From academic vision to clinical reality A case study of acadesine.

Acadesine is the prototype of a new class of therapeutic compounds termed adenosine-regulating agents (ARAs). The concept of adenosine regulation by acadesine and recognition of its potential therapeutic importance in myocardial ischemia was initiated in academia and led to the founding of a new biopharmaceutical company to develop acadesine and other ARAs. The historical background and preclinical studies that led to the discovery of acadesine and identification of its cardioprotective properties, culminating in international multicenter trials in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, are discussed.