London, UK, October 7, 2005 A study published in The Lancet today shows that Takeda's ACTOS (pioglitazone HCl), an oral glucose lowering medication, significantly reduces the combined risk of non-fatal heart attacks, strokes and deaths by an additional 16% on top of standard medication, such as statins, fibrates, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, other glucose-lowering medications and anti-platelet drugs, in patients with type-2 diabetes with high risk of cardiovascular disease.

This means that for every 48 patients treated with ACTOS over three years one major cardiovascular event or death can be prevented.

"Seeing pioglitazone improve these cardiovascular outcomes (16% relative risk reduction) is an impressive result especially as these patients were already receiving standard treatments including the use of lipid-modifying drugs, anti-hypertensives, aspirin and other glucose-lowering agents," said Professor Ian Campbell, Consultant Physician at Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland. He further commented, "We look forward to further analyses that I understand are being submitted to scientific meetings and to reviews of the results in the medical press during the coming year."

Dr Michael George, Managing Director of the Takeda European Research and Development Center commented, "In light of these excellent results Takeda is working on preparations for a label change for ACTOS."

Study design and results as presented at the 41st EASD meeting in Athens on September 12th 2005 PROactive (PROspective PioglitAzone Clinical Trial In MacroVascular Events) was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled outcome study to determine the effects of ACTOS on mortality and morbidity associated with cardiovascular disease progression in more than 5,000 high-risk patients with type-2 diabetes when added to their standard treatment. Standard treatment included the use of anti-hypertensives such as ACE inhibitors and beta blockers; glucose low
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Contact: Helen Swift
helen.swift@ketchum.com
44-207-611-3637
Ketchum
6-Oct-2005

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