"Skåne University Hospital developed a "fast-track" AF program in the emergency room where patients with short duration AF were promptly treated with BRINAVESS, which likely contributed to the higher efficacy seen in this setting compared to the ACT and AVRO clinical trials," stated Dr. Steen Juul-Möller, the study's Principal Investigator and Cardiome's Medical Director. "The finding that 75% of successfully treated BRINAVESS patients remained in normal sinus rhythm after a one year follow-up period - was an extremely interesting and important finding that requires further investigation," added Dr. Juul-Möller.

Patients with recent-onset AF and whom cardioversion was considered were evaluated for BRINAVESS treatment. Over the period of the study, 251 patients received 355 treatments. In all patients, 70% of BRINAVESS treatments were successful and 70% of the patients responded at least once with conversion to sinus rhythm. The conversion rate was higher at 76% among patients with AF duration <10 hours compared to 66% in those with AF >10 hours (P<0.05). Transient bradycardia and hypotension were seen in 5 patients (1.4%) occurring within minutes after conversion and were judged as a response to the change in heart rhythm. No ventricular tachyarrhythmias, including Torsade-des-Pointes were seen.^[1]

Those patients who did not respond to BRINAVESS treatment were subsequently treated with DC cardioversion. All patients who had experienced both BRINAVESS and DC cardioversion were given a questionnaire to assess cardioversion preference and were followed up for a maximum period of 27 months (BRINAVESS [n = 156]; DC cardioversion [n=91]). Among those who converted with BRINAVESS, 72% would prefer this treatment, in patients who did not convert with BRINAVESS, 61% said they would prefer DC cardioversion if they experienced a relapse (P<0.001). Furthermore, among BRINAVESS responders, 78% were satisfied or very satisfied with the treatment.  In the follow up portion of the study, after 12 months, 75% of BRINAVESS responders were still in sinus rhythm, compared to 45% of patients that required DC cardioversion (P<0.001).

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About Cardiome Pharma Corp.

Cardiome Pharma Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of new therapies that will improve the health of patients around the world. Cardiome has one marketed product, BRINAVESS^[TM] (vernakalant IV), approved in Europe and other territories for the rapid conversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm in adults.

Cardiome is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market (CRME) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (COM). For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.cardiome.com.

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