BG Medicine Welcomes Inclusion of Galectin-3 in 2014 Indian Consensus Document on Cardiac Biomarkers

WALTHAM, Mass., March 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BG Medicine, Inc. BGMD announced today that galectin-3 testing has been recognized for the first time in the newly issued 2014 Indian Consensus Document on Cardiac Biomarkers published by the Cardiological Society of India. [1] The Consensus Document on Cardiac Biomarkers reviews cardiac blood tests that are available for diagnosis and management in heart failure, and provides recommendations for physicians on their use and utility in caring for heart failure patients.

In the 2014 Indian Consensus Document on Cardiac Biomarkers, galectin-3 testing has been included, in addition to testing for the natriuretic peptides, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and NT-proBNP, for use in heart failure. The consensus document states: "B-type natriuretic peptide, in conjunction with Galectin-3, may be used to identify those patients at higher risk of readmission or death thus allowing the physician to better match the level of care to an individual patient's needs. These biomarkers are helpful to physicians, emergency physicians, and cardiologists in day-to-day practice."

Heart failure in India has been conservatively estimated to affect up to 4.6 million people, with up to 1.8 million new diagnoses made each year. [2]

"In India, heart failure is becoming a common reason for hospitalization in patients with cardiovascular disease," commented Jamshed J. Dalal, M.D., D.M., Ph.D., Director of Cardiology at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. "Rapid and accurate diagnosis with a technique that is easily available, cost effective and rapidly performed with both high sensitivity and specificity is of immense value to both the physician and the patient. Cardiac biomarkers fit the bill in all aspects, and rightfully are gaining popularity. However, they still need to be used more frequently and more appropriately. Galectin-3, a relatively new cardiac biomarker, further enhances the unique value that this testing provides. Prediction of future events and optimization of treatment with these tests is an added benefit that should be fully utilized by all clinicians treating patients with heart failure."

"While natriuretic peptide testing has become a routine part of heart failure assessment in India, newly available biomarkers such as galectin-3 are increasingly important as an aid in clinical care, particularly with prognosis of patients at risk for heart failure," said Alan Maisel, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of California at San Diego and Director of the Coronary Care Unit and Heart Failure Program at the affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego. "With a significant high risk population for heart failure in India, galectin-3, a proven marker of early fibrosis, will be instrumental in bringing those high risk patients to the front of the line for aggressive follow up and management. We've seen the clinical impact of routine measures of galectin-3 in the United States and believe testing will continue to expand worldwide."

"We believe that the inclusion of galectin-3 in the 2014 Indian Consensus Document on Cardiac Biomarkers is an important recognition of the potential significance of galectin-3 testing in the evaluation and management of patients with heart failure," commented Paul Sohmer, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of BG Medicine.

The BGM Galectin-3® Test is CE Marked and available in Europe as an aid in assessing the prognosis of patients diagnosed with acute and chronic heart failure when used in conjunction with clinical evaluation. It is also CE Marked for adults as aid in assessing the risk of new onset heart failure. The BGM Galectin-3® Test is cleared by the U.S. FDA as an aid in assessing the prognosis of patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure when used in conjunction with clinical evaluation.

About Galectin-3 and Heart Failure

Galectin-3 is a protein that is involved in fundamental disease processes including the development of fibrosis in organ tissues, and cardiac remodeling, which may lead to the development and progression of heart failure. Higher levels of galectin-3 are associated with a more aggressive form of heart failure, which may make identification of high-risk patients using galectin-3 testing an important part of patient care. Galectin-3 testing may be useful in helping physicians determine which patients are at higher risk of hospitalization or death. The BGM Galectin-3® Test is to be used as an aid in assessing the prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure, in conjunction with clinical evaluation. For more information please visit www.BG-Medicine.com.

About BG Medicine, Inc.

BG Medicine, Inc. BGMD, the developer of the BGM Galectin-3® Test, is focused on the development and delivery of diagnostic solutions to aid in the clinical management of heart failure and related disorders. For additional information about BG Medicine, heart failure and galectin-3 testing, please visit www.BG-Medicine.com. The BG Medicine Inc. logo is available for download here.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: our belief that galectin-3 will be instrumental in bringing high risk heart failure patients to the front of the line for aggressive follow up and management; our belief that galectin-3 testing will continue to expand worldwide; our belief that the inclusion of galectin-3 in the 2014 Indian Consensus Document on Cardiac Biomarkers is an important recognition of the potential significance of galectin-3 testing in the evaluation and management of patients with heart failure; our understanding that higher levels of galectin-3 are associated with a more aggressive form of heart failure, which may make identification of high-risk patients using galectin-3 testing an important part of patient care; and our belief that galectin-3 testing may be useful in helping physicians determine which patients are at high risk of death or hospitalization, including unplanned rehospitalization. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees of future performance, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in BG Medicine's annual report and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and BG Medicine disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

Publication References

1. Satyamurthy I, Dalal JJ, Sawhney JP, et al. The Indian Consensus Document on cardiac biomarker. Indian Heart J. 2014 January - February;66(1):73-82. doi: 10.1016/j.ihj.2013.12.053.

2. Huffman MD, Prabhakaran D. Heart failure: epidemiology and prevention in India. Natl Med J India. 2010 Sep-Oct;23(5):283-8.