THE Oxfordshire labs of Evotec OAI have helped to identify new compounds which could treat heart disease.

Many current treatments deal only with the symptoms of the disease, such as blocked arteries.

But Evotec OAI, which has a base at Milton Park, near Abingdon, has linked up with another German company, MediGene, to make a potential drug which blocks the activities of a protein involved in the onset of heart problems.

MediGene now aims to develop more effective drugs for specific cardiac diseases.

These diseases are the second most common cause of death in the industrialised world, after cancer. The two companies announced scientific results indicating that the newly identified substances suppress specifically and extremely effectively the activity of the protein linked to congestive heart failure.

The substances identified were part of Evotec OAI's lib- rary of chemical substances.

MediGene keeps all rights to the substances identified, while Evotec OAI will receive a milestone payment for the successful conclusion of this stage of their co-operation.

Evotec chief executive Joern Aldag said: "We are delighted that we have been able to identify several very promising drug candidates."