Corporate Overview

CV Therapeutics, Inc. (CVT), headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of new small molecule drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We apply advances in molecular biology and genetics to identify mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and targets for drug discovery.

As a pioneer in the field of molecular cardiology, CV Therapeutics strives to discover new solutions for the unmet medical needs of patients. The company employs more than 500 professionals, including a cardiovascular sales force of approximately 200 field-based individuals. Nearly 19 percent of employees based in our Palo Alto headquarters hold doctoral degrees, including MDs, PhDs, and PharmDs.

Key drivers of our business are to:

• Identify, develop, and commercialize drugs primarily for cardiovascular disease,
• Focus on small molecule drug candidates,
• In-license cardiovascular products with unique potential, and
• Commercialize products through concentrated sales and marketing efforts.

Molecular Cardiology and the Search for
New Small Molecule Drugs

According to the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease affected nearly 80 million people, and claimed almost 900,000 lives in the United States in 2004, the year the most recent statistics are available. By exploring the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease with molecular cardiology, new opportunities are being created to discover improved therapies.

Molecular cardiology aids in the discovery and explanation of the molecular mechanisms and underlying pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. This discipline integrates the tools of molecular biology, functional genomics, pharmacology, physiology, and chemistry. The information collected provides a basis from which a more informed decision can be made in the identification of molecular targets, the selection and execution of in vitro and in vivo experiments, and the planning and performance of preclinical and clinical development strategies.

We pursue small molecule therapeutics as leads because they can frequently be administered orally on an outpatient basis. In contrast, large molecule therapeutics, such as proteins or monoclonal antibodies, can very rarely be formulated to accommodate oral outpatient administration.

Our emphasis on discovery science and small molecule therapeutics means that our drug candidates typically can be produced by conventional pharmaceutical manufacturing methods, using the established production capabilities of the contract pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.