Esperion Therapeutics Inc has been granted a patent for the Company's oral small molecule program by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. Patent Number 6,506,799, titled "Methods of treating cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, dyslipoproteinemia, and hypertension with ether compounds," covers methods for the use of certain small molecules to treat a variety of cardiovascular diseases and was invented by Esperion scientists. Esperion now holds three U.S. patents in support of its oral small molecule program, and eleven U.S. patent applications and corresponding foreign applications in support of the program are pending.

Esperion is researching and developing orally active, small molecule compounds that elevate high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the "good" cholesterol, and reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the "bad" cholesterol, and triglycerides. These compounds may enhance the body's natural ability to trap and remove excess cholesterol and lipids from arteries and other tissues, potentially reducing the risk of future cardiovascular events. Based on pre-clinical studies, Esperion believes that one or more oral small molecule product candidates could be used to treat lipid disorders that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, either as a stand alone therapy or as a complement to statin therapy.

"The new patent for Esperion's oral small molecule development program further enhances our growing intellectual property estate for the development and commercialization of HDL therapies," said Roger S. Newton, president and chief executive officer of Esperion Therapeutics. "Our increasing activity in the small molecule arena should allow us to capitalize on the strengths of our scientific team in the successful development of therapies to treat heart disease."